Birch sap - when to collect, benefits and harms

Birch sap is a tasty and healthy drink. As the name implies, it is collected from birch. The process itself is simple, if you follow some rules and recommendations to get a tasty drink, and not harm the tree.

When to collect birch sap

Collecting this wonderful drink in early spring. The best time is considered to be the end of March, because this is the period of the vernal equinox. The collection continues until the end of April. Sometimes there is still snow, but the tree is already able to share healing nectar. You can learn about the beginning of sap flow by making a puncture in a tree trunk with an awl. If a small drop appeared at the puncture site, this means that the juice has gone.

Often the question arises, how to properly collect the drink so as not to harm the tree.

When collecting, the following rules should be followed.

1. In no case do not chop with an ax. To collect the juice, you should make a small hole. To do this, you need a drill with a thin drill. The resulting hole will not be able to cause great harm to the birch. Even if you return to the tree for several more years in a row, there will be no trace at this place.
2. Do not be greedy. Remember one simple rule - you cannot collect all the liquid from birch. This can lead to the death of the tree. The best solution would be to select several birches and collect 1 liter each from each day.
3. After completing the collection, cover the hole with a peg, garden varnish, moss or wax. This will help the birch tree to avoid the penetration of bacteria under the bark.

How to collect juice - methods and devices

People who understand this matter say that mature birch juice is sweeter than young. After choosing a tree for harvesting, back 20 cm from the soil and drill a small hole. Then attach a convenient collection container at this location. For this purpose, a large bottle (about 5 l) of plastic is suitable. Why is she good:

1. Thanks to the narrow neck, different moths and insects will not get into the container.
2. Due to the large volume, it can be checked in the morning and evening.

To complete the design you need to adapt the groove. It is necessary for the juice to flow exactly into a narrow neck. For this, a bunch of grass left over from last year is suitable. It must be thoroughly washed and attached so that one end comes out of the hole, and the other is lowered into the neck of the container.

All that remains is to periodically empty the containers. Most often this should be done three times a day. It is important to notice in time that the birch is tired and stop collecting.

How to preserve birch sap for the winter

The traditional way of preserving juice for the winter is the most popular. It is quite simple in execution and requires a small amount of ingredients.

• 10 liters of birch sap;
• 50 pieces of any raisins;
• 0.5 kg of granulated sugar.

1. Strain the juice through several layers of gauze before cooking.
2. Put the washed raisins in the juice, then sugar and mix.
3. Cover the container with a special “breathing” lid. It can be made from a piece of fabric or a gauze cut.
4. Leave the drink to ferment for three days.
5. Then strain and pour into containers prepared for storage.

The benefits, harms and contraindications of juice

The drink contains a large number of useful substances, but, in addition to benefits, it also has harmful properties.

Birch sap can split stones, remove sand from the body, but if self-medication is prohibited in case of urolithiasis. Be sure to consult a doctor to prevent problems with "serious" stones.

Although birch sap itself is not capable of causing an allergic reaction, sometimes pollen allergy can be observed. In this case, the use of the drink is prohibited.

Application in traditional medicine

Birch sap is able to benefit not only the human body, but also give attractiveness to hair and skin.

When hair loss, juice is mixed with a decoction of burdock (root), add vodka. The elixir is rubbed into the scalp. This will help the hair gain shine and strength, get rid of dandruff. You can use the liquid as a rinse aid.

So that the skin is saturated with vitamins, wash with birch sap and wipe the skin. This way of preserving youth was known to our great-grandmothers. Juice will help get rid of frecklespigment spots. Ice is an alternative way. For this, juice is frozen and used to wipe the face and decollete area.

What can be prepared from birch sap

There are many different methods for making juice and using it in cooking. Let's get acquainted with the most common.

Kvass with honey

• 10 liters of juice;
• a few lemons;
• a few highlights
• tremors - 50 g;
• liquid (but not melted) honey.

1. Strain the liquid.
2. Squeeze juice from lemons.
3. Add yeast to the liquid and toss the raisins.
4. Mix everything thoroughly.
5. Put in a cool room.
6. After 3-4 days, you can try. More often than not, the drink is ready.

Bread based on birch sap

• 5 l of juice;
• 50 g of raisins;
• 50 g of coffee beans;
• half a glass of sugar;
• 2-3 crusts of rye bread.

1. Roast coffee beans in a dry pan. Dry the bread in the ovenRinse and dry the raisins.
2. Pour all the components into a jar and pour juice into it.
3. Close the jar with a rubber glove in which a puncture was previously made.
4. After a few days, the glove will begin to move. This indicates the onset of fermentation.
5. The fact that the drink is ready to drink can be seen by the glove that has fallen.

Now you can put kvass in the refrigerator.

Kvass with dark raisins

• 3 liters of juice;
• 25 pcs. raisins.

1. Strain the juice.
2. Throw raisins into it and put in the cold. There he should wander slowly until the summer.

The drink has a large amount of nutrients. On its basis, a delicious okroshka is obtained.

Wine from birch sap

This recipe has come to us from antiquity.

• 25 l of juice;
• 5 kg of granulated sugar;
• 200 g of any raisins. You can use the same amount of wine yeast;
• 10 g of citric acid;
• optionally put in wine 200 g of honey (liquid).

1. If raisins are used as starter culture, it is necessary to cook it in advance.
2. Toss sugar, citric acid into the juice and mix. Then bring everything to a boil over low heat. Remove foam in the process. The liquid is boiled up to 20 liters.
3. Cool the liquid to 25 degrees, continuously mixing, to prevent the formation of a crust.
4. Throw honey, sourdough (yeast) into the container and pour into the dishes in which it will ferment.
5. Cover the hole. To do this, you can take a glove made of rubber.
6. Move the dishes with liquid to a dark place. The temperature should be 18-25 degrees.
7. After 3-5 weeks, the fermentation process will be over. This is evidenced by the clarification of wine.

Now you can pour the wine into bottles, close it well with lids and place a cold place.The temperature is 10-16 degrees. After surviving 15-20 days, pour again and you can drink.

Useful tips and interesting information.

Useful recommendations will tell you how to store a drink:

• Fresh juice can be stored in glass containers of any volume.
• For storage, rinse the jars with hot water and add 2-3 raisins for every half liter of the drink.
• Can be stored in barrels, you get a traditional low-alcohol drink.

How much can you drink per day

Elixir should be taken, taking into account the state of health. Of course, that it positively affects the whole organism. A healthy person is allowed to consume 2-2.5 liters daily. This will help maintain the body in good condition.

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