Re-using Gal Jugs

[Dennis H.]

Can you re-use syrup jugs? I am talking Sugarhill, Cruchon, etc.

I am thinking of using gal syrup jugs to store the syrup that I make this year in. I figure for the quanity that I will be making that hot packing in 1 gal jugs would be the best.

I just was wondering that when I open a gal jug and repack it in say quarts or pints that I could just clean the gal jug and re-use next year. Maybe need new cap?

I was thinking of buying 2 gal buckets that are safe to hot pack but I don't think I will be making 2 gals of syrup at one time, may take me 2 or 3 days to make that.


One more question, I picked up 4, 1gal jugs that are translucent with caps that have a seal of some sort in the cap, can these be hot packed or are these those freezer jugs I keep hearing about. When I got them they said that they are food safe but they did not say anything about being able to be hot packed.

Thanks for any help.

[3% Solution]

Hi Dennis,
Sure why not, we use ours over and over.
Not just the gallons, but all of them!
We just pick up new caps so they will seal.
I have folks save them and they give them back to us.
Just wash them out good, put the old cap on them so they will store good and so nothing will get in them.
Saves us money!!!

Dave

[mountainvan]

I reuse the returned jugs, 1 gallon, from my commercial customers.

[maplehound]

You can reuse those jugs, just don't wash with soap!!!!!! All they need is rinsed with hot water and yes, use a new cap if you want it to seal. If you are going to refrigerate it then you can reuse the caps as well. I myself won't refill jugs that are returned from costumers, since I don't know how they are washed or what else they may have used them for.

[maple flats]

I don't re use any except for family use. I can never be sure what or who (mice?) has been in returned jugs. The price of a new jug is small potatoes compared to a law suit. In todays lawyer rich environment we must protect ourselves. Remember the woman who successfully sued McDonnalds because she put a cup between her legs and drove, getting burned. In a perfect world any judge would have thrown that out but she got millions. Go figure!

[ennismaple]

I'm 99% sure that the law in Canada says our containers must be new when sold to consumers.

I do re-use gallon jugs for personal consumption and for family. Don't put anything but hot water in it or the syrup will pick up the taste of the cleaning agent you use.

[Dennis H.]

Thanks all for the help I guess I will put my order in for a bunch of gal jugs.

[brookledge]

Not that I have anything different to offer except say I also reuse jugs but only from a few of my regular custommers who are trained in rinsing them out with just hot water. Otherwise I sometimes kindly take them and recycle them with the rest of my plastic containers.
Keith

[tuckermtn]

we have our regular customers put their names on the bottoms and they get their own jugs back each time...

[gmcooper]

I have to say we never reuse syrup jugs. I always assumed that by law at least here in Maine we have to use new containers for retail. I thought the same for most states. For those of you that reuse how would you feel if the food you bought at the grocery store was in used containers! I know the milk plants that reuse the heavy glass bottles have to be checked out to be sure they are cleaning at a high enough temp and when a bottle starts to "look used" customers will pick other containers and leave the older ones in the cooler.
Mark

[3% Solution]

The jugs always get washed in the sink and triple rinsed.
Then they go through the dishwasher to be sanitized.
Not much difference than selling bulk syrup and getting your bulk containers back and having to wash them.
Have never tasted any soap or off taste in the syrup.
Don't get me wrong here guys, I am going to check to make sure what we are doing is ok as far as laws go and if not, we will obid by them.

Dave

[Clan Delaney]

I, too, tend to get used containers back from family and friends. I'm thinking of labeling them and, with their knowledge, reusing them with those original users, and discount them the cost of the container. But, I'm a small enough operation right now to put up with that. For now, I'll use what I need of those recycled containers for my own syrup.

[3% Solution]

Hi all,
Went into the New Hampshire Agriculture Laws and Standards for Maple Syrup packing.
Did not find anything reference to the use of "new" containers.
However, if anyone knows of or finds anything reference to this please let me know.
Thanks.

Dave

[ennismaple]

Here's the wording from the Canadian Maple Products Regulations website:
(http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/C-0.4/C.R.C.-c.289/index.html)


(2) Every container

(a) of maple syrup that
(i) has a capacity of five litres or less, and
(ii) is marked with a grade name, and

(b) of maple sugar that
(i) has a capacity of five kilograms or less, and
(ii) is exported out of Canada or sent or conveyed from one province to another

shall be new.

Of course the U.S. will have different laws but this is what we have to abide by.

[3% Solution]

Ennismaple,
Thanks.
Yeah, like I said I could find in our stae laws where it said new.
I am going to call the Dept. of Agriculture Wednesday.

Dave

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I reuse jugs for personal use or for give away syrup. I give syrup to people whose trees I use and to people who help me boil and etc. I run them through the dishwasher twice with dishwasher detergent and they are like brand new jugs. I never retail in re-used jugs as they are paying same price and I wouldn't want to buy it in recycled jugs either. Far as I'm concerned, if I am giving it away, I try not to buy any more jugs than I have to. I have quite a few people that give me jugs back, so I have aprox 7 gallon of free quart jugs for free syrup every year.