The freezing nights have ended for the season, the trees are budding out, and the sap has stopped flowing. After you have boiled all your sap into syrup, there is one more important phase in the maple season—cleaning up.
Theresa Baroun, the Executive Director of the Wisconsin Maple Syrup Producers Association, joined us for the April 2023 Maple Hour to talk about best practices for end-of-season cleanup. By cleaning all your equipment promptly and properly, you can set yourself up for success next maple season. Here are some of Theresa’s key tips.
- Buckets, bags, and taps: Wash with hot water, and turn bags inside out to dry. Once they are dry, you can store buckets stacked and bags flat.
- Tubing systems: Wash with hot water or a 3% solution of food-grade hydrogen peroxide (followed by rinsing).
- Pans: Clean with either hot water, an acid rinse, or white vinegar.
- Reverse osmosis: Follow the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions closely. Store membranes in the proper membrane solution in a place where they will not freeze.
- Tanks: Drain them and then store them out of the sun.
Finally, make sure to let everything get completely dry before putting it away. Store your equipment in a clean, dry place away from rodents and unwanted smells.
For more details, check out the full conversation below, including Theresa’s recap of the 2023 maple season and her recipe for maple cream! You can sign up for the next Maple Hour and find the entire archive HERE.
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