We are accustomed to the taste of semi-finished products, natural has long been “out of fashion” - products without bright labels even began to somehow “alarming”. And some people even began to think, is it not dangerous to eat something that has grown in a forest nearby and put up for sale by some grandmother? The fact that you can go to the forest on your own and find something nutritious and useful there does not even occur to a civilized inhabitant of the metropolis !!!

For example, we, of course, know what birch is (such a tree with black and white bark), but the sweet and sour liquid in a can or package on a supermarket shelf is almost not associated with this tree. And no one thinks about how to extract juice on their own. And then there is also the collection of juice is possible only 15-20 days a year, its benefits for the human body are poorly covered in popular science magazines, and the method of its long-term storage at home generally remains a mystery. But were our ancestors really mistaken, calling birch sap the elixir of life ?! Let's figure it out!

Where does it come from, what is useful in it and how to assemble it yourself?

Birch roots, like any other tree, take water from the soil. Then it enters the trunk and buds through woody vessels, enriched on the way with starch, trace elements, vitamins, proteins and acids. In this case, the juice (about 80 liters from one) can be collected within a couple of weeks in the spring. With the appearance of the first earrings, the birch stops “crying”. At the same time, birch "water" is useful not only for the tree itself, but also for the human body. Unlike ordinary water, which can only be rich in minerals, it contains enzymes, vitamins, phytoncides, tannins, fructose, essential oils and organic acids, etc., that is why our ancestors loved it so much.

It is best to choose birch trees with a trunk diameter of more than 20 cm. For collection, a small hole is made in the trunk and a groove is inserted, under which a container for juice is placed. After the "procedure", the hole is treated with a special medicine and covered with moss. At the same time, you need to know that for harvesting juice in unidentified places you can get a fine of up to 700 thousand rubles, so it is better to first contact the forestry for explanations.

Can birch sap harm? Harm

But before you go to the nearest forestry, let's see if the sap of this tree can harm your body. To begin with, we note that there are only two categories of people who are not destined to improve their health with its help:

People with an allergy to birch catfish pollen;
Breastfed babies.

For everyone else, it can only help remove toxins, trans fats and salts.

Who will benefit from birch sap? Benefit

The most useful is raw birch sap, which has been stored for no more than two days; it retains less nutrients when frozen. As for store juice, it all depends on the manufacturer's technology. In any case, birch sap is useful for those who have one of the following diseases:

Arthritis, sciatica, rheumatism, gout;
Stones in the bladder and gall bladder, kidneys (but be sure to consult a doctor);
Problems with the liver, kidneys and other internal organs, gastrointestinal tract;
Diseases of the organs of the cardiovascular system;
Runny nose (including chronic), tonsillitis, cough, acute respiratory infections and acute respiratory viral infections, tuberculosis, bronchitis and pneumonia;
Oncology;
Intoxication;
Inflammatory processes in the genitourinary system;
Chronic tiredness and drowsiness.

How to store birch sap at home? Can it be stored until winter?

As we already mentioned, fresh juice can be stored without compromising its quality in a cellar or refrigerator for two days. After this time, it quickly begins to turn sour. A freezer will help keep it until winter. But only you need to freeze it very quickly so that there is no loss of nutrients.

You can also "close" birch sap in glass jars. They need to be heated to 80 degrees and rolled up with tin lids. After that, the juice in jars is kept in hot water for 15 minutes, and then cooled at room temperature.

Another preservation method is the production of birch concentrate. To do this, you need to bring fresh juice to 60-degree temperature and evaporate 3/4 of its original volume. The remaining quarter is poured into cans and, as in the previous method, they are rolled up with lids. In winter, before use, such a concentrate is mixed with water.

Delicious and very healthy!

As you have already, I hope, have seen, birch sap can and should be collected on your own in early spring, because it is a real elixir of vitality and health for humans, helping the body to cope with many diseases. Its long-term storage at home is also quite possible. And to make the drink even tastier, you need to show quite a bit of imagination.

* If you add raisins and sugar to the juice (about 2 tsp per liter), then after a few days you get kvass, which can be drunk immediately or stored for several months. Instead of raisins, you can add rye bread crumbs, but then you will have to wait about two weeks for readiness.

* You can also prepare a medicinal birch-lingonberry drink. To do this, you need to squeeze out 300 grams of lingonberries and mix them with two liters of birch sap. Add a little honey to the mixture, and then drink and recharge your health. Instead of lingonberries, you can use any other berries, oranges, lemons, dried fruits that you like!

The beginning of spring for those who are a fan of birch sap is associated with the collection of this product. You need to have time to collect the juice while the birch is still young and the first leaves have just blossomed on it. Birch produces a lot of sap, which can be kept in the refrigerator for no more than 48 hours.

Possible home storage methods

• Storage in the freezer - this method can only be used if the freezer has a “quick freeze” function, since regular freezing is too long and affects the composition of the product;
• Canning is the most common method that can be used during other winter preparations;
• Evaporation - gives a product at the exit that must be diluted with water, it is also worth considering that during evaporation, the volume of juice decreases by 25%;
• Preparation of drinks - drinks based on birch water are subject to long-term storage, plus all the additional components in the composition enhance the usefulness of the main ingredient on the basis of which the drinks are made.

Which of the ways to store birch sap at home is decided on an individual basis, depending on the possibilities, the availability of free time and personal taste preferences.

How to freeze juice

Raw materials should be poured into food containers (it is necessary to use such containers, it is not recommended to use bags for freezing) small portions up to 300 milliliters... The fact is that when defrosting, birch sap can also be stored in the refrigerator for up to two days, so it is inappropriate to freeze raw materials in whole liters.

After spilling the juice, it must be placed immediately in the freezer and the fast freezing mode must be turned on.

How to preserve juice for the winter

Canning birch sap is very similar to the process of preparing compote for the winter. Raw materials need to be heated in an enamel bowl up to 85 degrees Celsius, then pour into sterilized jars and roll up with tin lids.

After the cans are sealed, they need to be sterilized for an additional 20 minutes at a heating temperature of 90 degrees Celsius.

Before sending cans of juice for storage in a dark, cool place, they must be left upside down to cool completely.

Evaporation of juice

Birch sap in an enamel bowl must be evaporated at a temperature of 60 degrees Celsius until the total volume of the liquid decreases by 25% of the initial volume. In the process of evaporation, the liquid will acquire a cloudy caramel color, as it should be.

After evaporation, the resulting product must be poured either sterilized jars or sterilized bottles and roll up as usual blanks for the winter.

After the cans or bottles have cooled completely, they can be stored in a cellar or basement. It is important that you cannot drink such juice undiluted. Before drinking the drink, you need dilute it with boiled water... Very little water needs to be added so that the liquid acquires a light brown tint.

Recipes for making drinks from birch sap

If there is no particular desire to make seaming, then you can prepare delicious drinks, this is kvass and fruit drink. All drinks retain the beneficial composition of birch sap, and even enhance its usefulness.

Making kvass

In two liters of juice, add four teaspoons of sugar, a handful of raisins. Mix everything, pour the drink into glass bottles (preferably dark glass bottles), put away in a cool dark place for starter culture for 7 days. After this time, the kvass needs to be filtered and drunk, the drink should be stored in the refrigerator for up to three months.

Cooking fruit drink

To prepare this drink, you will need not only birch sap, but also berries. You can choose any berries that are. The berries must be squeezed out, only cake is required, and the berry juice itself is required at the end of cooking.

Pour the berry pulp with birch sap and put it in a boiling water bath, heat for five minutes. After that, the contents that were in the water bath must be mixed with berry juice. Cool the drink before drinking, you can also add sugar or honey to it so that the fruit drink is sweeter.

Fruit drink made from birch sap perfectly quenches thirst and normalizes the balance of nutrients in the body, and it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three weeks.

It is quite possible to store birch sap at home, because there are several options at once. But how pleasant it is to drink this drink in a sultry summer, or to replenish the supply of vitamins in a fierce winter!

Since ancient times, birch has been revered among the Slavic peoples. The white-trunked beauty was associated with a slender girl, to whom poems were dedicated, in difficult times they sought her consolation, calling her "mother". People used birch buds and leaves to treat diseases, and made healing brooms for a bath from the branches. Tar is extracted from birch to this day, and even xylitol (a sugar substitute for diabetics) is also produced from this tree.

But the most useful and pleasant medicine that this beautiful tree gives us has always been birch sap.

Birch sap: properties

Birch sap is a clear liquid that flows out of the tree during the period of sap flow (March-April). If you happened to accidentally break a branch of a tree when the leaves have not yet appeared on it, then at the place of the break you could see a transparent drop. This is birch sap.

Part birch sap includes many important trace elements, including calcium, iron, glucose, potassium, phytoncides, tannins and organic acids. Due to its content, birch sap can be used to treat many diseases and even for skin and hair care.

Birch sap: benefits

A transparent sweetish drink is recommended for people with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. It has a beneficial effect on liver diseases, inflammation of the duodenum, ulcers and low acidity, diseases of the gallbladder.

With diseases of the genitourinary system Birch juice is also helpful. Regular use allows you to get rid of kidney stones and stones in the bladder, it is indicated for sexually transmitted diseases.

Diseases of the joints and spine, such as sciatica, rheumatism, arthritis, as well as respiratory tract disorders (bronchitis, tuberculosis) are also successful treated with birch sap... In the spring, when our body is weakened by the long winter, a wonderful drink will help to cope with vitamin deficiency, spring depression, restore strength and vigor to the body, and strengthen the immune system.

Since ancient times, juice was also used as an anthelmintic and diuretic, it is useful to drink it for those who suffer from various tumors and headaches.

For cosmetic purposes birch sap is applied with acne, skin eczema, dry skin. In these cases, it is good to wipe the skin with birch sap or prepare masks based on birch sap. For those who want to have beautiful strong hair, get rid of dandruff and accelerate growth, it is useful to wash your hair birch sap.

Birch sap is also useful for allergies, but in this case it is imperative to know if, among other reactions, you have an allergy to birch pollen.

How to collect birch sap

Previously, birch sap could be found in any store, large three-liter cans were crowded on the shelves of grocery stores in abundance. Now it is also produced, both in glass and cardboard packaging. However, for the preservation of a healing drink, substances are used that destroy useful substances and such juice will not give you anything but a taste reminiscent of childhood.

Therefore, it is better, if possible, to collect Birch juice on one's own. They do this from March to April, when there are no leaves on the branches yet, but they should appear soon. Usually the period of sap flow lasts 2-3 weeks, so there is no need to waste time.

For sap selection, a tree of at least 20 cm in diameter, with a spreading crown, growing in ecologically clean areas, is chosen. In a small area about 20 cm from the ground, the trunk is cleaned from the bark (a small square is cut off), and then a hole is drilled no deeper than 3-4 cm.The fact is that the juice does not move in the very depth of the trunk, but where something between the bark and the top layers of the wood.

A wooden collection container is placed under the stream. You can also substitute a bottle or can, and direct the trickle with a straw or a bandage twisted into a tourniquet.

The most "fruitful" hours to collect birch sap the period between noon and 18 hours, it is at this time that the movement of juices is most active.

The thicker the trunk of the tree, the more holes you can make to collect the sap. So, for example, if the diameter of the barrel exceeds 40 cm, then you can simultaneously make up to 4 holes.
A small tree can give you up to 3 liters of juice per day, a plant with a large trunk can give you up to seven liters.

After the sap is collected, be sure to close the holes to keep bacteria out of there, which can make the plant sick and wither away. The holes can be closed up with wax, a piece of moss, or just plasticine, the main thing is, do not leave them open.

How to preserve birch sap

Freshly harvested birch sap can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 days without any special processing. In the future, it will begin to ferment, you will notice this by how the transparency of the drink disappears and it begins to foam. Of course, it is better to use fresh juice, but if there is a lot of it and you want to prepare it for future use, you can use these recipes.

Recipe 1

For one liter of birch sap, add 5 g of citric acid and half a glass of sugar. Everything is mixed, passed through a filter, poured into jars. Then the juice in jars is pasteurized, rolled up with lids and stored in a cool place.

Recipe 2

Syrup can be made from birch sap, which can later be added to drinks. To do this, the liquid is evaporated over low heat with the lid open until the contents thicken to the consistency of honey. Then drain the syrup into a jar and store in the refrigerator.

Recipe 3

Foamy drink from birch sap prepares like this. For half a liter of freshly harvested juice, placed in a bottle, take 2 teaspoons of sugar, zest from a quarter of a lemon and 3-4 raisins. Bottles are sealed with corks, wrapped with wire for reliability, and placed in a cold place for two to three months. After the drink "ripens" it is drunk, adding sugar to taste. Also, kvass, vinegar, and spirits are prepared from birch sap.

Alexandra Panyutina
Women's magazine JustLady

And store it until winter? We will answer this and other questions regarding the mentioned drink in the presented article.

General information

Many people love birch sap. Someone buys it in a store ready-made, and someone prepares it on their own at home. It should be especially noted that the preparation of such a tasty and healthy drink should be done only in early spring, because it is at this time of the year that the trees are maximally saturated with life-giving moisture, which anyone would like to enjoy. But not everyone knows how to properly roll birch sap. And if you decide to preserve a spring drink in order to enjoy it in winter, then you should definitely familiarize yourself with the basic rules for its preparation. Indeed, many existing recipes for blanks allow you to preserve birch sap until July-August maximum. In this regard, we decided to present to your attention several simple preservation methods, thanks to which you can drink a delicious drink during the long New Year's holidays.

How to properly roll up birch sap?

If you want to preserve such a drink until the winter season, then it should be preserved in the same way as ordinary preparations. With the help of pasteurization, as well as the subsequent sealing of containers with metal lids, you can enjoy birch sap for a very long time. So, let's look at several ways.

Option 1: on lemon

Birch juice for the winter according to the presented recipe requires additional use of ingredients such as granulated sugar and fresh lemon (1/3 of the fruit). You need to take 1 liter of freshly mined drink, add 2 large tablespoons of sugar and a little citric acid (on the tip of a knife) to it. After that, you need to cut the sour fruit into thin slices, and then put it in a container with birch sap, which was previously mixed with the above ingredients. Next, the drink needs to be put on medium heat and allowed to boil. After boiling, the liquid must be poured into pre-sterilized jars. Put 1 slice of lemon in each glass container before rolling. It is advisable to leave a hermetically sealed jar on the table until it cools completely, and then send it to the refrigerator for long-term storage.

Option 2: with yeast

Harvesting birch sap for the winter according to this recipe requires the use of dry yeast. They should be taken at the rate of 20 g per 1 liter of drink. Thus, the juice must be poured into an enamel pan, and then slightly warmed up and diluted with dry yeast. After that, the drink should be cooled and placed in a refrigerator, where it is desirable to keep it for 4 days. After the specified time has elapsed, the juice must be poured into sterilized jars and rolled up hermetically.

Harvesting birch sap for a couple of months

We figured out how to properly roll up birch sap. Now let's talk about how to make a tasty and healthy drink without sterilization. After all, not everyone will be able to endure until winter to taste the spring juice. Moreover, heat treatment of life-giving moisture deprives it of all vitamins. That is why experts recommend drinking fresh birch sap or making one of the most delicious drinks from it, which can delight you and your family with its incredible aroma and taste until the middle of the summer season.

Kvass from birch sap

To prepare 1.5 liters of kvass, you should take fresh birch sap, black raisins with seeds in the amount of 20 pieces, as well as 2 large tablespoons of sugar. The drink must be poured into glass bottles, and then all the ingredients mentioned are placed there. By the way, in addition to the juice, you can add lemon or orange zest. Next, the bottles must be tightly closed and placed in the cold. Birch sap, storage of which involves the use of a cellar or a refrigerating chamber, is recommended to be placed horizontally on the shelves, that is, the dishes should be in a lying position. After 90 days, the drink will be completely ready to drink. If the kvass seemed sour or unleavened to you, then it is allowed to add additional granulated sugar to it.

A refreshing drink in the summer season

To prepare a drink, we need dried pears, apples, granulated sugar and 1 liter of birch sap. Pour it into a large saucepan and add sugar. Next, you need to place dried fruits in cheesecloth, and then lower the bag into a container with a drink. After that, the pan must be closed and sent to the refrigerator or cellar. The refreshing one will be fully ready in about 2-3 months.

Making a tasty and healthy birch tree

Special lovers of birch sap never miss the opportunity to prepare a delicious birch drink. To create it, you will need about 5 liters of freshly mined life-giving moisture, as well as 1 liter of port, 1.5 kg of sugar and 2 lemons.

The washed fruit must be cut directly with the zest, and then put in a saucepan, where port wine, birch sap and granulated sugar should be added in the future. After that, the container needs to be covered with a lid and taken out in the cold. After 60 days, it is recommended to bottle the birch tree and seal them hermetically. Those who make such a drink not for the first time are advised to strengthen the plugs with wire so that they do not fly off. It is advisable to store filled bottles in a lying position in a cellar or refrigerator. You can use birch wood 30 days after pouring it directly into containers.

Birch sap vinegar

If you prefer to use only natural vinegar, then it can be made from such a drink as such a product, we will tell you below. To prepare table vinegar, you should take 2 liters of fresh juice, as well as 40 g of honey and 100 g of vodka. All these ingredients must be mixed in a saucepan, and then covered with gauze and placed in a warm place. After 65-95 days, the vinegar will be completely ready. It needs to be poured into bottles and sent to storage in the refrigerator.