Ways to store birch sap at home. Is birch sap really so useful and is it worth using a “spoiled” tree? Preservation at home

Birch sap in Russia is traditionally extracted in early spring, before the first leaves appear on the tree. Nature gives us just a couple of weeks to stock up on this healing drink. Despite the fact that doctors recommend using only fresh juice, with proper storage, the healing drink given by birch trees does not lose its healing properties for some time after the “harvest”. However, what is the correct storage of the drink? It is the answer to this question that we will provide you with today.

Fresh birch sap can be stored in a cool place for up to 48 hours., after that it begins to lose its beneficial properties, at room temperature it may even begin to sour during this time. That is why, already at the time of harvesting, you should think about longer methods of storing juice. It is about them that we will tell right now.

Ways to store birch sap

1. shock freezing. With a quick freezing of birch sap, all useful elements are preserved. Storing the juice in the freezer will allow you to enjoy the drink and experience its miraculous effect even in winter.

2. Creating a concentrate. You can make a concentrate from birch sap. You need to heat the juice to 60 degrees and evaporate 75% of the total volume. The rest of the birch sap should be poured into sterilized jars and rolled up. Just do not forget that before drinking such juice, it is advisable to dilute it with water.

3. Sterilization. It will help to preserve birch sap and its sterilization. To do this, you need to heat it up to 80 degrees, pour it into glass jars and roll up the lids. After that, the jars must be kept in 85-degree water for a quarter of an hour and left to cool at room temperature.

4. canning- this is another way that will allow you to store birch sap for a long time. The method is simple - pour birch sap into an enameled or stainless steel pan, add sugar and citric acid to taste. Bring the juice to a boil, make sure that all the sugar has dissolved. After that, the juice should be poured into jars, corked with lids and sterilized for 15 minutes in water at a temperature of 90 degrees.

How to preserve birch sap

The presented option is considered traditional, but birch sap with needles is often preserved. To do this, young shoots of pine needles are washed well and scalded with boiling water. After that, the needles are put in a saucepan, poured with strained birch sap heated to 80 degrees and left to infuse for 5-7 hours. After the specified time, the juice is drained, a little sugar and citric acid are added. Now you need to pour the juice into jars, cork with lids and pasteurize for 25 minutes at a temperature of 90-95 degrees. According to a similar recipe, you can preserve birch sap with mint.

Birch sap recipes

We have presented to your attention the main ways of long-term storage of birch sap while maintaining its beneficial properties. However, you can make other drinks from juice that will not be as useful as pure juice, but nevertheless they will saturate your body with useful elements and please you with a long shelf life.

Fruit drink based on birch sap

The simplest recipe for making a drink from birch sap is fruit drink. To do this, you need to mix your favorite fruit or vegetable juice with birch.

birch kvass

You can also cook birch kvass. There are several ways to prepare such a drink, we will tell you one, the simplest and most common.

Pour birch sap into a glass bottle, add a handful of raisins and sugar in the proportion of 2 teaspoons per 1 liter of juice, you can also add a little lemon zest, fruits or berries. After all the ingredients have been mixed, close the bottle tightly and put it in a dark, cool place. Birch kvass is ready for use in a few days. You can both enjoy the taste of the drink immediately, and store it for several months.

Birch-lingonberry drink

If you want to make a delicious birch-lingonberry drink from birch sap, then you probably need this recipe.

First you need to squeeze the juice from 150 grams of cranberries. Put the pomace in a saucepan and pour a liter of birch sap. Put this "compote" in a water bath and heat for five minutes. After the drink has cooled, it should be combined with lingonberry juice prepared in advance, add honey to taste. The drink is ready to drink!

As you can see, dear visitors to the portal site, the miraculous effect of birch sap can be felt not only immediately after collection, but also after quite a long time. Do you know other ways to store birch sap? Share them with us in the comments!

Birch has been revered by the Slavic peoples since ancient times. The white-barreled beauty was associated with a slender girl, to whom poems were dedicated, in difficult times they sought solace from her, calling her “mother”. People used birch buds and leaves to treat diseases, they made healing brooms for baths from branches. To this day, tar is extracted from birch, and even xylitol (a sugar substitute for diabetics) is also made from this tree.

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

Birch sap: properties

Birch sap is a clear liquid that flows from a tree during the sap flow (March-April). If you happened to accidentally break a tree branch when leaves had not yet appeared on it, then you could see a transparent drop at the place of the break. 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 in diseases of the liver, inflammation of the duodenum, ulcers and low acidity, diseases of the gallbladder.

For diseases of the genitourinary system Birch juice also useful. Regular intake allows you to get rid of kidney stones and bladder stones, is indicated for venereal diseases.

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

Since ancient times, the 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 their hair birch sap.

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

How to collect birch sap

Previously, birch sap could be found in any store, large three-liter jars were crowded on the shelves of grocery stores in abundance. Now it is also produced, both in glass and cardboard packaging. However, to preserve the healing drink, substances are used that destroy useful substances and such juice will give you nothing but a taste reminiscent of childhood.

Therefore, it is better, if possible, to collect Birch juice on one's own. They do this in the period from March to April, when there are no leaves on the branches yet, but they should appear soon. Usually the sap flow period lasts 2-3 weeks, so do not waste time.

For the selection of juice, a tree is chosen not less than 20 cm in diameter, with a spreading crown, growing in ecologically clean areas. 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 depths of the trunk, but where something between the bark and the upper layers of the wood.

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

The most "fruitful" watches 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 tree trunk, the more holes you can make to collect the juice. So, for example, if the trunk diameter 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 up to seven liters.

After the sap is collected, be sure to close the holes so that bacteria do not get in there, because of which the plant can get sick and wither. Holes can be sealed with wax, a piece of moss, and just plasticine, most importantly, do not leave them open.

How to save birch sap

Freshly picked birch sap can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 days without special treatment. 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 prepared 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 pour the syrup into a jar and store in the refrigerator.

Recipe 3

foamy drink from birch sap prepared 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. The bottles are corked with corks, wrapped with wire for reliability, and put in a cold place for two to three months. After the drink "ripens" it is drunk, adding sugar to taste. Also, kvass, vinegar, strong alcoholic drinks are prepared from birch sap.

Alexandra Panyutina
Women's magazine JustLady

Spring has already arrived, and it's time to harvest birch sap. It can be collected for the future and successfully stored for a whole year.

The most interesting thing is that birch sap can be preserved without sterilization, i.e. without boiling. Therefore, the drink will completely retain all the nutrients and vitamins.

May will come very soon, and the fields will be covered with yellow caps of sunny dandelions. From them you can cook amazingly tasty jam, as well as make kvass and homemade wine.

Making birch sap at home - a classic recipe

I offer you a classic recipe for preserving birch sap with the addition of orange. It was in this form that the drink was sold earlier, harvesting it on an industrial scale.

The juice is obtained with a pleasant yellowish tint and a delicate orange flavor.

• birch sap - 3 l;
• citric acid - ½ tsp;
• sugar juice - 100 grams;
• oranges.

Cooking:

1. Jars and lids should be well sterilized. Warm the glass in the oven for 10 - 15 minutes, and boil the lids.
2. Wash the oranges well and boil them in boiling water.

In addition to oranges, you can use lemons.

1. Cut fruit into thin slices. The knife must also be pre-scalded with boiling water.
2. Put 3 orange rings, lemon, granulated sugar in a jar.

If you prefer sweeter-tasting drinks, then the sugar rate should be increased to 200 grams, and lemons - to a full teaspoon.

1. Put the pan with birch sap poured into it on the fire and bring to a boil.
2. Pour the drink into jars, close the prepared lids. Turn them upside down, wrap them up and let cool completely.

Birch sap with oranges is ready.

Birch sap with lemon

Another recipe for harvesting birch sap, only in this case we will use fresh lemon.

Ingredients:

• fresh birch sap - 1 l;
• granulated sugar - 3 tbsp;
• lemon.

Cooking:

1. Squeeze out all the juice from the lemon. This can be done with a juicer.

To empty the fruit completely, first roll it on the table.

1. Mix it with the norm of granulated sugar.
2. Pour the juice into a saucepan and put the sugar-lemon mixture into it. Bring the drink to a boil.
3. Pour it into pre-sterilized jars and roll up with iron lids.

Canned birch sap with honey (no sugar)

An unusual recipe for preparing a drink, but, for sure, very tasty!

Preparation of birch sap without sterilization (without boiling)

Sterilization allows you to keep the drink for a very long time, but almost completely destroys all the vitamins. To preserve the juice in its original form, it can be frozen and stored in the freezer. But this method of storage requires a huge freezer, so it is not suitable for everyone.

The second option is fresh juice, immediately after collection, bring to a temperature of +80 and pour into sterile jars. You need to store the drink in a cold place, for example, a cellar, for 2 to 3 months, no more.

Harvesting birch sap for the winter - a recipe with citric acid

The recipe for preparing a drink is simple and time-tested.

Ingredients (per 3 liter jar):

• fresh juice - 3 l;
• a mixture of dried fruits - 50 grams;
• granulated sugar - 5 tbsp;
• citric acid - ½ tsp

Cooking:

1. In the juice you need to put a lemon and granulated sugar.
2. Rinse thoroughly and boil with boiling water a mixture of dried fruits - apples, raisins, rose hips, pears. You can take the usual compote mixture.
3. Turn on the heat and bring the drink to a boil.
4. Pour it into sterile jars, roll up, turn upside down, wrap and leave to cool.

It turns out a very tasty birch compote that the kids will like.

How to make kvass from birch sap

It turns out that you can make excellent kvass from birch sap. Recipe in video.

//youtu.be/W5lEPAxV1qM

Canning birch sap for the winter with raisins and candies

To give the drink sweetness and a pleasant smell, you can use the most common icicles.

Ingredients:

• juice - 1 l;
• granulated sugar - 1.5 tbsp;
• lollipops with any taste - 2 pcs;
• citric acid - at the tip of a knife;
• raisins - 40 grams.

Cooking:

1. Jars and lids will need to be sterilized.
2. Pour the juice into a saucepan and put all the ingredients from the recipe into it.

Raisins must first be washed with water and scalded with boiling water.

1. Bring the drink to a boil, be sure to remove the foam that appears with a spoon.
2. Pour birch drink into jars, roll up.

Store it in a cool cellar.

//youtu.be/LFShFe4VWHc

Good luck and see you for new recipes!

Causes vivid associations with childhood. Then he was the constant companion of all forest walks. But how to store birch sap at home so that it does not lose its beneficial properties?

Birch nectar - pleasant taste and undoubted benefits

A drink from childhood is also one of the best and most natural means for regulating metabolism. Also, its regular intake can help defeat spring beriberi, fatigue and increase resistance to viral and colds. Regular use helps to cleanse the body of harmful toxins and dissolve some types of kidney stones. But there are also contraindications: it is categorically not recommended to take if you are allergic to birch pollen.

When to Collect

The sap from the tree begins to stand out with the first spring thaws and continues until the foliage appears. It is best to collect it in the morning or afternoon, as the secretion becomes less intense at night. The best time to collect birch sap is from 10 am to 6 pm.

How to collect

It is necessary to collect useful nectar with the utmost care so as not to harm the tree itself. To do this, you need to make a shallow incision on the birch at an angle of 45 degrees or drill a hole with a gimlet. Then insert a tube or groove into the resulting hole, through which the juice will begin to drain into the prepared dishes (glass jar or plastic bottle). After collecting, be sure to tightly cover the wound with wax, laundry soap, or fill it with moss. This will help prevent birch rot. So, now that you know how and when to collect the drink, the only thing left to answer is how to store birch sap.

Juice storage at home

The disadvantage of birch sap is a short shelf life. Even in a cool place, it retains its qualities for only two days, on the third day it becomes cloudy. Are there ways to extend its life? How to save birch sap for the longest possible time? The answer to this question will be several ways to store at home. The most popular recipe is syrup. To prepare it, it is necessary to evaporate the original product to the consistency of fresh honey. In this case, the concentration of sugar in the cooking process will increase to 60-70%. The finished syrup, which has a pronounced sweet and sour taste and strong aroma, is added to tea. You can also save the juice by preserving it, heating it to 80 degrees, and, pouring it into sterilized jars, seal it hermetically. But still, the maximum of useful properties contains a fresh product without heat treatment. Freezing will help keep it that way. Pour the collected nectar into an ice maker and store in the freezer. This is the best answer to the question of how to store birch sap, as in this case it will retain almost all of its beneficial properties. Production of birch sap is also possible in industrial conditions.

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

General information

Birch sap is loved by many people. Someone buys it in the store in a ready-made form, while 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. After all, many existing recipes for blanks allow you to save birch sap until a maximum of July-August. In this regard, we decided to bring to your attention a few simple ways of preservation, thanks to which you can drink a delicious drink during the long New Year holidays.

How to roll up birch sap?

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

Option 1: on a lemon

Birch sap for the winter according to the presented recipe requires the additional use of ingredients such as granulated sugar and fresh lemon (1/3 of the fruit). It is necessary to take 1 liter of a freshly extracted drink, pour 2 large spoons of sugar and a little citric acid into it (on the tip of a knife). 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, you need to put the drink on medium heat and let it boil. After boiling, the liquid must be poured into pre-sterilized jars. Before rolling, put 1 slice of lemon again in each glass container. 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 dry yeast in it. 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, the juice must be poured into sterilized jars and hermetically rolled up.

Harvesting birch sap for a couple of months

We figured out how to properly roll up birch sap. Now we will talk about how to make a tasty and healthy drink without sterilization. After all, not everyone can endure until winter to try 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 that 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, and 2 large spoons of sugar. The drink needs to 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, the storage of which involves the use of a cellar or a refrigerator, 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 for consumption. If kvass seemed sour or insipid to you, then it is allowed to add additional sugar to it.

Refreshing drink in 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 the 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. Refreshing will be completely ready in about 2-3 months.

We make tasty and healthy birch

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

Washed fruits must be cut directly together 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 must be covered with a lid and taken out in the cold. After 60 days, the birch is recommended to be bottled and hermetically sealed. Those who make such a drink not for the first time are advised to strengthen the corks with wire so that they do not fly off. Filled bottles should preferably be stored lying down in a cellar or refrigerator. Birch can be consumed 30 days after its direct pouring into containers.

Vinegar from birch sap

If you prefer to use only natural vinegar, then it can be made from such a drink as such a product, we will tell just 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 put in a warm place. After 65-95 days, the vinegar will be completely ready. It needs to be bottled and sent for storage in a refrigerator.