Simple recipes for canning birch sap at home. Birch sap: recipes for a valuable drink (photo)

And she gave us her delicate juice, refreshing like spring water on a hot day. Since ancient times, people have collected “birch tears,” which were considered beneficial and even life-giving, and relieved many ailments. Drinks made from birch sap were especially popular, but for some reason they were forgotten over time. Nowadays you rarely meet a person who knows and uses old recipes. Are you wondering if birch sap is healthy? And does it taste good?

The beauty and benefits of one tree...

Birch is the most Russian tree. How many songs and poems have been sung and dedicated to this beauty with spreading branches and a thin trunk, like a fragile girl. No wonder she is so loved and praised. In addition to beauty, the birch tree gives us health, releasing clear sap rich in vitamins and other beneficial substances every spring. You can drink it just like that: the taste is reminiscent of fresh spring water with a slight sweetness. Our ancestors knew how to make it even healthier and tastier by creating drinks from birch sap.

Berry and mint birch drinks

Berries are a popular ingredient in these health smoothies. For example, an infusion of birch sap with ripe rowan is a good diuretic. You can get a boost of energy and also enrich your body with vitamin C and organic acids by drinking a glass of cranberry-birch sap. Want to improve your digestion? Add mint. 150 grams of grass should be poured with 100 grams of juice and left for several hours, and then add sugar and lemon to taste. This drink will also help get rid of nausea and dizziness.

Refreshing birch kvass

Many people love kvass, but do not know that birch sap can be used to prepare it. There are different recipes for this drink. Here is one of the simplest. A liter of juice should be heated to 35-40 degrees and add about 15 grams of yeast, a few raisins and lemon zest to taste. Then close the jar tightly with a lid and leave to infuse for 1.5-2 weeks. As a result, you will get a very tasty one. It is better to cool it before using it.

Alcoholic drinks with birch sap

It turns out that there are even alcoholic drinks made from birch sap. Of course, they are not so healthy, but, without a doubt, they are tasty. Let's prepare a cruchon. To do this, mix a liter of white (preferably dry) wine with the same amount of birch sap, add half a glass of sugar and mix well. Place the drink in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. When you are ready to serve this cocktail, add half a glass of vermouth, 4 tablespoons of golden mustache tincture and 500 milliliters, stir and shake. This birch cup will be a great addition to a summer dinner outdoors. Another one was prepared in barrels, infusing the juice without adding sugar. It was called “Beryozovitsa” and was a frequent “guest” of Russian feasts.

The benefits of birch in every sip

Drinks made from birch sap (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) can be infused with dried fruits, herbs and berries. Each recipe carries a particle of benefit to the body. Birch sap stimulates kidney function, relieves pain from rheumatism and arthritis, has a beneficial effect on lung function, is used as a lotion for lichen, gout and helps with other diseases. Take advantage of the opportunity that nature gives, collect “birch tears” and prepare healthy and tasty drinks with them.

Among the ancient Slavs, birch sap fermented in wooden barrels was extremely popular: not a single feast would be complete without this drink. Over time, it became known that it not only refreshes in the summer heat, but also has health and beauty benefits. How to prepare delicious kvass that will not cause harm to the body will be discussed further.

The benefits of kvass from birch sap

Birch sap is a healthy natural drink, but it is available in fresh form for a rather short period of time. A great way to preserve a product while preserving its healing power is to make kvass.

The taste and medicinal properties of kvass made from birch sap do not disappear within 4–6 months.

This drink has the following beneficial properties:

strengthens the immune system;
increases vitality;
stimulates metabolic processes;
normalizes the functioning of the digestive system;
provides a diuretic effect and removes waste and toxins from the body;
improves blood circulation;
activates regeneration processes;
supplies the body with vitamins (groups B and C), organic acids, macro- and microelements (potassium, calcium, manganese, copper) and other essential substances.

diseases of the gastrointestinal tract with low acidity (ulcerative lesions, gastritis, and so on);
kidney ailments;
reduced immunity;
vitamin deficiency;
colds, cough;
joint diseases (gout, arthritis and rheumatism).

External use of kvass from birch sap helps in getting rid of:

Contraindications and possible harm

Contraindications to the use of kvass are individual intolerance to the product and an allergy to birch pollen. The drink should be consumed with caution in case of stomach ulcers, cholecystitis and pancreatitis, urolithiasis and a tendency to dysbacteriosis.

Kvass is carefully introduced into the diet of children: it is not recommended to give a child more than 50 ml of the drink per day, so as not to provoke gastrointestinal disorders.

Birch kvass can be used for medicinal purposes only with complex therapy and after consulting a doctor.

Homemade recipes

To prepare kvass you need to use natural birch sap. It is best to obtain the product yourself, and a suitable tree should be looked for away from highways and large populated areas.

Video: How to extract birch sap?

Before preparing kvass, birch sap must be strained using several layers of gauze rolled up to remove dirt and debris from the product.

Classic bread drink (on crackers)

Pour 10 liters of birch sap into a wooden barrel (or small barrels).
Dry 200 g of bread crumbs and place them on a piece of gauze. Connect the edges of the material and tie a long rope to the resulting bag (if kvass is made in several barrels, you need to wrap the crackers in the same number of bags).
Lower the device into the container with juice without immersing the upper part of the rope into the liquid.
After about 48 hours, the fermentation process will begin. You will need to take out the crackers and add half a glass of oak bark, 300 g of dried cherries and several dill stalks to the barrel.
Then the drink should be allowed to brew for 14 days.

Real Russian kvass is traditionally prepared in wooden barrels, but utensils made from other materials can also be used. An important condition is not to use plastic containers; it is better to make the drink in enamel or glass containers.

With Borodino bread

Infuse 3 liters of fresh birch sap in the refrigerator for 1–2 days.
Cut 300 g of black (Borodinsky) bread into small cubes or sticks and make crackers using the oven or in a lightly oiled frying pan.
Pour crackers into a glass container and pour in birch sap (it is advisable to warm it up a little first), add 0.5 cups of granulated sugar and mix everything thoroughly.
Cover the container with gauze and leave in a warm place for 3–5 days.
Strain the finished drink.

With raisins

Add 0.5 kg of granulated sugar to 10 liters of birch sap and mix thoroughly until the crystals are completely dissolved.
Pour raisins (50 pieces) into a container and cover with cotton cloth.
Allow the drink to ferment, leaving the container for 3 days at room temperature.
Strain the finished kvass and pour into glass jars or bottles for storage.

With dried fruits

Keep 3 liters of fresh birch sap in the refrigerator for 1–2 days.
Add 600–800 g of dried apricots and/or prunes and 150–200 g of raisins to the container.
Cover the container with several layers of gauze rolled up (you can also use any lid with holes) and let the drink stand in a warm place for 5–7 days.
Strain the finished kvass.

If you add a couple of tablespoons of granulated sugar during preparation, the fermentation process will speed up, but in this case the drink may lose the flavor notes characteristic of birch sap.

Video: How to ferment birch sap with dried apples and pears?

With honey and lemon (with yeast)

Squeeze the juice of 3 lemons into 10 liters of birch.
Add 50 g of fresh yeast, 30–40 g of liquid honey (if the product is candied, first melt it in a water bath) and raisins (3 pieces).
Cover with a lid or gauze and let the drink ferment, usually 3-4 days are enough.

This drink has pronounced antibacterial properties and will help protect the body from infections during epidemics, as well as improve the condition of colds.

Video: Making kvass by adding honey and lemon

With orange (with yeast)

Place the orange cut into rings into a deep glass container (there is no need to peel the citrus).
Grind 10 g of yeast with 1 teaspoon of sugar and also place in a container.
Add a few sprigs of lemon balm and/or mint and 250 g of granulated sugar.
Pour all the ingredients into 2.5 liters of fresh birch sap, cover the container with a lid and leave for 2-3 days (before fermentation begins).
Strain the resulting drink, pour into small glass bottles, adding raisins to each (1-2 pieces).
Infuse the finished kvass in the refrigerator for another 24 hours.

With barley

Place fresh birch sap (3 l) in the refrigerator for 1–2 days.
Lightly fry a glass of barley in a dry frying pan.
Pour the prepared raw materials into the container with the juice and mix.
Infuse the drink for 3-4 days at room temperature, stirring it from time to time.
Strain the kvass and store in a cool place.

To make kvass soft in taste, barley must be fried until golden brown. With a darker (almost black) shade of the raw material, the drink will have a characteristic bitterness.

Today, reliable scientific data on the beneficial properties of birch sap either does not exist at all, or they are hidden away from human eyes. Independent extraction of sap is treated as a crime, and if you ask a person what birch sap is, then the first thing he remembers will be a sweet and sour liquid, “packed” in a glass jar or tetra pack.

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

On the other hand, today is a time 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 are we talking about here...

However, we have deviated greatly 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.

So 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 even 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 more, not little, is practically the entire population of our huge planet. The only exceptions are two categories of people:

those who were not lucky enough to “get at their disposal” 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 either, 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 can quite quickly remove a huge amount of toxins from the gastrointestinal tract and blood of a person.

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

This 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:

radiculitis, arthritis, rheumatism, gout
stones in the kidneys, urinary and gall bladders (it is imperative 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 for which raw, fresh birch sap is indicated. However, what we have here is not a medical encyclopedia, but just a small article about health. Therefore, this is where we will probably end the conversation about beneficial properties and diseases.

Let us 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

Getting acquainted with the technology of independently collecting birch sap should begin with answering the question WHERE it can be collected. Although, of course, purely physically, birch sap can be stored anywhere, including the Chernobyl “reserve”. Only the only juice that can benefit the body is juice that was collected away from any factories, cities, major roads (including railways) and agricultural fields.

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

You can check whether the juice has flowed out using a thin awl - 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 harm to the birch tree, a hole in the trunk should be made at an angle of about 45 degrees (to make it easier for the sap to drain), with a thin drill - no wider than 1 cm, no more than 3 cm deep. Curved pieces of tin, wood 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 sap with harmful chemical elements and compounds.

Each birch tree that meets the above criteria is capable of producing an average of 1 to 7 liters of sap. 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 wood. Just be sure to treat the damaged area - seal the hole with garden pitch, wax or clay.

How to preserve birch sap (before 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, and also when stored in a warm place, birch sap very quickly begins to sour. And here methods of long-term storage of birch sap come to our aid...

The ideal option for preserving birch sap until winter is to freeze it. Moreover, the juice needs to be frozen quickly, then everything useful will remain in it.

If there is no freezer, then you can “roll up” birch sap in sterilized glass jars. To do this, it is heated to 80 °C, poured into jars and sealed 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 this concentrate with water.

What is prepared from birch sap?

Since the “discovery” of birch sap, people have come up with dozens of recipes for preparing tasty and healthy (although 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.

Preparing birch kvass is a little more complicated (one of the options):
Fresh birch sap is poured into a glass bottle, a handful of raisins are added (at the rate of several per liter) and sugar (2 tsp per liter). If you wish, you can also throw a little lemon zest, fruit or berries into the bottle. After which the bottle must be tightly closed and placed in a cool place. In a few days the kvass will be ready, but you can open it either immediately or after 2-3 months. It won't spoil.

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

Medicinal drinks are also prepared from birch sap. 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 out of 150 grams of lingonberries. Then put the pomace in a saucepan and pour in 1 liter of fresh birch sap. Keep 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 really like sweets). 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 the recipe for berries. 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 this you will have to stock up well on berries and dried fruits...

The benefits and harms of birch sap were well known to our ancestors. More precisely, they knew more about its beneficial, medicinal 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 they still exist, and they were established by traditional medicine after a series of observations of 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 become a thing of 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. And the volumes of its industrial procurement have decreased significantly. However, there are keepers of traditions, there are many recipes left in folk herbalists and plenty 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 subtle aroma. For what diagnoses is it recommended? Does it have any contraindications? When to start collecting, in what ways to prepare juice yourself?

Preparation of birch sap

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

When to collect?
The collection is carried out in early spring, when the juices begin to rise from the root up the tree trunk. During a thaw, sap flow may begin earlier - in February. The sap is collected until the buds on the birch tree open, which also depends on 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 properly collect birch sap?
There are several rules that should be followed: do not use young trees; After collecting, you should cover the hole or slot with wax, laundry soap or a special garden varnish, which prevents various damage and rotting of the wood. As a last resort, the hole is tightly covered with moss or a twig is stuck into it; it becomes saturated with liquid, swells and prevents it from leaking out. This forest food resource (that is how it is called in legislation) can be obtained in different ways. The first is to make an incision (notch) in the bark, insert a groove and secure it, hang a container where the juice will drain. The second is to drill a hole in the trunk 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 and wrap them in a plastic bag, into which the liquid flows. Sometimes the sap is collected from stumps after sanitary felling of a forest area. Some "tricks" of collection
. You need to start collecting in the southern parts of the grove, and as the snow melts and the weather gets warmer, move deeper into the forest. They try to make cuts on the north side of the trunk - there is more juice here. A slot or hole is made approximately 50 cm from the ground. There is no need to make a deep hole. Firstly, it is dangerous for the life of the tree. Secondly, the sap moves between the bark and the wood; it only needs to pass through the bark layer. How to store birch sap at home?

One large tree can provide up to 7 liters of valuable liquid per day, small ones - 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 rather than in plantings along roads. Wood also has the ability to absorb harmful substances from the air.

Healing properties and pharmacological action

The chemical composition of birch sap includes:

invert sugar (with equal shares of glucose and sucrose);
organic acids;
proteins;
carbohydrates;
essential oil;
phytohormones;
phenols;
urea derivatives;
saponins;
tannins;
group of vitamins B;
ascorbic acid;
rich composition of microelements (copper, potassium, sodium, manganese, magnesium, iron, silicon).

Pharmachologic effect:

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

People are increasingly talking about the antitumor properties of raw birch, although there is no scientific evidence for this. It can be prescribed for rehabilitation and restoration of the body after difficult procedures for oncology.

For what diseases is it indicated?

Gastrointestinal diseases. Relieves spasms, stomach and intestinal colic, treats diseases of the stomach, liver, gall bladder, acts as a mild pain reliever, anti-inflammatory medicine. Restores microflora, appetite, digestion.
urinary system. One of the effective folk remedies for urolithiasis. It is advisable to drink fresh 6 glasses a day. The juice helps break up kidney stones and remove them. The course of treatment is carried out under the strict supervision of a doctor; painful conditions are likely.
Rheumatic diseases. An effective remedy for gout, joint arthritis, and atherosclerosis. Taken internally and externally.
Respiratory system . As a general tonic with an expectorant effect, it is prescribed for inflammatory processes in the bronchi and lungs, including the treatment of tuberculosis.
Metabolic disorders. For diabetes mellitus, blended birch sap is useful in complex treatment and with a strict diet. A medicinal drink is prepared on its basis; it contains 35% juice of raspberries, currants, blackberries, blueberries, and elderberries. It is also taken with decoctions of rosehip, lingonberry leaves, buckthorn, nettle and other medicinal herbs. We emphasize that herbal medicine for diabetes mellitus gives a positive therapeutic effect, but only under the supervision of a doctor, with a number of laboratory tests. Depending on the type of diabetes, the dosage and course of treatment are prescribed. Since the juice is low-calorie and stimulates all metabolic processes in the body, it is drunk for weight loss.
Anemia. For anemia, it is recommended to drink 2-3 glasses of juice a day before meals.
Vitamin deficiency. Birch sap contains half of the periodic table. It is prescribed for spring avitaminosis, weakened immunity, after serious illnesses, for the prevention of acute respiratory viral infections and influenza.
Intoxication. The drink helps with poisoning (provides energy and reserves of lost fluid), cleanses the body of toxins, restores water-salt balance, helps reduce temperature and acts as a diaphoretic in combination with rosehip decoction and lemon juice. The drink also helps with a hangover, relieving stomach discomfort.
External use. You can gargle with the product, rinse your nose, or drink it to disinfect the oral cavity for stomatitis, gingivitis, and periodontal disease. It is also used to wipe the skin for scabies, psoriasis, neurodermatitis, eczema, and ulcers. Helps well with non-healing wounds.

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

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 occur (primarily from the digestive system - diarrhea), you should stop treatment and consult a doctor.

How to use

How much juice can you drink per day?

A glass 3 times a day is a “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 this case, a break in therapy is required.

Cooking recipes

Recipes for collecting birch sap are impressive in their diversity. You can prepare pure raw material, or you can prepare from it soothing infusions with the addition of mint, fortified with black currants and rose hips. Raw birch also produces delicious kvass, wine, low-alcohol drinks, and syrup.

Kvass. Birch sap has high fermentation properties. Therefore, kvass from birch sap is prepared without yeast. But there are also recipes for preparing it with yeast.
Syrup. It is curious that today there are no more than two dozen producers of this delicacy in the world. 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 it has a woody bitterness. In Russia there is a community of lovers and connoisseurs of this product, where they also produce natural birch sap, sauce, kvass, and chaga. Here you can buy frozen raw meat.
Wine. The production of birch wines was established in the USSR, but now this is a rarity. Raw birch produced high-quality sparkling (carbonated) wine. It can also be prepared at home using old Russian recipes.

Carbonated drink recipe

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

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

Recipe for birch kvass with yeast

Heat the birch raw material to 35°C.
Add 15 g of yeast (per 1 liter of juice), some raisins, lemon zest.
Close with a tight lid.
Leave for 7 days.

Kvass perfectly quenches thirst and normalizes digestion.

Recipe for birch kvass without yeast

Pour raw birch into a three-liter jar.
Place pieces of dried rye bread in it.
For aroma, add currant and cherry leaves.
Cover the jar with gauze and leave for 14 days.

Malt kvass recipe

Pour 5 liters of raw birch into a large bottle.
Leave for 2 days.
Add 30 g of barley malt.
Leave for at least 10 days.

Previously, in Rus', 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, caraway, linden, chamomile, lemon balm, St. John's wort. Blended low-alcohol drinks were made with the addition of rowan juice, rose hips, cherries, blueberries, and apples.

Recipe for canned birch sap

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

You can use orange instead of lemon. A sprig of mint or lemon balm will add a pleasant taste to the juice. Previously, there was an opinion that industrial birch sap was diluted with citric acid and water. Too much of it was produced in the USSR. In fact, you can add a little lemon to the drink recipe as a preservative.

Birch sap for women and children

Pregnancy. There is no information that juice can harm the body during pregnancy. However, consultation with a doctor 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, and reduces attacks of nausea and vomiting during toxicosis.
Lactation. There is an opinion that birch sap is useful during breastfeeding and stimulates lactation. There is no scientific evidence for this. However, it can be useful for a nursing mother due to 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 baby’s reaction.
Childhood . The question arises: can children drink birch sap? Pediatricians do not recommend giving it to babies under 1 year of age in any form. After a year, you can offer canned juice, but in small portions, first in diluted form. Later, you can try introducing raw milk into your diet, also in small doses. The juice is valuable for children for its glucose, phytoncides, organic acids, unique composition of micro- and macroelements, and 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, and anti-inflammatory effects. How is it used?

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

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

– the pride of national kvass brewing. The recipe was invented by the Slavs. Since ancient times, the valuable tree was worshiped, and the wood elixir was added not only to kvass, but also to wine and honey. The legendary Scythian birch tree was cooked on its basis.

How to make kvass from birch sap at home? The secrets of cooking have been preserved to this day, I will tell you about them in the article. Natural birch sap is an excellent preparation for kvass, as it does not lose its beneficial properties and qualities during the fermentation process. Birch “tears” are a natural preservative given to us by nature, more healthy and natural compared to food industry products.

Let's move on to the cooking technology. Several recipes are available.

Classic kvass with birch sap and barley

Kvass made with birch sap and barley is a source of nutrients and vitamins. It tastes like regular kvass with yeast. The cooking process is simple and takes minimal time.

Ingredients:

Juice – 3 l,
Barley – 100 g.

Preparation:

I carefully filter fresh birch sap from wood chips, bark and other extraneous natural “gifts”. To do this, I use gauze folded in several layers. I let it cool for two days.
I dry the barley in a frying pan. The taste of the drink directly depends on the roasting time. If you keep the unrefined grains longer, the future kvass will turn out bitter. For a delicate taste, I lightly roast the barley so that the grains have a golden color.
I pour grains wrapped in gauze into the purified and cooled juice for convenience.
I insist kvass in a warm place. During ripening, I stir it 2 times a day. After 3-4 days, the kvass will darken and acquire a pronounced grain taste.
I strain it and bottle it.

Video recipe

Kvass from birch sap with dried fruits

Ingredients:

Birch sap – 2.5 l,
Dried fruits – 150 g.

Preparation:

I rinse dried fruits in running water several times. I don’t soak it, but immediately put it in a prepared jar.
I pour birch sap and cover it with a towel or multi-layer gauze.
Fermentation requires heat.

Kvass from birch sap with honey

Ingredients:

“Tears” of birch – 5 l,
Fresh yeast – 50 g,
Lemon – 1 piece,
Honey – 100 g,
Raisins – 3 pieces.

Preparation:

I strain the kvass through cheesecloth. I pour the yeast with a small amount of water - 40-50 ml.
I squeeze the juice from a fresh lemon.
I mix the liquids, add honey, add yeast.
I take a 5-liter bottle, wash it, and put a few dried grapes at the bottom.
I pour the drink and close the lid loosely. I put the birch-honey mixture in a cool place.
After 3 days, the kvass is ready for use.

How to prepare bread kvass with birch “tears”

Ingredients:

Juice – 3 l,
Dry yeast – 1 g,
Rye crackers – 300 g,
Sugar – 1.5 tablespoons.

Preparation:

I pour the pre-strained juice into a saucepan, add sugar and mix thoroughly. I add yeast for a sharp taste. To make the drink softer and less vigorous, you can add only rye crackers. I use both bread products and yeast.
I leave it to steep throughout the day. I put it in a warm place.
I pour the drink into jars or bottles, straining thoroughly. I put it in the refrigerator.

I use it as a refreshing and invigorating drink and a small base. Use the recipe for your health!

Preparing birch kvass with orange

Ingredients:

Birch “tears” – 2.5 l,
Orange – 1 piece,
Sugar – 1 glass,
Raisins – 25 grams,
Melissa and mint - several bunches,
Yeast – 10 g.

Preparation:

I peel the orange and cut it into slices. I mix the yeast with a small amount of sugar. I put the mixture into a jar, throw in bunches of fresh grass, chopped orange and the remaining granulated sugar.
I stir and pour in the juice. I put it in a warm place. It will take from 2 to 4 days to prepare depending on the temperature.
I bottle the finished product. I use 0.5 liter containers. I sprinkle a few raisins into each for flavor. I put it in the refrigerator for storage.
After a day, birch kvass will “ripen” and can be used as a soft drink or an unusual base for okroshka.

Video recipe

The benefits and harms of kvass from birch sap

Beneficial features

The classic bread drink contains a large number of probiotic bacteria, which have a beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal tract and the body’s immunity. Using birch sap instead of filtered water only enhances the positive effect. The content of magnesium, potassium, manganese, iron, aluminum and other useful components has a beneficial effect on the general condition of the body.

The drink invigorates, refreshes and tones, is used as a preventative against colds, during the spring period of vitamin deficiency, etc.

The “tears” of the original Russian tree contain natural immune defenders – phytoncides. These are active substances that suppress the development of bacteria, produced naturally by plants.

Kvass based on birch sap is used as a replacement for expensive cosmetics. A rejuvenating mask is made from it. The product is applied to the face steamed after the bath and left for half an hour. Then the natural mask is washed off with water. A hair strengthening product is made from kvass, which is suitable for normal and oily hair.

Contraindications

In moderate doses, the drink is harmless. Gastritis and other inflammations of the mucous membrane are a contraindication for frequent use. The prohibition for consumption is an allergy to birch pollen, which is rare.