Versatile Sugar/Syrup Kettles

If you have lived in the South long enough, surely you have seen a huge cast iron kettle at an old homestead or being used as a fire pit. These super wide and somewhat shallow kettles were used for making sugar from boiling down sugar cane or sorghum molasses.

These huge kettles probably originated in Louisiana but are found throughout the south. They were not only used for making syrup and molasses but were also used for hog scalding and preparing large meals. Some folks even washed clothes in them. Cast iron was the metal of choice because it was durable, clean and held heat well.

These enormous kettles were common on the plantation and farm of the 19th century but have become very desirable for people to repurpose as fire pits or fountains. There are companies that have also begun to reproduce them out of cast iron and, unfortunately, fiberglass. Of course you can’t cook in the fiberglass ones. If you have one of these kettles that isn’t cracked or damaged, you can have a valuable treasure. Most vintage cast iron syrup kettles can bring $1500-$4000! Especially those attributed to southern manufacturers. Happy Collecting!

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