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Cleaning maple sap buckets after you collect sap or in preparation for this year’s collection is essential for food safety. Clean sap buckets ensure that you are not introducing pathogens or bacteria into the sap you collect to make maple syrup.
Cleaning sap buckets is easy. It is recommended to do it twice a year. Once you are getting ready to use the sap buckets in the spring and then after you have collected sap before storing them.
Here is a quick guide on how to clean them effectively.
What You’ll Need to Clean Sap Buckets
The best way to clean sap buckets is with diluted home bleach and hot water. You’ll use about 1 part bleach to 20 parts hot water (a 5% bleach solution).
Be careful when using bleach – you should do this project in a well-ventilated area, wear gloves to protect your hands, and wear clothing that can get a bleach splash on it without damage.
We recommend creating a cleaning bath for your sap buckets by adding bleach and hot water to a utility sink. Our utility sink holds about 18 gallons of water total, so we fill it less than halfway (about 5-6 gallons of water) and add about 3-4 cups of bleach to the water.
One gallon = 16 cups, 5 gallons = 80 cups
80 cups x .05 = 4 cups
How to Clean Sap Buckets
Once you have created your bleach and water solution, follow these steps to clean your buckets (remember to wear gloves):
- Create your diluted bleach solution using approximately 1 part bleach to 20 parts water.
- Submerge the bucket in the bleach/water solution and spin it around a few times until all surface areas have been soaked.
- Lift the bucket out of the solution and use a sponge, cloth, or brush to wipe down the entire inside and outside of the bucket with the same bleach/water solution.
- Rinse the bucket with clean, clear water at least three times to ensure that all of the bleach has been removed. Set the bucket upside-down to dry.
How Do I Clean Maple Spiles or Taps?
Maple spiles are the tap you hammer into the tree to create a hole through which the sap will flow into the bucket. These can be cleaned in bleach/water as you clean your buckets.
Swirl them around in the bleach solution to ensure that the cleaning solution has run through the spout and hole, scrub the spout part you can get to, and then rinse in warm water three times to remove any residual bleach.
More articles you might like:
- How to Tap a Maple Tree
- How to Collect & Store Sap
- How to Boil Sap to Make Maple Syrup
- How to Boil Sap More Efficiently
How to Clean Maple Sap Buckets
Ingredients
- Bleach diluted, 5% solution
- Hot water
Instructions
- Create your diluted bleach solution using approximately 1 part bleach to 20 parts water.
- Submerge the bucket in the bleach/water solution and spin it around a few times until all surface areas have been soaked.
- Lift the bucket out of the solution and use a sponge, cloth, or brush to wipe down the entire inside and outside of the bucket with the same bleach/water solution.
- Rinse the bucket with clean, clear water at least three times to ensure that all of the bleach has been removed. Set the bucket upside-down to dry.
Notes
Carrie Williams Howe is an educational leader by day and an aspiring homesteader by night and weekend. She lives on a small homestead in Vermont with her husband, two children, and a rambunctious border collie. She blogs about her family's homestead life at The Happy Hive.
