The beginning of the collection of birch sap depends on weather conditions and in different regions of Russia begins at the right time. Somewhere in the middle of March, and somewhere at the end of April... Buds swollen on birch trees can serve as a reference point for collecting birch sap. To determine the beginning of sap flow, it is enough to go out into the forest after March 20-25 and make an injection on a birch as thick as a hand with a thin awl. If the juice has gone, a drop of juice will immediately come out at the puncture point. So it's time to collect the gray juice.

The main thing to remember if you decide to get healthy birch sap: collect birch sap only in ecologically clean forests, because the tree is able to absorb harmful substances and exhaust gases.

How to collect birch sap

Rules for collecting birch sap:

• You can not use a young tree to collect birch sap!
• Collecting birch sap - do not use an axe. It is better to use a drill with a 5-10 mm drill. Such a hole in a birch trunk overgrows almost without a trace.
• When collecting birch sap, it is important to know that, basically, the sap goes in the surface layer between the bark and the wood, so there is no need to make a deep hole at all.
• The best time to collect birch sap is between 12:00 and 18:00.
• Do not drain all the birch sap from one birch. It is better to go around 5-10 trees and take a liter of juice per day from each of them than to collect the whole from one birch, destroying it.
• After collecting the birch sap, help the birch heal the wound. Coat the place where birch sap is collected with garden pitch or hammer a wooden cork into the hole.

How to collect birch sap

Choose birches with a diameter more than 20-30 cm with a well-developed crown. In addition, as experts say, the juice from mature birches is sweeter. In the trunk of a birch, carefully make a hole at a distance of 20 cm from the ground. A birch bark tray or other semicircular device is attached to the hole made or under it, along which the juice will flow. The groove should be directed into the bottle, jar or bag.

The number of holes depends on the diameter of the birch. that can be done:

• if 20-25 cm - then only one,
• with a volume of 25-35 cm - two, with 35-40 - three,
• and if the diameter is more than 40 cm, it is permissible to make four holes.

After collecting birch sap, do not forget to help the tree recover: you need to tightly close the hole with pitch, wax, cork or moss so that bacteria do not get into the trunk, which can seriously threaten the life of the tree.

Keep in mind that birch, as soon as you drill it, it will immediately begin to overgrow the wound inflicted on it. Therefore, the amount of birch sap will constantly fall. This is fine! Don't try to kill the tree by digging a hole or drilling a new one. Just change the birch tree when birch sap collection is no longer suitable for you.

How to store birch sap

You can store fresh birch sap in the refrigerator for a little over 2 days. To keep birch sap longer, kvass is made from it.

Recipes for kvass from birch sap:

• Heat up to 35 degrees, add 15-20 g of yeast and 3 raisins per 1 liter, you can add lemon zest to taste. After that, the jar or bottle is tightly closed and left for 1-2 weeks. It will turn out a very tasty, carbonated, invigorating drink!
• Kvass can be prepared in a slightly different way: juice of 4 lemons, 50 g of yeast, 30 g of honey or sugar, raisins at the rate of 2-3 pieces per bottle are added to 10 liters of birch sap. Pour into bottles and keep 1-2 weeks in a dark cool place.

In the cases described above, kvass can be ready after 5 days, but the fact that it stays longer will not spoil the drink: it can be stored for the whole summer.

Our ancestors drank birch and fermented in barrels without adding sugar - this was a traditional low-alcohol drink at Russian feasts.

You can insist birch sap on dried fruits, in a jar covered with gauze, also for about 2 weeks. And you can also add berry juice to “birch tears”, insist them on herbs.

Recipes for harvesting birch sap for future use:

Canning. For 1 liter of birch sap - 125 g of sugar and 5 g of citric acid. Filter, pour into jars, pasteurize and screw on the lids. It is useful to insist the juice on the leaves of mint, lemon balm, thyme, St. John's wort, linden blossom, rose hips, lingonberries.

Birch kvass. The juice is heated to + 35 ° C, yeast is added to it at the rate of 15-20 g per 1 liter. The leaven is placed for 3-4 days in a cold place, then poured into containers and preserved.

Birch syrup. After evaporating the juice to a lemon-white color and the density of honey, the sugar concentration in the syrup reaches 60-70%.

The benefits of birch sap, treatment with birch sap

In the spring, for about three weeks, the birch shares its “tears” with us and helps a person heal the body. The secret and popularity of birch sap is that the forces accumulated during the winter in the birch trunk are given to humans with birch sap.

Composition of birch sap

Birch sap contains sugars (fructose, glucose, sucrose), organic acids, enzymes and substances with high antimicrobial activity (phytoncides). There is also a lot in birch sap and mineral elements that the body weakened by spring hypovitaminosis needs. Having drunk birch sap, we replenish the body with a supply of potassium, calcium, sodium, magnesium, iron, manganese, copper.

Properties of birch sap

• Since birch sap contains enzymes and biological stimulants, it strengthens the immune system.
• Potassium, calcium, magnesium, contained in birch sap - are necessary for the normal functioning of the heart.
• Tannins of birch sap - have an anti-inflammatory effect.
• Easily digestible sugars are good for brain function.

The properties of birch sap make it an indispensable tool for healing the human body and strengthening the immune system.

What are the benefits of birch sap

Spring birch sap can be considered one of the best dietary remedies. Systematic taking birch sap has a tonic effect. If you drink at least a glass of birch sap a day, you will feel more cheerful and energetic. Drowsiness, depression, fatigue will disappear.

The benefits of birch sap and that birch sap is a good tonic for a variety of diseases. Among other things, it has a diuretic effect, stimulates kidney function. Birch juice promotes the release of uric acid, increases diuresis. It is useful for people with kidney and urinary tract diseases. Birch juice strengthens the strength of those who have lung disease, arthritis or bronchitis. However, people with urolithiasis and stomach ulcers should consult a doctor before expecting benefits from drinking birch sap.

Birch sap is recommended to drink with skin problems - eczema, lichen, furunculosis. Rinse with birch sap throat with angina, proven benefits birch sap in the complex treatment of headache, cough, joint diseases. birch sap the ability to purify the blood and remove toxic substances is inherent, therefore it is real benefits of birch sap with intoxication of the body. Also Birch juice alleviates the condition of infectious diseases.

Undoubtedly, benefits of birch sap is obvious, but it is worth understanding: this juice is not a medicine, but a good supporting agent donated by nature, which should be used in complex treatment.

Harm of birch sap

Birch sap can be harmful if: collected near highways, collected in the city, in a place with unfavorable ecology. Also, birch sap can be harmful to those who are allergic to birch pollen!

The benefits of birch sap - folk recipes

What does birch sap treat, how to be treated with birch sap, what diseases does birch sap treat... Recipes for treatment with birch sap were collected and preserved by our ancestors. The people were often treated with birch sap.

Anemia - treatment with birch sap
Birch sap contains a large amount of vitamins, microelements, including iron and natural sugar, so it is indicated for low hemoglobin levels.
Mix fresh birch sap in equal proportions with apple, carrot or beetroot and you will get a remedy that effectively increases hemoglobin. Take 50 ml (this is about 1 stack) 15 minutes before meals 3 times a day, during the entire time of birch sap flow.

Reduced immunity - treatment with birch sap
A drink consisting of birch sap, milk (in equal proportions) and with the addition of a small amount of starch perfectly helps to raise immunity.

Tumors - treatment with birch sap
In the presence of various tumors, traditional medicine recommends mixing 2 parts of birch sap with 2 parts of yarrow grass juice, 2 parts of carrot juice, 1 part of hemlock grass juice, 1 part of St. John's battle grass juice and 1 part of meadowsweet grass juice. Take 1 tablespoon in the morning on an empty stomach with milk, and 1 tablespoon at night with milk.

Diseases of the digestive system - treatment with birch sap
With heartburn and gastritis with low acidity, biliary dyskinesia, exacerbation of peptic ulcer, with flatulence and chronic inflammation of the pancreas, birch sap is taken as follows: 50 ml in pure form or diluted with warm boiled water in a ratio of 2: 1 - drink in a day.

High blood pressure - treatment with birch sap
For hypertension with high blood pressure, accompanied by swelling, pain in the heart, headache and dizziness, drink 1/2 cup of birch sap 2 times a day. The juice acts as a mild diuretic, removing excess moisture from the body.

Diseases of blood vessels and joints - treatment with birch sap
The diuretic function of birch sap, coupled with an anti-inflammatory effect, makes it possible to consider it as a good remedy for arthritis, arthrosis, gout, rheumatism, varicose veins of the legs, and trophic ulcers. In this case, the juice should be drunk 50 ml in pure form or diluted with water in a ratio of 2:1 3 times a day, half an hour before meals. The effect of therapy will be enhanced if you drink a glass of warm milk on an empty stomach and before going to bed.

Pulmonary diseases - treatment with birch sap
For bronchitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis, birch sap is drunk as follows: 75-100 ml 2 times a day. For colds (pharyngitis, laryngitis) and tonsillitis, birch sap, in pure form or diluted with warm water, is useful on an empty stomach and gargle after each meal. At high temperatures, birch sap can also be used as a local antipyretic - in pure form or with cold water (2: 1). Gauze or cotton rags are moistened in juice, slightly squeezed and applied to the elbows, armpits and in the groin, under the knees, wrapped around the ankles and wrists and changed as they dry until the patient's temperature subsides.

Skin diseases - treatment with birch sap
As an external remedy, birch sap is used for eczema, neurodermatitis, psoriasis, furunculosis, acne, fungal diseases and poorly healing wounds. In these cases, birch sap is used in the form of washings, rubbing, lotions, compresses on problem areas and places. The external action of the juice can be duplicated by ingestion in its pure form, 75-100 ml before meals and at night.

Diseases of the genitourinary system - treatment with birch sap
In diseases of the kidneys - chronic pyelonephritis, the presence of sand or small pebbles - birch sap should be drunk daily on an empty stomach, 1 cup undiluted.
With urolithiasis and cholelithiasis, birch sap should be taken with caution, first finding out the composition and size of the stones. Otherwise, being a strong "stone-cutting" agent, birch sap can drive a large stone into a narrow duct and provoke colic. However, this applies only to stones of oxalate and uric acid origin. But birch sap, on the contrary, dissolves phosphate and carbonate stones, only for this you need to drink it for at least 3 months, 1 glass on an empty stomach and an hour before bedtime.

Hair loss - treatment with birch sap
If you began to notice that your hair was weakened and began to fall out, then rubbing a mixture of birch sap with vodka and a decoction of burdock root in equal parts into the scalp will help stop this process. Birch sap also helps to fight dandruff, for this you need to wash your hair with birch sap.

Reliable scientific data about useful properties birch sap today either does not exist at all, or they are hidden away from human eyes. Self-extraction of juice is treated as a crime, and if you ask a person about what Birch juice, then the first thing he remembers will be a sweet and sour liquid, “packed” in a glass jar or tetrapack.

Of course, later, perhaps, someone will remember the trees with black and white bark, but that will be later. And this is somewhat disturbing.

On the other hand, the time is now when a person learns about natural food products not in the forest, in a clearing or near a river, but in a store, studying the colorful labels of semi-finished products.

Well, what kind of health can we talk about here ...

However, we have strongly deviated from the main topic of the article. After all, our main task is to find out what birch sap is, how it can be useful to us, how to prepare it and whether it is worth storing it for a long time.

Let's get started...

The benefits and harms of birch sap

Birch sap is a tree elixir of life that nourishes the birch throughout its existence.

This definition is far from scientific or at least generally accepted, but we believe that it reflects the essence of birch sap, its main purpose and value. At the same time, despite such a clearly defined biological role of birch sap, it is able to nourish not only the tree, but also the human body. And with no less efficiency.

At first glance, birch sap is very similar to water, but it is not water at all. And the point here is not at all in the sweet taste, which is a kind of "calling card" of birch sap. In fact, the two liquids have different chemical compositions.

The maximum that water is capable of is saturation with minerals. Birch sap, in turn, contains minerals, vitamins, enzymes, phytoncides, fructose, tannins, organic acids, essential oils and, most likely, much more. Because even in our advanced age, not everything is visible through a microscope.

Thanks to such a rich composition, birch sap benefits everyone who is able to drink it. And this, not a lot, not a little - almost the entire population of our vast planet. The only exceptions are two categories of people:

• those who were not lucky enough to “get their hands on” an allergy to birch catkin pollen
• healthy children under the age of six months who have the opportunity to feed on their mother's breast milk (no one will give birch sap to sick children at this age, but hypothetically it can help them too)

For everyone else, birch sap will be a good help in life, as it improves metabolic processes in the body, and with regular use it can quickly remove a huge amount of toxins from the gastrointestinal tract and human blood.

In addition, all sorts of inorganic deposits (salts, trans fats, etc.) are susceptible to birch sap, which are waiting in the wings in the joints, internal organs, connective tissue and under the skin.

Such an effect on the body allows us to say with confidence that birch sap will be useful to everyone who has one or more diseases from the following list:

• sciatica, arthritis, rheumatism, gout
• stones in the kidneys, urinary and gall bladders (be sure to start with small volumes of juice and constantly monitor the size and position of the stones)
• functional disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, kidneys and other internal organs and systems
• cardiovascular diseases
• sore throat, cough, chronic runny nose, tuberculosis, acute respiratory infections and other diseases associated with the release of mucus and pus through the upper and lower respiratory tract
• any oncology
• any inflammatory processes in the body, and especially in the organs of the genitourinary system
• intoxication of any origin
• chronic fatigue, drowsiness and even depression

This is not a complete list of diseases and conditions in which raw fresh birch sap is indicated. However, we do not have a medical encyclopedia here, but just a small article about health. Therefore, on this conversation about the beneficial properties and diseases, we, perhaps, will finish.

We only note that fresh raw birch sap has the greatest healing cleansing power. Frozen raw juice will bring a little less benefit, and you will get very little benefit from all kinds of kvass, tinctures, industrial drinks called "Birch sap" and other products of industrial and home processing of this wonderful elixir.

How to collect birch sap

Acquaintance with the technology of self-collection of birch sap should begin with an answer to the question WHERE it can be collected. Although, of course, purely physically birch sap can be stored anywhere, including the Chernobyl "reserve". Only now only the juice that was collected away from any factories, cities, major roads (including railways) and agricultural fields can bring benefits to the body.

Only in this case will birch sap be pure (without heavy metals, radionuclides, pesticides and other harmful chemical compounds), safe and nutritious.

You can collect birch sap from the moment when the first buds swell on the birch trees, and until the first leaves appear. At the same time, in sunny glades, collection can begin a little earlier than in the depths of the forest. True, the leaves here bloom faster than in the wilderness. Therefore, start in clearings and gradually move to darker places.

To check if the juice has flowed, you can use a thin awl to pierce the bark and see if a drop of juice appears. If it appears, you can start collecting.

Trees should be selected based on the following parameters:

• trunk thickness at chest level of an adult - at least 20 cm
• developed "lush" crown

To cause minimal damage to a birch, a hole in the trunk should be made at an angle of about 45 degrees (to make it easier for the juice to drain), with a thin drill - no wider than 1 cm, no more than 3 cm deep. Curved pieces of tin, wooden and plastic can be used as a groove tubes, medical systems, etc. The main thing is that these grooves do not “enrich” the tree and the collected juice with harmful chemical elements and compounds.

Each birch that meets the above criteria is able to produce an average of 1 to 7 liters of juice. At the same time, the holes made are tightened over time, and we get less and less juice. We recommend not making the hole deeper, but simply changing the tree. Just be sure to treat the damaged area - seal the hole hermetically with garden pitch, wax or clay.

How to save birch sap (until winter, at home)

Fresh raw birch sap can be stored in a cold place for up to 2 days without compromising quality. After this time, as well as when stored warm, birch sap starts to sour very quickly. And here methods of long-term storage of birch sap come to our aid ...

The ideal way to preserve birch sap until winter is to freeze it. Moreover, the juice must be frozen quickly, then everything useful will remain in it.

If there is no freezer, then you can “roll up” birch sap into sterilized glass jars. To do this, it is heated to 80 ° C, poured into jars and rolled up with tin lids. After that, the sealed jars are kept in 85-degree water for 15 minutes and left to cool at room temperature.

You can also make birch concentrate. To do this, the juice is brought to a temperature of 60 ° C and 75% of the total volume is evaporated. The remaining 25 percent of the concentrate is poured into sterilized jars and hermetically sealed. And before use, mix such a concentrate with water.

What is prepared from birch sap?

Since the "discovery" of birch sap, people have come up with dozens of recipes for making delicious and healthy (though not always) drinks, which include all kinds of kvass, syrups, homemade wines, fruit cocktails, sweet "water" and others.

The simplest drink is obtained by mixing birch sap with fruit or vegetable juices. In any proportions - to taste.

Birch kvass is a little more difficult to prepare (one of the options):
Fresh birch sap is poured into a glass bottle, a handful of raisins (a few pieces per liter) and sugar (2 tsp per liter) are added there. If desired, you can also throw a little lemon zest, fruits or berries into the bottle. After that, the bottle should be tightly closed and put in a cool place. In a few days, kvass will be ready, but you can open it either immediately or after 2-3 months. Will not deteriorate.

Another option is birch-bread kvass:
Pour birch sap into any clean container (preferably in oak barrel), lower a cloth bag with rye breadcrumbs there and close the vessel. After a few days, the juice will ferment, and you can add dill stalks, cherry leaves and oak bark. Then the future kvass is closed for at least 2 weeks. After that, the vessel can be opened, and kvass can be drunk.

Prepared from birch sap and medicinal drinks. Usually for these purposes, birch sap is mixed with berries and honey.

For example, here is a recipe for making a birch-lingonberry drink:
The first step is to squeeze the juice from 150 grams of lingonberries. Then put the pomace in a saucepan and pour 1 liter of fresh birch sap. Hold this "compote" for 5 minutes in a water bath and cool. Mix with previously squeezed lingonberry juice and add a little honey (or a lot if you like sweets very much). Drink according to your mood. The drink has a pronounced diuretic effect.

As we have already said, there are a great many recipes for such drinks - at least according to a recipe for a berry. And if you remember about lemons, oranges and dried fruits, then during the spring you can provide yourself with a variety of drinks for the whole year. True, before that you will have to stock up on berries and dried fruits well ...

The benefits and harms of birch sap were well known to our ancestors. More precisely, they knew more about its beneficial, healing properties. They also knew when and how to collect this medicine, how to prepare it correctly in order to preserve the healing substances as much as possible. This forest drink has few contraindications, but still they are, and they were established by traditional medicine after a series of observations on patients suffering from urolithiasis and stomach ulcers.

For representatives of the current generation, birch sap is a kind of antiquity, a true story, a natural product from the times of the USSR, which has gone into the past along with the realities of life. There is some truth in this, because the value of this drink, the methods of its collection and preparation are gradually forgotten. Yes, and the volume of its industrial procurement has decreased significantly. However, there are keepers of traditions, there are many recipes in folk herbalists and a lot of evidence that this drink is not just a symbol of Russia. It is also a valuable medicine that can be prepared at home.

Features of medicinal raw materials

Birch sap is pleasant, sweetish, with a specific delicate aroma. For what diagnoses is it recommended? Does it have contraindications? When to start collecting, in what ways to harvest juice yourself?

Preparation of birch sap

Industrial collection and conservation of birch sap are carried out mostly in Belarus, less - in Russia and Ukraine. This drink was especially popular during the Soviet era. The older generation remembers very well how, in the era of shortages, three-liter cans of this drink filled empty shelves. It can also be seen on modern counters (in three-liter, one-and-a-half-liter jars and tetra-packs), but its production has noticeably decreased.

• When to collect? Harvesting is carried out in early spring, when the juices begin to rise from the root up the tree trunk. With a thaw, sap flow can begin earlier - in February. The juice is collected until the buds on the birch have blossomed, which also depends on the weather and climatic conditions. It is also better to collect liquid during daylight hours, because at night the trees “sleep” and the movement of sap stops.
• How to collect birch sap? There are several rules to follow: do not use young trees; after collection, cover the hole or slot with wax, laundry soap or a special garden var, which prevents various lesions and wood decay. In extreme cases, the hole is tightly closed with moss or a twig is stuck into it, it is saturated with liquid, swells and prevents it from flowing out. It is possible to extract this forest food resource (namely, as it is called in the legislation) different ways. The first is to make an incision (notch) on the bark, substitute a groove and fix it, hang a container where the juice will drain. The second is to drill a hole in the barrel to a depth of 5 cm, insert a plastic tip from the dropper system into it, and lower its other end into a container. The third is to cut off young branches, wrap them in a plastic bag, where the liquid flows. Sometimes the juice is collected from stumps after sanitary cutting of a forest area.
• Some "tricks" of collecting. You need to start collecting in the southern parts of the grove, and as the snow melts and warms up, move deeper into the forest. They try to make incisions on the north side of the trunk - there is more juice here. A cut or hole is made at a height of about 50 cm from the ground. Don't make a deep hole. First, it is dangerous for the life of the tree. Secondly, the juice moves between the bark and the wood, it is enough just to pass through the bark layer.
• How to store birch sap at home? Raw birch is best collected and stored in glass containers. If he is going to plastic bottles, then after filling it must be immediately poured into glassware. Raw can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 3 days. It is desirable to drink it by this time, then it becomes cloudy, bubbles appear in it, and fermentation processes begin. Then you can already make kvass or wine from it. For long-term storage, fresh juice is canned and frozen in small portions.

One large tree can produce up to 7 liters of valuable liquid per day, a small tree - up to 3 liters. On a tree with a diameter of up to 20 cm, only one hole is allowed, with a diameter of up to 25 cm - two holes can be made, up to 35 cm - three, and over 40 cm - no more than four. Despite the fact that birch roots go deep into the ground and take nutrients from clean soil, it is better to choose birch trees in groves, and not in plantings along roads. Wood also has the ability to absorb harmful substances from the air.

Healing properties and pharmacological action

AT chemical composition birch sap includes:

• invert sugar (with equal parts of glucose and sucrose);
• organic acids;
• proteins;
• carbohydrates;
• essential oil;
• phytohormones;
• phenols;
• urea derivatives;
• saponins;
• tannins;
• group of vitamins B;
• vitamin C;
• rich composition of trace elements (copper, potassium, sodium, manganese, magnesium, iron, silicon).

Pharmachologic effect:

• diuretic;
• secretory;
• anti-inflammatory;
• tonic;
• restorative;
• blood-purifying;
• antioxidant.

Increasingly, they talk about the antitumor properties of raw birch, although there is no scientific evidence for this. It can be prescribed for rehabilitation, recovery of the body after severe procedures in oncology.

What diseases are indicated

• Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. It relieves spasms, gastric and intestinal colic, treats diseases of the stomach, liver, gallbladder, acts as a mild analgesic, anti-inflammatory medicine. Restores microflora, appetite, digestion.
• urinary system. One of the effective folk remedies with urolithiasis. It is advisable to drink fresh 6 glasses a day. Juice promotes crushing of stones in kidneys and their removal. The course of treatment is carried out under the strict supervision of a doctor, painful conditions are likely.
• Rheumatic diseases. Effective remedy for gout, articular arthritis, atherosclerosis. They are taken internally and externally.
• Respiratory system . As a tonic with an expectorant effect, it is prescribed for inflammatory processes in the bronchi and lungs, including the treatment of tuberculosis.
• Metabolic disorders. In diabetes, blended birch sap is useful in complex treatment and with a strict diet. On its basis, a medicinal drink is prepared, it contains 35% juice of raspberries, currants, blackberries, blueberries, elderberries. It is also taken with decoctions of wild rose, lingonberry leaves, buckthorn, nettle and other medicinal herbs. We emphasize that phytotherapy for diabetes mellitus gives a positive therapeutic effect, but only under the supervision of a physician, with a number of laboratory studies. Depending on the type of diabetes, the dosage and course of treatment are prescribed. Since the juice is low in calories and stimulates all metabolic processes in the body, it is drunk for weight loss.
• Anemia. With anemia, it is recommended to drink juice 2-3 glasses a day before meals.
• Avitaminosis. Birch sap contains half of the periodic table. It is prescribed for spring beriberi, weakened immunity, after serious illnesses, for the prevention of acute respiratory viral infections, influenza.
• Intoxication. The drink helps well in case of poisoning (gives energy and reserves of lost fluid), cleanses the body of toxins, restores the water-salt balance, helps to lower the temperature and acts as a diaphoretic in combination with rosehip decoction and lemon juice. The drink also helps with a hangover, relieving discomfort in the stomach.
• Outdoor use. The tool can be used to gargle, rinse the nose, drink to disinfect the oral cavity with stomatitis, gingivitis, periodontal disease. They also wipe the skin with scabies, psoriasis, neurodermatitis, eczema, ulcers. Good for non-healing wounds.

This healing drink has few contraindications: individual intolerance and an allergic reaction. It is important to remember that with exacerbation of gastric and duodenal ulcers, as well as in the acute form of urolithiasis, self-treatment with juice can lead to an even greater exacerbation. Therefore, medical supervision and supervision is so important. Due to the high content of glucose, birch sap can harm the body if the dosage and dilution are incorrect.

Features of the preparation and use of birch sap

Despite all the harmlessness and undoubted usefulness of this forest drink, it is recommended to consult a doctor before taking it. If any side effects appear (primarily from the digestive system - diarrhea), treatment should be discontinued and a doctor should be consulted.

How to use

How much juice can you drink per day?

• A glass 3 times a day is the "universal" dosage.
• Some herbalists recommend drinking diluted juice, especially if there are exacerbations and diabetes.
• For preventive purposes, you can drink for a long time, but little by little.
• The treatment course may be shorter, but with a higher dosage, in which case a break in therapy is required.

cooking recipes

Recipes for harvesting birch sap are impressive in their diversity. You can prepare pure raw, or you can prepare sedative infusions from it with the addition of mint, fortified - with blackcurrant and rose hips. Also, raw birch produces delicious kvass, wine, low-alcohol drinks, syrup.

• Kvass. Birch sap has high fermentation properties. Therefore, kvass from birch sap is prepared without yeast. But there are also recipes for its preparation with yeast.
• syrup. It is curious that today in the world there are no more than two dozen manufacturers of this delicacy. Birch syrup is prepared according to the same principle as the famous maple syrup. To get 1 liter of product, you need to evaporate 100 liters of juice! The syrup is similar to honey in consistency and taste, but there is a woody bitterness in it. In Russia, there is a community of lovers and connoisseurs of this product, which also produces natural birch sap, sauce, kvass, and chaga. You can buy frozen cheese here.
• Wine. In the USSR, the production of birch wines was established, but now it is a rarity. From raw birch, high-quality sparkling (carbonated) wine was obtained. It can be prepared at home according to old Russian recipes.

carbonated drink recipe

1. Pour raw birch into a three-liter jar and keep warm for 2 days.
2. Put in a jar 6 tsp. Sahara.
3. Add some raisins and lemon zest.
4. Close the lid and hold for 2 days.

It turns out a pleasant carbonated drink with sourness (essentially - kvass). If the fermentation process is active, you need to slightly open the lid or use a lid with a hole. To reduce fermentation processes, the drink is stored in the refrigerator.

Recipe for birch kvass with yeast

1. Heat raw birch to 35°C.
2. Add 15 g of yeast (per 1 liter of juice), some raisins, lemon zest.
3. Close with a tight lid.
4. Withstand 7 days.

Kvass perfectly quenches thirst, normalizes digestion.

Recipe for birch kvass without yeast

1. Pour raw birch into a three-liter jar.
2. Put pieces of dried rye bread in it.
3. For flavor, put currant and cherry leaves.
4. Cover the jar with gauze, soak for 14 days.

Recipe for kvass from malt

1. Pour 5 liters of raw birch into a large bottle.
2. Keep 2 days.
3. Put 30 g of barley malt.
4. Keep at least 10 days.

Earlier in Russia, kvass was prepared in large barrels. It was one of the most popular drinks at holiday feasts. To keep kvass for a long time, honey and oak bark were placed in barrels. Herbs were also added - thyme, cumin, linden, chamomile, lemon balm, St. John's wort. Blended low-alcohol drinks were made with the addition of mountain ash, rose hips, cherries, blueberries, and apples.

canned birch sap recipe

1. Take 3 liters of fresh juice.
2. Add 100 g sugar and 1 medium lemon, cut into wedges.
3. Boil over low heat in an enamel bowl for 5 minutes.
4. Pour into a sterilized jar, roll up.

Orange can be used instead of lemon. Pleasant taste give the juice a sprig of mint or lemon balm. Previously, there was an opinion that industrial birch sap is diluted with citric acid and water. Too much of it was produced in the USSR. In fact, a little lemon can be added to the recipe drink as a preservative.

Birch sap for women and children

• Pregnancy. There is no information that juice can harm the body during pregnancy. However, a doctor's consultation should be mandatory, especially if a woman has chronic diseases of the stomach and kidneys. This low-calorie drink quenches thirst well, normalizes metabolic processes, blood pressure, reduces nausea and vomiting during toxicosis.
• lactation. It is believed that birch sap is useful for breastfeeding, stimulates lactation. There is no scientific evidence for this. However, it can be useful for a nursing mother with its rich composition. It should be taken in reasonable portions. To begin with, it is recommended to drink 100 g of juice and observe the reaction of the baby.
• Childhood . The question arises: is it possible for children to drink birch sap? Pediatricians do not recommend giving it to babies under 1 year old in any form. After a year, you can offer canned juice, but in small portions, first diluted. Later, you can try to introduce raw into the diet, also in small doses. Juice is valuable for children with glucose, phytoncides, organic acids, unique compositions of micro and macro elements, vitamins. Needless to say, children should be given only a high-quality, proven product, without additives.

Cosmetology

Birch sap is widely used in cosmetology due to its tonic, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory effect. How is it used?

• Like lotion and hair mask. It strengthens the roots well, eliminates dandruff, increased fat content. Pure juice is rubbed into the scalp and hair. Also, masks are made from it with the addition of castor oil and honey.
• For skin problems. Undiluted juice wipe the skin in the morning and evening with furunculosis, acne, age spots, lichen.
• Reception inside. For skin diseases, it is used not only externally, but also internally. Birch sap acts as a blood purifier, helps with furunculosis, acne, acne, eliminates the cause of the disease "from the inside".
• cosmetic ice. In addition to lotions and masks, cosmetic ice from birch sap is used. To do this, it is poured into small molds, frozen, rubbed daily with pieces of ice.

What are the main medicinal properties of birch sap? First of all, it is a mild diuretic and choleretic agent. Also, the drink has a tonic, blood-purifying, tonic, antiseptic properties. It is used to treat skin diseases, metabolic disorders, anemia, vitamin deficiency, intoxication, and is actively used in cosmetology.

Birch sap is a very useful natural drink, which is endowed with a mass of healing properties and has an extremely beneficial effect on the human body. This is the so-called elixir of beauty, health, vitality and strength. This is because it contains many useful substances, organic acids and trace elements. Today we will learn everything about birch sap, talk about its benefits, how, where and when to collect, as well as how to store the drink.

All about the benefits of birch sap

Birch sap contains fructose, glucose, sucrose, organic acids, enzymes and substances that have great antimicrobial activity (phytoncides), as well as potassium, iron, manganese, calcium, sodium, magnesium, copper, which are required by the body weakened by spring beriberi.

Birch sap is endowed with a huge amount useful properties:

• Perfectly strengthens the immune system.
• Normalizes the work of the heart.
• It has an anti-inflammatory effect on the body.
• It improves metabolism and is very useful for brain function.
• Tones, invigorates and energizes the body.
• Just one glass of drink a day will relieve you of drowsiness, fatigue and depression.
• The drink is called one of the best dietary and restorative remedies.
• It is very useful for people with diseases of the urinary tract and kidneys - it stimulates kidney function, has a diuretic effect, promotes the release of uric acid and increases diuresis.
• Useful for lung diseases, bronchitis, tuberculosis, tonsillitis, cough.
• Relieves headaches and migraines.
• Useful for venereal diseases.
• It is recommended to take a drink for diseases of the liver, gallbladder, duodenum and with low acidity.
• Helps with high blood pressure and anemia.
• It has a therapeutic effect in arthritis, radiculitis and rheumatism.
• Able to purify the blood and remove toxic substances from the body.
• Taking birch sap, you can increase the body's resistance to allergic, infectious and colds.
• In chronic rhinitis, it is recommended to take one glass of fresh birch sap every morning.
• Endowed with anthelmintic, antitumor and diuretic action.
• It is useful to wipe the skin with acne, eczema, psoriasis, furunculosis, neurodermatitis, fungal diseases, poorly healing wounds,

Important!To preserve birch sap for a long time, it can be frozen in ice molds and used as cosmetic ice.

Birch sap is widely used in cosmetology:

• Perfectly cleanses and refreshes the skin, and for this it is enough just to wash it in the morning.
• Used to moisturize and cleanse dry skin.

• Used for washing the head - to strengthen the hair, their rapid growth, giving softness and shine to the hair; used to fight dandruff.
• You can also do anti-cellulite wraps.

If we talk about harm, then birch sap can cause harm only if it was collected in contaminated places and if a person is allergic to birch pollen. Contraindicated in people suffering from stomach ulcers.

Did you know?The Soviet poet Stepan Shchipachev wrote the story "Birch sap" in 1956.

How to determine collection time

The collection begins in the spring during the first thaws, and ends after bud break. The beginning of the collection is dictated by weather conditions. But often the juice begins to flow somewhere in the middle of March, when the snow melts and the buds begin to swell, and continues to run until the middle - end of April.

You can check whether the time has come to collect and harvest, using a thin awl. It is necessary to go out into the forest and make a puncture in a birch as thick as a hand with this awl. If the juice has already gone, then a drop will immediately come out at the puncture site. This will mean that you can start collecting and harvesting.

Important! The most intensive sap flow through the tree occurs during daylight hours.

Is it possible to collect birch sap in urban areas

Answering the question whether it is possible to collect juice in the city, we immediately warn you: no, don’t even think about it. It is necessary to collect away from large cities, from highways, from large factories and polluted places, since the tree can absorb all harmful substances and vehicle exhaust gases from the environment. The juice that will be collected from such trees will not only not bring any benefit, but can also be harmful to health.

The best places to collect

To get really healthy juice, the place of collection must be chosen very carefully. It is best collected in ecologically clean forests away from urban areas, industrial areas and highways.

Features of the collection, how to properly collect a healthy drink

Before you take birch sap, you need to know some simple, but very important rules and terms of collection:

• Young trees cannot be used for collection, only mature trees that have a diameter of 20 cm or more. If you collect sap from young trees, you can destroy them, because during the period of tree growth, he himself needs it.
• Use a drill with a 5-10 mm drill to collect. Such a hole overgrows in the trunk almost without a trace.

• It is not necessary to make a hole too deep in the tree trunk, because the juice mainly goes in the surface layer between the bark and the wood. It will be enough 2-3 cm deep.
• The best time to collect is considered to be between 10:00 and 18:00, when the juice flows most intensively.
• Do not try to drain all the juice from one tree, otherwise you can destroy it. It would be better to go around five to ten trees and drain a liter a day from each.
• At the end of the collection, be sure to help the tree heal its wounds. Cover the hole with wax, garden pitch, or seal or hammer a wooden plug to keep bacteria out of the barrel.

As regards, in fact, how get birch sap:

1. Choose a birch with a well-developed crown with a diameter of more than 20-30 cm.
2. Make a hole carefully in the trunk at a distance of 20 cm from the ground.
3. Attach a birch bark tray or some other semicircular device into the hole made or under it, along which the juice will flow.
4. Place a jar, bottle or bag under the groove where the juice will run.

The number of holes made in the barrel depends on its diameter. With a tree diameter of 20-25 cm, only one hole can be made, and then one more hole for every ten centimeters. But the main thing is not to overdo it with holes, because the more the tree is injured, the more difficult it will be for it to heal its wounds.

Storage methods, studying recipes

It is best to use the juice fresh, when boiling some of its properties are lost. But how long can it be stored? If we talk about how long it can be stored in the refrigerator - no more than two days, and for long-term storage it is necessary to do some manipulations with it.

Storage methods (recipes) are known to be different. From it you can make kvass, syrup, balm, various drinks, or canned.

Canning. For one liter of birch sap, you need to take 125 g of sugar, add 5 g of citric acid, pour into jars, pasteurize and roll up with lids.

Birch syrup. Evaporate the juice to a yellow-white color until it becomes viscous and resembles in consistency. The concentration of sugar in syrup is 60-70%.

Birch wine. For 10 liters of birch sap, you need to take 1 kg of sugar, two peels, two bottles of white grape wine, yeast. Boil the juice with sugar over high heat until about eight liters of liquid remain; then take it off the heat, add the rinds and white wine, mix everything well and let the mixture cool down. Add 0.5 tablespoon of yeast and leave for four days. After four days, bottle everything, cork the bottles and put in a dark, cold place for a month.

Kvass:

• For 10 liters of Syria you need 50 g of yeast. It must be boiled so that some water evaporates, cool, add yeast and let it ferment for several days, then pour kvass into bottles, close and put in a cold place for a couple of weeks.
• For 10 liters you will need the juice of four lemons, 50 g of yeast, 30 g of honey or sugar, raisins. Mix all this, pour into bottles and leave in a cold dark place.
• Pour birch sap into an oak barrel, lower a canvas bag with burnt crusts of rye bread on a rope, and two days later put oak bark in a barrel, you can also leave or stems

Birch sap remains one of those products that nature has generously rewarded us with. But here it is important to thank her, and not harm the tree. Unfortunately, not everyone knows how to properly collect birch sap without leaving destructive traces. Therefore, the purpose of our article is not just to learn how to collect it, but also to make the birch give us a drink next year.

When to collect birch sap

The term for collecting birch sap depends, first of all, on the weather, so every year the season begins at a different time. Moreover, in the south and north of even such a small country as Belarus, the season can start at different times. But in general, we recommend focusing on mid-March - this is the traditional start of the season. The collection of juice ends approximately in the second half of April. Experts advise to navigate by birch buds: they should begin to swell.

To make sure that the time has come, go out into the forest from the twentieth to the twenty-fifth of March. You will need a thin awl to cut into the wood. If the tree is already ready to give you juice, then droplets will immediately come out in the place where you pierced. So the juice can be collected. The only thing we advise you to take into account is the environmental friendliness of the forest. If you want to get a really healthy product, but it would be completely wrong to collect juice in radioactive areas or in forests near noisy highways.

How to collect birch sap correctly: 6 important basics

• One of the first and main rules of the birch sap collector is that the use of young birch trees is prohibited! Often such interference for a growing tree is simply fatal.
• When collecting birch sap, do not use a tool such as an ax. It also leaves "wounds" detrimental to the tree. The ideal option is a drill. Moreover, the drill should be approximately five to ten millimeters. Such intervention will leave practically no traces on the tree.
• Many people make the mistake of making holes that are too deep. This is not at all necessary. Especially if you know that the movement of juice takes place in the surface layers, which are located between the wood and the bark.
• If you want the collection process to be as efficient as possible, then keep track of the time. It is best to go to the forest from twelve to eighteen o'clock.
• Another important rule to help save the tree. In no case should you drain the entire drink from one birch! It will be much more beneficial for the forest if you go around five to ten different trees, collecting the juice from each. That way you won't kill any tree.
• At the end of the collection process, it is very proper to thank the tree. The "wound" will heal much faster if you put a small wooden plug in the hole.

How to choose the right tree The main thing is not to make a mistake when choosing a birch. It is desirable that the diameter of the tree be at least twenty to thirty centimeters. Also, a well-developed crown will be a plus for you. Professionals give one more practical advice: choose the best mature trees, their juice is often sweeter.

How to make a hole in a tree

It is important to make a hole in a birch not too high and not too low. The most optimal distance is about twenty centimeters from the ground. You should first prepare a device through which the drink will flow. Often, birch bark trays are used for these purposes. Such a device is sent to a jar or other container.

Keep in mind: the diameter of the tree will tell you how many holes you can make in it.

• a tree up to twenty-five centimeters in diameter is considered thin, so only one hole can be made;
• if the volume is more than twenty centimeters, then feel free to make two holes;
• if the volume is more than thirty-five centimeters - feel free to make three holes;
• four holes can be made only if the diameter of the birch is more than forty centimeters.

It is useful to know that birch will immediately begin to protect itself and heal wounds, so the amount of drink will not be the same all the time. No need to make an additional hole in the birch, just change it.

Features of collecting birch sap in Belarus

In Belarus, as in any civilized country, sanitary standards are relevant for the collection of birch sap. The sap collector should be aware that not every tree can be drilled. It is possible to extract juice only from those birches that are planned to be cut down in the next five years.

As we said, do not make holes too deep. The fact is that after felling birch, most likely, it will go to the factory, where parquet or a piece of furniture will be made from it. From damaged wood, this process will not be possible.
Another important point: you can collect juice in Belarus only from those trees that are at least forty years old.

Important!Birch sap in Belarus can be collected for free. You don't need any documents for this. But you need to get permission from the forester. For example, it is forbidden to collect juice thirty kilometers from the main city of the Mogilev region. Please note that if you are caught illegally extracting juice, you will have to pay a fine of up to twenty basic units.

Which forest to choose in Belarus

Of course, pure birch groves in Belarus are often found, but not in the way we would like. Often sap collectors choose traditional mixed wood. However, experts assure that this option is even better, and in a mixed forest the drink will be noticeably tastier. This is explained simply: a mixed forest grows, as a rule, on sandstones. As a result, such soil transfers more nutrients to the juice. If, on the contrary, the ground is too wet, then too much water passes through the tree. As a result, the juice turns out to be watery, almost tasteless and of little use. By the way, it will not work to hand over such juice to the plant - they simply will not accept it.

How to save birch sap

The easiest option: bring the juice to a boil, but do not boil. If desired, you can add a little sugar: the proportion is simple - one tablespoon per liter of drink is enough. Also, citric acid or a few slices of lemon are often added to the juice. Then the juice is again brought to a boil and rolled into a glass jar.
It often happens that your juice has already begun to ferment. Even such a drink can be successfully saved. You can add some raisins, dried fruits, sugar and a couple of crusts of rye bread to the juice. It is better to store such a drink in a cold place.

Original recipes for storing birch sap

1. Among the non-standard storage options for birch sap, we would name Russian balm. For cooking, you will need, of course, juice (about ten liters), three kilograms of sugar, two liters of dry wine and four lemons.
Birch sap must be preheated. Sugar is stirred in warm juice, and then wine is poured. Pre-cut citrus fruits into small pieces, you can not remove the peel. All this is added to the juice. The container into which you poured the juice is best covered with something and stored for about two months in a cold place (a basement or cellar will do). Two months later, the juice is bottled in already glass bottles and stored for about three weeks.
2. Another non-trivial option of how you can save juice for the winter is to make kvass with dried fruits from it. In this case, yeast is not needed: from the ingredients, only juice and dried fruits directly to taste.

First, prepare the dishes in which the fresh drink will be aged for seven days. It is important that the dishes are not made of metal, and the temperature in the room is the average room temperature. When you notice that the souring process has started and a sourish tint has appeared in the smell of kvass, you can add dried fruits (pre-washed). The juice can be covered with a clean towel and hidden in a dark, cool place for a couple of weeks. Pour the prepared drink into glass containers, close tightly and store in a place where daylight does not enter.

Useful information

Absolutely every forestry in the country has at its disposal areas for the extraction of birch sap by ordinary citizens. Often, the extraction of juice for personal needs is about fifty liters. You don't have to pay for these amounts. In the forestry, juice can be bought at a low price, just check its availability in advance by calling 245-64-31.