The Sour Sap Cleaning Method

The Sour Sap method is one of the most natural, low-cost, and effective ways to make your evaporator pans look like new again—no scrubbing required!

At the end of our maple season, we filled the evaporator pans with a mix of spoiled sap and water, then let them soak. Over the course of six weeks, the sap naturally converted to vinegar—a powerful cleaning agent. It might not look pretty (and yes, it can get a little stinky), but this method does an incredible job.

This video is especially for maple syrup producers who struggle with gunked-up evaporator pans coated in sugar sand. With Sour Sap, you can lift all of that build-up without abrasive scrubbing or risking scratches to your pan’s surface. If you’ve got the time to let your pans soak, this method is highly effective and completely natural.

Please note: Timing is important. Although sour sap can become a powerful cleaning agent over the course of 6 weeks, any type of vinegar/acid is going to eventually have a negative impact on stainless steel if it is left to sit for too long. Never leave sour sap – or any type of acid – in your pans longer than recommended.

👉 For more maple pan cleaning tips, check out this supplement article.

👍 If you found this helpful, please share with other maple producers. And be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more maple syrup tips and behind-the-scenes insights from Smoky Lake Maple Products.

VIDEO CONTENTS:

• 0:15 What is the Sour Sap Method?
• 1:20 What does spoiled sap look like?
• 1:32 What does 2 months of soaking look like?
• 3:07 The big reveal
• 3:40 Notes on immersing other components in the pans.
• 7:02 Bonus observation

Would you like to see another video on this topic?

On May 15, 2020, our Maple Specialist Jimmy Brochtrup had invited us to his sugar house for a Facebook Live video. See behind the scenes in Jimmy’s sugarhouse, where he was in the process of soaking his own pans using the sour sap method. This archive is still available to view on our YouTube Channel.