From time immemorial in Russia, they drank fresh birch sap (birch) and stocked it up for future use for making birch, syrup, kvass, wine or vinegar. Guests were treated to invigorating birch drinks, quenched their thirst on hot summer days, watered the mowers in the fields and nursed the sick. It was believed that birch sap has healing properties, therefore it was widely used in cosmetology and medicine.
Birch sap is a sap, a colorless liquid that oozes under the action of root pressure from cuts and fractures in the birch bark and branches. The beneficial properties of birch have been appreciated in Russia at all times and the process of its collection has been brought to perfection. In the second half of the twentieth century, birch was mined on an industrial scale, sold by banks and bottled in all retail outlets. Currently, birch sap is very rare in stores.
Rules for collecting birch sap
The collection of birch trees begins with spring drops and ends in the second decade of April, when the first carved leaves appear on the birch trees. About 2-3 liters of sap can be obtained from an average birch per day, but large and strong trees can produce up to 7 liters of birch per day.
It is recommended to collect "birch tears" in ecologically clean forests, away from busy roads and highways, as the tree can absorb exhaust gases and carcinogens. A birch tree with a well-developed crown and a strong trunk of at least 20 cm in diameter is best suited for collecting sap. You should not get sap from trees that are too young and too old.
To collect birch trees, a neat incision is made on the bark of a tree at a height of 20 cm from the ground and a groove made of aluminum or plastic is inserted into it, through which the juice flows into a previously prepared container. It is important to know that the sap flows in the layer between the bark and the wood, so you do not need to make a deep hole. After the juice is collected, the incision is carefully covered with wax. If the incision is left untreated, the wood may dry out.
Useful properties of birch sap
The birch tree contains vitamins, trace elements, tannins, organic acids, fruit sugar and phytoncides. Doctors recommend drinking birch sap for diseases of the respiratory system, stones in the gallbladder and kidneys, edema, rheumatism, wounds and weeping ulcers. Birch tree helps to cope with neuroses, sclerosis, normalizes blood pressure and is useful for diabetes.
Taking a glass of birch sap a day for 7 days allows you to overcome seasonal exacerbations of vitamin deficiency, depression, fatigue and lethargy. For the prevention of spring weakness, it is recommended to take 3 glasses of birch sap a day, ½ hour before meals. A contraindication for taking birch trees may be an allergy to birch pollen.
In folk medicine, juice is recommended to be used as a tonic and tonic for various internal diseases, as well as externally for acne, age spots and eczema. Rinsing freshly washed hair with birch sap helps to strengthen it and get rid of dandruff.
Birch sap drink recipes
The birch tree contains glucose (2%), so it has a sweetish taste. Birch sap is consumed in its natural form and all kinds of tinctures, kvass, syrups and wines are prepared from it.
Birch kvass has a very pleasant taste. For its preparation, a liter of birch sap is heated to 35 degrees Celsius, 15 grams of yeast, 3 raisins and lemon zest are added to it to taste. Kvass is poured into a jar, tightly closed with a lid and infused for a week in a cool, dark place. Lemon zest can be replaced with 35 grams of honey.
To prepare birch wine, 6 liters of birch wood and 350 grams of sugar are boiled over the fire until 5, 5 liters of the original volume remain. During cooking, the foam is regularly removed from the birch syrup. The finished syrup is poured into a barrel, 1-2 slices of lemon and 1 liter of table white wine are added there. After the syrup has cooled, add ½ tsp. dry yeast, mix and leave for 3-4 days. Then the keg is corked and kept in a cool place for another 2 weeks.
Birch wood is mixed with fruit and berry juices, herbal decoctions and infusions. The result is a delicious soft drink that is healthy for adults and children.
