- [Instructor] This is Mark Isselhardt, Maple Specialist
with University of Vermont Extension.
And this is another "Vermont Maple Minute".
Just as the sugars found in sap
become concentrated during boiling,
so too, are the naturally occurring minerals found in sap.
As the concentration of minerals increases in the sap,
it approaches, then exceeds the point of saturation.
When that happens, sugar sand,
which is a precipitate made primarily of calcium, forms
and gives syrup a cloudy appearance.
Syrup coming directly from the evaporator
is therefore cloudy and must be filtered
before being stored in a barrel or bottled for consumer use.
One way of removing sugar sand from syrup
is with a pressure filter.
These devices are used in many industries
and rely on a pump to force syrup through filter media.
The most common filter media
is food grade diatomaceous earth, also known as DE.
Make sure to follow the recommended guidelines
for safely handling DE.
DE is the skeletal remains
of single-celled plants called diatoms.
These microscopic algae come in many species and differ,
depending on if they lived in fresh or salt water.
DE appears like a white powder.
Under extremely high power magnification,
diatoms have many complex shapes, some like sand dollars,
baskets or other sieve-like shapes.
It is the secondary pores found
on each individual DE particle
that captures the fine sugar sand
and produces a syrup that sparkles.
This is Mark Isselhardt, Maple Specialist
with the University of Vermont Extension.
And this has been another "Vermont Maple Minute".