For a Russian man, birch has always been a special tree, about which songs were composed and legends formed. In ancient chronicles it is said that people worshiped not only the tree itself, but also the sap, which is secreted by birch in the period when the buds begin to swell.
“Birch drops” is a storehouse of substances that are not only useful to our body, but also essential after a long winter. In the juice that birch gives us, there are a lot of organic acids, enzymes and sugars. It is rich in salts of calcium, iron and magnesium, trace elements.
In addition, birch sap has a unique ability to renew blood, restore the human body after a long winter, cleansing it of everything unnecessary. A delicious and nutritious drink will be useful to absolutely everyone. To make its taste more diverse, it is insisted on rose hips and linden blossom, St. John's wort and mint leaves, mixed with various fruit juices, creating cocktails.
Trying to preserve the healing properties of birch sap, people learned to preserve this drink and preserve it without preservation for a long time.
Kvass from birch sap is probably one of the most popular drinks that pleasantly refreshes and quenches thirst. Useful birch sap balm and a variety of cocktails with a therapeutic effect. How to cook some of them, we will tell in this article. The most famous drink from birch sap, as we have already mentioned, is kvass.
But, before you learn how to make kvass from birch sap, you need to learn how to correctly collect it.
We collect birch sap
To begin with, we will remember the most important thing: in no case do not choose a young tree to collect juice! You must go on a hike for the juice in the morning, at which time it flows more than in the evening. At night, the movement of juice freezes until the next morning. Try to choose places located away from highways and large settlements where air is poisoned by smog, harmful substances of which can get into the body of a tree.
It is best to choose a birch tree, the trunk circumference of which is about twenty-five centimeters. If you choose a thicker tree, you may have difficulty with an incision.
Having found a suitable tree, measure out about half a meter from the ground and make a notch by inserting a groove into it. After collecting a precious drink, we close the hole with moss, mud or garden var.
Now you can cook kvass from birch sap. We offer several options for your choice.
Kvass from birch sap (without preservation)
We heat the birch sap to thirty-five degrees and add twenty grams of yeast (preferably fresh), three raisins and a little lemon zest to it (per liter). Cork tightly and leave in a cool, darkened place. Fourteen days later, the drink is ready.
Kvass from birch sap with honey (without preservation)
The recipe is designed for ten liters of juice, in which we add fifty grams of yeast (preferably fresh), thirty grams of natural honey (can be cut in half with sugar) and a few raisins (three things per liter). We hold the drink for about two weeks in a darkened and cold cellar or basement. After that, it can be consumed almost all summer, without fear that the kvass will deteriorate.
Birch juice kvass with honey and lemons
For ten liters of birch sap we take four lemons (can be cut in half with oranges, lime), fifty grams of yeast, a little raisins and twenty grams of honey. We store about two weeks in a dark basement or cellar. This kvass will be on your table until the next “birch drop”.
Birch Juice with Dried Fruits
Dried fruits are poured with birch sap and infused for two weeks. But in this case, the dishes are not clogged, but covered with a cotton canvas or gauze.
Birch kvass will get a spicy flavor if you add a few barberry candies to it.
You can make kvass from birch sap by adding various berry juices or medicinal herbs. You will receive not only a delicious, refreshing drink, but also an elixir that cleanses your body and gives beauty.