Resource type: Practical Skills

Showing 171 – 180 of 313 resources

Food Safety on the Farm: Good Agricultural Practices and Good Handling Practices & Packing Operation Sanitation

Good agricultural practices (GAPs) and good handling practices (GHPs) encompass the general procedures that growers, packers, and processors of fresh fruits and vegetables should follow to ensure the safety of their product. GAPs usually deal with preharvest practices (i.e., in the field), while GHPs cover postharvest practices, including packing, storage, and shipping. This factsheet covers GAPs relating to packing operation sanitation.

Date:
November 1, 2017

How to Identify and Control the Sugar Maple Borer

The sugar maple borer, Glycobius speciosus (Say), a long-horned wood boring beetle, is a common pest of sugar maple (the only known host) throughout the range of the tree. Although borer-caused mortality is rare, infestations lead to value loss through lumber defect caused by larval galleries, discoloration, decay, and twisted grain.

Date:
October 12, 2017

Ask Proctor

Should I use 3/16″ or 5/16″ tubing? One of the first questions maple producers face when deciding to tube (or retube) a sugarbush is whether to use 3/16″ or 5/16″ tubing. This article explains some of the general rules that can be helpful in narrowing down the pros and cons of each approach.

Publication:
Maple Syrup Digest
Date:
October 1, 2017

Gravity Filtering: Simple tools and techniques for filtering small batches of maple syrup

Many producers use a filter press, which uses a pressure pump to push the syrup through a series of metal plates and frames, separated by single-use pieces of filter paper which capture the particles and result in crystal-clear syrup. For smaller producers, however, using paper and cloth filters and letting gravity pull the syrup through is an acceptable and far less expensive option.

Publication:
Maple Syrup Digest
Date:
October 1, 2017

Ask Proctor

How long can I store sap? Sap is a highly perishable product. This article explains what happens as it is stored, and how to avoid problems.

Publication:
Maple Syrup Digest
Date:
June 1, 2017

When is it Syrup? Tools and techniques for measuring syrup density

One of the most important skills for sugarmakers to master is knowing when what’s boiling in the evaporator has become syrup. Quality control is key, and packaging syrup too dense or not dense enough will ruin the best of any sugarmaker’s efforts.

Publication:
Maple Syrup Digest
Date:
June 1, 2017

Maple Food Safety Plans – Do You Need One?

Creating a food safety plan can help maintain high quality production and is a useful tool when training new employees and volunteers. This article explains the regulations and offers suggestions on creating a plan.

Publication:
Maple Syrup Digest
Date:
June 1, 2017