From the Facebook of: Wisconsin Extension Maple Syrup Program

As we reach the shortest days of the year and you gather with family for holiday celebrations, the next few weeks are a great time to prepare for maple syrup season! Here are some things to check off your list:

Sanitation: double-check that your buckets are clean, and re-sanitize any that smell like mildew. If it’s warm enough, you still have time for last-minute tubing sanitation, too.

Evaporator: assemble it soon so that you have time to order any missing parts.

Reverse osmosis: if you need to send in membranes for cleaning, turnaround times are faster now than in January or February.

Refractometers and pH meters: calibrate your tools to ensure high-quality syrup.

Bottles and labels: get enough for the quantity of syrup you hope to produce.

For more details, including a checklist of safety and insurance tasks, check out our recorded Maple Hour webinar from last December featuring Jim Adamski. For the full article please visit: maple.extension.wisc.edu