4 ms·

Can the RO and evaporation be outsourced? I feel like 400 gallons would fit on a trailer truck. Or do you evaporate it through the month because it's perishable

• chrsstrm 4y ago
  Outsourcing those steps is basically selling the sap to a processor. I'm not personally aware of anyone who does private label processing/bottling with the sap you provide, but it might exist. Raw sap can last for up to two weeks under the right conditions, which is keeping it refrigerated below 40F. Sap that has been run through an RO system has a much shorter shelf life - refrigerated up to 5 days at most. In a typical RO process you would keep the permeate (water that has gone through the membrane and been filtered) and discard the waste, which is a solution of water and whatever could not pass through the membrane. However in syrup production you do the opposite, discard the permeate and keep the waste. But in addition to raising your sugar concentration from ~4% to as high as 12%, you've also concentrated the bacteria, which gives the shorter shelf life. It is believed that the fresher your sap is when evaporated, the better the final product will taste. This is why you should evaporate as fast as you collect.
  • gota 4y ago
    These have been a great couple of comments from you; I feel like I just read a good niche book/article or watched a really condensed documentary