Buckets with soap

[garyp]

A friend gave me 30 5 gal buckets and they had cousmatic soap in them, any way to clean them so i can use this season , some one said to rise or lower the ph to clean so i thougt of useing some hot water and baking soda

[ennismaple]

I can't see any way you can get the soap flavour out of them. You sap and syrup will definitely have a soapy taste. I'd try to find similar buckets that contained food products, preferably ones that didn't ahve much aroma.

[happy thoughts]

If they had soap in them then they're not food grade and shouldn't be used. The plastic will absorb whatever was in them. Ask yourself if you'd pack syrup in reused detergent bottles. I'll bet you wouldn't:).

Do what ennismaple said. Ask at a bakery or supermarket for used icing or pastry filling buckets. Many places will just give them to you. You could also look for food grade liners or sap bags if you can't get enough food grade buckets.

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

NO once again

[Bucket Head]

Years ago, when I made small amounts of syrup as a teenager, I put a little less than a gallon of syrup in a washed and rinsed out gallon jug that had fabric softener in it. It was the only thing I could find to put the syrup in and put it in the refridgerator. Guess what my syrup tasted like after setting in that jug? I boiled night and day all weekend for that syrup and it was ruined.

Is soap edible? Go get some new ones that had nothing in them or get some used pails from your local bakery/super markets/restuarants/etc. that had a food product in them. Get rid of the soap pails. Well, keep a couple of them for washing the cars, but keep sap and syrup out of them.

Steve

[Bruce L]

Toss the soapy buckets,you will ruin not only your reputation but of all sugarmakers.Years ago we had a neighbour(who is now passed away) that figured we were making lots of money and he wasn't.He set up to tap and went at it big.Worst he ever did that everyone in the area knew about he finished boiling around mid April one year(we had already pulled weeks before),then proceeded to boil in what was in his pans and tanks once he got around to it May 17 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! His response to fellow sugarmakers chiding him for it
"I don't have to eat it!"
I still get his former customers coming to me asking why my sap is so clear that you can see the bottom of the tank,why our sugar is so light compared to his "Laura Secord" candies,and why syrup doesn't have a strong aftertaste

[RC Maple]

Toss the soapy buckets,you will ruin not only your reputation but of all sugarmakers.Years ago we had a neighbour(who is now passed away) that figured we were making lots of money and he wasn't.He set up to tap and went at it big.Worst he ever did that everyone in the area knew about he finished boiling around mid April one year(we had already pulled weeks before),then proceeded to boil in what was in his pans and tanks once he got around to it May 17 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! His response to fellow sugarmakers chiding him for it
"I don't have to eat it!"
I still get his former customers coming to me asking why my sap is so clear that you can see the bottom of the tank,why our sugar is so light compared to his "Laura Secord" candies,and why syrup doesn't have a strong aftertaste

Sounds like you're lucky any of his former customers would still want maple syrup at all.