If you are wondering when to collect Birch juice and how to roll it up for the winter, this issue of the Notebook is for you!

Birch sap recipe for the winter

My sunset “marathon” begins with birch sap. At the end of March, when there is still snow in some places, the warm spring sun spreads life-giving nectar over the “body” of the tree. In my area, in absolutely different places you can see birch trees with containers filled with sap. Moreover, there are people who specifically plant these trees on their plots. You know, practical and convenient. Firstly, from 3 birch trees you can supply enough juice for a whole company, and secondly, you don’t need to think about how to get permission to collect it in the forest. Go and prepare. And then someone is good at what. I put homemade birch sap in jars, some people put whole flasks of kvass based on birch sap, I know people who drink it in huge quantities during this period. The benefit is considered to be that Fresh Juice Birch cleanses the body well. I won’t go into near-medical discussions, I’ll say one thing: the drink is delicious as in fresh, and in processed form. In summer, it quenches thirst well on a hot day. For this reason, by the fall I have little left - there is no juice, but there are empty jars in a row for new seals.

Especially for readers Notebook We'll tell you and show you:

how to roll birch sap with citric acid

For one 3-liter jar, it makes no sense to take a smaller one, you need an incomplete glass of sugar, 1 level teaspoon of lemon and a slice of orange.

Berezovitsa (birch sap) is collected in the spring. This drink is very beneficial for the human body. It contains a huge amount of vitamins and tannins that have a positive effect on health. Since ancient times, people have treated almost all their diseases with this liquid, from vitamin deficiency to lung problems. Birch nectar also perfectly cleanses and heals the skin, and can compete with the best cosmetics. But do not assume that this is a panacea for all ills. The sap provided by the birch tree can be used as a stimulant.

This drink is very beneficial for the human body.

You just need to know how to collect birch “tears” correctly so as not to kill the tree. You can collect the drink when the trees begin to bud. This is the period from approximately mid-March to the end of April.

To stock up on juice you need:

1. Find a birch tree on which the buds have already begun to swell. The girth of the tree must be at least 20 cm. The older the tree, the sweeter its nectar.
2. Drill a hole in the wood with a drill 1.5 cm in diameter. You need to drill shallowly. The sap is found between the bark and the wood.
3. Attention! Never use an axe. It is much easier for a tree to heal a hole than a cut. Don't kill the tree.
4. Insert a conductor into the hole for flowing juice from last year's grass. This The best way collect everything so that the liquid does not spread over the tree post.
5. Place the bottle to catch the liquid. A bottle will be an ideal collection container. Insects and debris will not get into it.
6. After you have dialed required quantity sap, or if the tree begins to produce very little of it, cover the hole with wax or make a wooden plug from a branch or wood chip.
7. Come for filled containers 2-3 times a day.

The tree will gradually heal the hole. Do not torture the birch tree or drill a new hole. It’s better to drain the sap from another birch tree.

Do not pick birch trees that are located near highways. Trees absorb very well all exhaust gases and harmful substances produced by cars.

Collecting birch sap is an activity that can take more than one weekend. On warm spring days there is no more the right decision than to go with the whole family into nature to eat meat from a fire, and at the same time collect a couple of dozen liters of birch sap in a nearby birch forest.

The entire preparatory process will require minimal financial investment and physical strength from you, but as a result you will be able to stock up a huge amount“birch nectar”, which will not only refresh you in the hot summer and quench your thirst, but will also benefit your immune system.

My father’s advice on collecting and storing birch sap for the winter:

• Before you start collecting birch sap, you need to find out all the details of how to get this product. There are several ways to do this. You can buy fresh birch sap at the market without any hassle from those grandparents who tried to collect it, or use the second option and go to the grove for birch sap yourself.
• Today I will tell you about how my father collects birch sap and how to approach this process. From the means at hand, you will need a hand drill and a 6-10 mm drill bit and an aluminum tube or corner of the appropriate diameter. Birch trees are best suited for collecting sap; their trunks are at least 30 centimeters in diameter.
• A hole in the tree trunk is drilled about 2-3 centimeters deep and at a level from the ground so that it is exactly the height of your container (cans, bottles, etc.). Insert an aluminum tube or corner groove into the drilled hole at an angle.
• The ideal time to collect birch sap is between 12:00 and 18:00. After the juice has been collected, DO NOT FORGET to close the drilled hole. My father, as he says, “plugs” the holes in the trunk with branches picked up from the ground that are suitable in diameter.
• Instead of aluminum tubes and a drill, you can prepare birch sap using an ordinary nail (again, according to my father - “an ordinary weave”) and insert a plastic straw into the hole made, through which we drink refreshments. All that remains is to direct the end of the tube into the bottle and secure the latter near the tree trunk using a rope, tape or a wooden block or branch.

Making kvass from birch sap with raisins

When it comes to preparing birch sap, most people immediately think of birch kvass. It is with the preparation of this drink that I propose to start the list with a recipe for preparing birch sap for the winter.

Ingredients:

• 2 liters of birch sap
• 5-6 pieces of dried apples
• 1 dried pear
• 8-10 raisins
• 2 tbsp. barley

Cooking method:

1. The first step is to prepare the container in which we will store birch kvass. Ideal for these purposes plastic bottle from any drink with a volume of two liters. Required amount We wash the bottles and let them dry completely.
2. Now let's take care of the barley. First, you need to sort it out of debris, then transfer it to a dry, hot frying pan and fry until black.
3. After the barley is ready, you need to do the raisins. Simply rinse it thoroughly and dry it.
4. We wash the dried fruits and chop them to such a size that the pieces fit freely through the neck of the plastic bottle.
5. We filter the birch sap and pour it into a deep container. Throw barley, fruits and raisins into it.
6. Leave the birch sap in a warm place for 2-3 hours.
7. After a while, pour the birch sap into the bottle, without adding about 3-4 centimeters to the brim.
8. Carefully and tightly screw the bottle neck with the lid and leave the bottle in the pantry or dark place for 4 days.
9. After four days, we transfer the birch kvass to the cellar (a cool place) and leave it for 2-3 weeks.
10. It is very easy to check the readiness of kvass - if the bottle with the drink is tight and you cannot press it with your finger, then the kvass is ready.

Preparation of canned birch sap with lemon

The second most popular method of collecting birch sap for the winter is canning it. This process is no different from canning any other products, but it has its own subtleties, which I will describe in detail below.

Ingredients:

• 3 liters of birch sap
• 3 lemon slices
• 2 tbsp. Sahara

Cooking method:

1. Preparing any preserved food begins with preparing the container. Primarily glass 3 liter jar need to be washed thoroughly and then sterilized.
2. Once the canning container is ready, it’s time to start juicing. To begin, strain the birch sap to remove any possible debris and pour it into a saucepan.
3. Place the container with the juice on the fire and bring it to a temperature of 90 degrees. We measure the temperature using a culinary thermometer.
4. Wash the fresh lemon and cut it into slices.
5. Throw lemon slices into the juice and add sugar. Bring the juice to a boil and let it simmer for 4 minutes.
6. Pour the prepared juice into sterile jars and seal them tightly with lids.
7. Cover the jars with birch sap with a blanket and let them cool completely.

Preparing birch sap with oranges for the winter

Another one of alternative ways preparations of birch sap, which stands out from the rest with its “orange” flavor note. If you have any questions while reading the recipe, feel free to ask them in the comments.

Ingredients:

• 3 liters of birch sap
• 3-4 orange slices
• 1 tbsp. Sahara
• ¼ tsp. citric acid

Cooking method:

1. If you like canned juice with the taste of orange, then perhaps we’ll start preparing by washing this citrus. After the fruit is washed, cut it into slices.
2. Then we filter the birch sap and pour it into a metal saucepan. Place the container with the juice on the fire and bring it to a temperature of 90 degrees.
3. Throw orange slices into heated birch sap and bring it to a boil.
4. Immediately after boiling, pour sugar and citric acid and immediately turn off the fire.
5. Pour the finished juice into sterile jars and roll up the lids. Let the jars of birch sap cool until room temperature under the blanket

Now you know how birch sap is collected. Bon appetit!

Collecting birch sap is a simple, exciting and entertaining activity. Starting from a trip to a birch grove and ending with rolling the prepared juice into sterile jars. Anyone can go through the entire harvesting process from start to finish, the main thing is to have desire and patience. Finally, I want to give some tips so that you can collect birch sap without any problems and in a good mood:

• Birch sap is best taken from birch trees with a diameter of at least 30 centimeters, and the collection process itself is carried out within the time frame between 12:00 and 18:00;
• You can prepare sap in different ways, starting from canning it and pumping it into preparing birch kvass;
• I strongly recommend adding juice to it during cooking. citrus fruit, such as lemon, lime or orange;
• Best suited for canning juice glass containers, but for kvass, as well as collecting juice in the forest, it is better to take ordinary plastic bottles.

Nature is rich in its gifts for a person who knows about beneficial properties various juices, herbs and fruits. In early spring, the procedure for collecting birch sap is popular - it contains a rich set of vitamins, minerals, phytoncides and stimulants of regenerative processes in the body. Drinks made from birch sap help overcome spring vitamin deficiency and increase vitality, give a charge of vigor and strength. But you should treat nature with respect. The sap must be collected strictly according to the rules, so as not to harm the tree. In the future, the resulting liquid can be used in pure form, but you can do it various drinks- recipes for preparing them at home can be found on this page.

Non-alcoholic compositions with restorative properties

Drinks made from birch sap have medicinal properties. Depending on the existing problems can be strengthened useful action adding components. For example, you can overcome a deficiency of vitamins and minerals by adding a decoction or syrup of rose hips or lemon juice.

Non-alcoholic compositions with restorative properties can be as follows:

• liter of juice, 2 tablespoons of honey, 3 tablespoons of lemon juice;
• 150 ml of prepared rosehip syrup and 2 liters of juice;
• 150 ml pomegranate and orange juice with the addition of 3 liters of birch sap;
• take 100 grams of dried fruits of hawthorn, dogwood and rose hips, prepare a decoction with the addition of 1 liter of water, mix with 3 liters of juice;
• a mixture of frozen cranberry or lingonberry juice (you can take any berries left in the freezer at the rate of 500 grams per 1 liter of juice).

You can drink such drinks based on birch sap 1 glass 3 times a day. You shouldn't get too carried away, because a large number of active substances may lead to disruption of the digestive tract.

Using this principle, you can prepare others at home - the unusual and original taste will diversify any menu.

Recipe for kvass based on birch sap (with and without raisins)

Birch kvass has amazing thirst-quenching properties thanks to unusual composition. The feedstock contains a large amount of natural sugars, which give soft and accelerated process fermentation. At the same time, no harmful substances are formed in the drink. The kvass recipe based on birch sap is easy to implement at home. For some cases it is not even necessary, the whole technology is simple and time-tested.

You can cook with or without raisins, it’s more a matter of taste. Dried grapes give notes exquisite aroma and softens the taste. To prepare you will need to take:

This is the number of products per 1 three-liter jar. Before cooking, the container should be thoroughly washed with baking soda and dry. Then add the raisins and zest. Heat 20 ml of juice in a water bath to 30 - 35 degrees Celsius - dilute the yeast in it until completely dissolved. Pour the mixture into a jar and add the remaining birch sap to the shoulders. Cover with gauze and place on a sunny windowsill. After a few hours, the fermentation process will begin. The drink will be ready 7 days from the start of fermentation.

You can diversify the recipe by adding honey - 3 tablespoons are enough for 3 liters. A similar drink has long term suitability. It can be stored in the refrigerator in tightly sealed bottles for at least 90 days.

Alcoholic drinks based on birch sap

We remind you that drinking alcohol is strictly prohibited for persons under the age of majority, pregnant women and those with chronic liver and kidney diseases. But this is not a reason to refuse them for those who know how to control themselves and observe moderation. Alcoholic drinks based on birch sap have pleasant taste, mitigate the negative effects of alcohol compounds on the human body. They can be prepared at home.

Most popular drink- this is birch, the recipe of which has come down to us from ancient times. It belongs to cocktails with a small degree and can be used as an aperitif. For 5 liters of birch sap you will need to add 0.5 liters of vodka (or moonshine) and fortified wine 18 degrees. For improvement taste properties add 1 kg of sugar and 0.5 kg of black raisins.

Preparation of the drink requires the use oak barrel. Washed raisins are placed in it and granulated sugar. Then birch sap, wine and vodka are poured. All contents must be thoroughly mixed, but not with a spoon, but by shaking. Then seal and leave in a cool place for 80 days. After ripening, the birch bark is filtered through several layers of gauze and bottled. They must be closed with wooden plugs.

If you like sourness in drinks, then previous recipe You can add the juice of 4 lemons. The rest of the cooking technology remains unchanged.

You can also make wine from birch sap - this is quite difficult to do at home, so any dry white wine should be used as a basis. Its extracts will start the fermentation processes and add shades of sophistication to the finished drink. The average ripening time is 2-3 weeks. Suitable for fermentation three liter jar, into which you need to pour 500 ml of white wine and 2 liters of birch sap. Add 2 mugs of lemon, 1 glass of sugar and fresh yeast on the tip table knife. You can first sterilize the juice. To do this, take 3 liters and boil over low heat to 2.5 liters. Sugar and lemon slices are first added to it. After cooling, the juice is mixed with wine and yeast. The container should be stored in a dark place. You can put a rubber medical glove on the jar.

Birch sap (birch tree)- liquid coming out of a birch tree in places where its trunk or branches are damaged. Such damage can be cuts or fractures, and the outflow of fluid is caused by root pressure in the tree.

Birch sap is very valuable product, enriched with many substances beneficial to the body, due to which this liquid has a complex beneficial effect on human health.

Composition of birch sap

• Juice density - 1.0007-1.0046 g/ml;
• Dry matter content - 0.7-4.6 g/l;
• Ash content - 0.3-0.7 mg/l;
• Total sugar content - 0.5-2.3%;
• Protein - 0.1 g/100 g;
• Fat - 0.0;
• Carbohydrates - 5.8 g/100 g;
• Among organic matter note: essential oils, saponins, betulol, more than 10 organic acids.

The calorie content of birch sap is— 22-24 kcal per 100 g of fresh product.

Birch sap also contains the following macro- and microelements (minerals):

• sugars - 1-4%;
• potassium (K) - 273 mg/l;
• — 16 mg/l;
• — 13 mg/l;
• — 6 mg/l;
• aluminum (Al) - 1-2 mg/l;
• manganese (Mn) - 1 mg/l;
• iron (Fe) - 0.25 mg/l;
• silicon (Si) - 0.1 mg/l;
• titanium (Ti) - 0.08 mg/l;
• copper (Cu) - 0.02 mg/l;
• strontium (Sr) - 0.1 mg/l;
• barium (Ba) - 0.01 mg/l;
• nickel (Ni) - 0.01 mg/l;
• zirconium (Zr) - 0.01 mg/l;
• phosphorus (P) - 0.01 mg/l;
• traces of nitrogen (N).

The chemical composition may vary somewhat depending on the growing region of the donor birch tree and the composition of the soil on which the tree grows.

Medical studies have shown that drinking at least one glass a day for 2-3 weeks (it is optimal to drink a glass three times a day half an hour before meals) will help the body cope with spring, or absent-mindedness, fatigue, etc.

From the point of view of herbal medicine, birch sap is one of the best natural remedies to improve metabolism. Despite the fact that birch sap differs little from water, it ferments well and has positive influence for the work of the stomach.

Birch sap is rich in sugars, organic acids, enzymes, calcium salts, magnesium, iron and others that are necessary for the body, which we talked about a little earlier. Due to its rich composition, it is recommended for diseases of the blood, joints, skin, as well as for other respiratory diseases.

Drinking birch sap helps cleanse the blood, enhance metabolic processes, and remove harmful substances from the body during infectious diseases. It is useful to drink juice for diseases of the liver, gall bladder, low acidity, scurvy, and sexually transmitted diseases.

Birch sap also helps to quickly cleanse the body of harmful substances and the breakdown of urinary stones of phosphate and carbonate origin.

Birch increases the body's resistance to colds, infectious and allergic diseases, has an anthelmintic, diuretic, and antitumor effect; birch sap is useful for wiping the skin to moisturize and cleanse dry skin.

It is also useful to wash your hair with birch sap, to enhance its growth and appearance of shine and softness (infusion of birch leaves has the same property). Birch juice good remedy from impotence. Birch “tears” have a very good effect on women during the period. If you drink at least a glass of juice a day, drowsiness, fatigue, irritability and other symptoms associated with menopause will disappear.