You need to prepare birch sap for the winter wisely, and if you approach the matter responsibly and with soul, then there is nothing difficult in this task. Not only will you and I end up with a tasty and refreshing drink, but it also has quite a few benefits for everything. The immune system is greatly enhanced by such yummy food, and in the hot summer, birch sap, among other things, also perfectly quenches thirst.
To prepare today's drink, we will need the following products: fresh birch sap, orange, sugar and citric acid. All ingredients are very affordable and cost mere pennies. In my family, my father is a fan of collecting birch sap, so he is also involved in the process of preparing this drink for the winter. If you do not have the opportunity or desire to collect sap from a birch grove yourself, then you can easily find such a product on the market during the season. At my market in the spring, almost a whole row is formed in which enterprising grandparents sell “birch goods”.
The process of collecting birch sap is very simple and accessible to everyone. To do this, you don't need any special cooking utensils, except maybe a cooking thermometer.
Despite the fact that we prepare birch sap for the winter in the spring, I always try to leave a dozen jars of this drink for the winter. In summer and autumn there are enough drinks made from fresh vegetables and fruits, but trying such spring exotics from birch sap in winter is a completely different matter.
Ingredients:
- 3 liters of birch sap
- 3-4 orange slices
- 1 tbsp. Sahara
- ¼ tsp. citric acid
Cooking the dish step by step with photos:
Bon appetit!
Many housewives prepare birch sap for the winter not only in villages, but also in small towns. When my family goes out for barbecues in the spring, about 30 liters of birch sap just manages to flow out during the day spent in the forest. At such moments, the pressing question arises of how to prepare it for future use, and this recipe completely answers this question. Finally, I want to give some tips so that you can prepare birch sap for the winter without hassle or unnecessary worries:
- Before pouring birch sap into the pan and sending it to the stove, do not forget to first strain it through a metal sieve;
- As a “citrus” component, you can use not only orange, but also lemon, lime or grapefruit;
- For the first time, you do not need to bring the birch sap to a boil, but let it heat up to a temperature of 90 degrees;
- Juice can only be prepared in glass containers; plastic containers are not suitable for this purpose.
The liquid released from broken trunks and branches of birch contains valuable organic acids, vitamins, minerals, enzymes and useful microelements. It strengthens the body, helps fight diseases and improves metabolic processes. There are many ways to preserve it, for example, with lemon and orange.
Birch sap with lemon
Preserving birch sap with lemon is incredibly popular. At the same time, more is added to the processed product. The result is a pleasant and tonic drink with sourness and a mint aftertaste.
What you will need:
- lemon;
- mint sprigs;
- sugar.
How to roll:
- For 7 liters of liquid you will need 3 sprigs of mint, the juice of half a lemon and 10 tbsp of sugar.
- Place the container with the contents on the stove and wait for bubbles to appear. The reddish foam should be removed with a spoon.
- Add the remaining ingredients and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.
- Pour into sterilized containers and seal with boiled lids.
- Cover with something warm, such as a blanket, and the next day put it in a cool place.
Birch sap with orange
The citrus flavor can add not only lemon, but also orange to the drink. This sunny, sweet fruit will impart a pleasant aroma to the juice, so hurry up to roll up birch nectar with orange and please yourself and your loved ones with a healthy drink.
What you will need:
- lemon acid;
- sugar.
Some people have a tradition in early spring, and this is birch sap preparation. We often buy birch sap or sap in stores. But some people prefer to prepare it themselves. Fresh juice does not last long: maximum until mid-summer. Therefore, it needs to be preserved for the winter, and done correctly; otherwise the juice, clogged for future use, will simply turn sour. The following recipes will tell you about ways to preserve birch sap.
How to preserve birch sap?
The basic methods for its preparation are no different from preserving other juices. First, birch sap is pasteurized, poured into jars and sealed with boiled metal lids. Among the most popular recipes for collecting birch sap, the following should be highlighted.
Method 1
To prepare birch sap according to the first recipe, in addition to the main product, you will also need sugar, citric acid and an orange or lemon. These additives will act as flavor enhancers, since by nature birch sap does not have a pronounced taste. On average, take 2 tablespoons per 1 liter of juice. sugar, citric acid on the tip of a knife and citrus juice to taste. So the orange (or lemon) is cut into thin slices and placed in a bowl into which birch sap is poured.
Sugar and citric acid are also added there. The container is placed on the fire, and the juice should boil, after which it is immediately poured into sterilized jars. Each jar is additionally filled with 2 slices of orange (lemon), which are brought to a boil with the juice, and the container is rolled up. It is left at room temperature until it cools, and then the preservation is stored in a cool place.
Method 2
Preparing birch sap for the winter according to the second recipe, it is performed without auxiliary flavoring additives; Only yeast is used in the calculation: for 1 liter of juice – 20 g of yeast. Birch sap is poured into a large saucepan, heated slightly, and yeast is dissolved in it. After this, the juice is placed in the cold for 3-4 days. After the specified time, the juice is poured into jars and sealed hermetically.
Preserving birch sap for the winter is of course necessary. But during heat treatment, observing, it loses some of its beneficial substances. And not everyone can wait until winter - I want to treat myself to fresh juice right away. To do this, there are recipes for preparing delicious invigorating drinks based on birch sap, which, although they do not last long (about 4-5 months), are distinguished by their excellent taste and benefits for the body.
Time has proven that the most reliable and simplest way to preserve birch sap is its fermentation. After straining the juice through cheesecloth and bottling, it is left to ferment at room temperature (about 10-15 C); Fermentation will begin in 3-4 days and lasts about 2-3 weeks. The result is a slightly sour drink, similar to kvass, with a pleasant aroma of birch sap. Before fermentation, you can add sugar to the juice (20 g of sugar per 1 liter), but not much, so as not to spoil the natural taste of the juice.
Birch sap is also combined with mint (70-100 g of dry mint per 50 liters of juice) or empty honeycombs (after pumping out the honey), which gives the drink a special taste and unique aroma. Next “Preparing birch sap” recipes They also use a fermentation process to prepare them.
Birch kvass recipe
To prepare birch kvass for 1.5 liters of sap you will need:
2 tbsp sugar,
- 15-20 pcs. raisins
Birch sap for kvass is bottled exclusively fresh, just collected. It contains sugar and raisins. If desired, you can add orange or lemon zest. The bottles are tightly closed with nylon caps and put away in a cold place, where they should be stored in a horizontal (lying) position. The foamy drink will be ready in 2.5-3 months. Birch kvass can be consumed in its natural form or with added sugar, as you prefer.
Recipe for a refreshing drink made from birch sap
For 10 liters of birch sap for a refreshing drink, you should take dried pears and apples (by eye) and 1 liter jar of sugar. Birch sap is poured into a large saucepan and sugar is added to it. Dried fruits are pre-tied in gauze and dipped in juice. The dish is covered with a lid and the workpiece is placed in a cool place to infuse. The ripening period of the drink is 2-2.5 months.
Birch tree recipe
For true lovers of birch sap, you can also prepare a (fortified) drink called “berezovik”. For 5 liters of birch sap you will need 1.6 kg of sugar, 2 lemons and 1 liter of port wine. For this purpose, lemons are washed and, together with the zest, cut into small pieces or slices, removing the seeds if possible.
Port wine, birch sap, lemon juice are poured into a separate pan and sugar is poured. The dishes are covered with a lid and taken out into the cold, where they should stand for 2 months. After the specified period, “berezovik” is poured into jars or bottles and carefully sealed. To prevent the lids from “flying off” from the container, they need to be screwed to the neck of the container with wire. Stored like this Preparation of birch sap in jars lying down in a cold place. Berezovik can be consumed 4 weeks after bottling.
Birch vinegar recipe
Preparing birch sap for the winter consists not only of clogging delicious drinks, but also healthy natural birch vinegar. To do this you will need 2 liters of birch sap, 100 g of vodka and 40 g of honey. All ingredients are mixed in a pan of suitable volume, which is then covered with gauze and placed in a warm place. The vinegar will be ready in 2-3 months. It will need to be bottled and stored in a cool place.
By observing, you can stock up on it for the winter, as well as all kinds of drinks based on it. Preparing juice is not a complicated process. It takes longer to collect the main product. Therefore, you definitely need to stock up on jars of this drink, which has rich beneficial properties and provides the body with a lot of vitamins and microelements.
Birch sap in Russia is traditionally extracted in early spring, before the first leaves appear on the tree. Nature gives us just a couple of weeks to stock up on this healing drink. Despite the fact that doctors recommend drinking only fresh juice, if stored properly, the healing drink given by birch trees does not lose its healing properties for some time after the “harvest”. However, what is the correct storage of the drink? It is the answer to this question that we will provide you with today.
Fresh birch sap can be stored in a cool place for up to 48 hours, after that it begins to lose its beneficial properties; at room temperature, it may even begin to sour during this time. That is why, already during harvesting, you should think about longer methods of storing juice. We will tell you about them right now.
Methods for storing birch sap
1. Blast freezing. When birch sap is quickly frozen, all useful elements are preserved. Storing the juice in the freezer will allow you to enjoy the drink and experience its miraculous effect even in winter.
2. Making a concentrate. You can make a concentrate from birch sap. You need to heat the juice to 60 degrees and evaporate 75% of the total volume. The rest of the birch sap should be poured into sterilized jars and rolled up. Just remember that before consuming such juice, it is advisable to dilute it with water.
3. Sterilization. Sterilization will help preserve birch sap. To do this, you need to heat it to 80 degrees, pour it into glass jars and roll up the lids. After this, the jars should be kept in 85-degree water for a quarter of an hour and left to cool at room temperature.
4. Canning- This is another way that will allow you to store birch sap for a long time. The method is simple - pour birch sap into an enamel or stainless steel pan, add sugar and citric acid to taste. Bring the juice to a boil, making sure all the sugar dissolves. After this, the juice should be poured into jars, sealed with lids and sterilized for 15 minutes in water at a temperature of 90 degrees.
How to preserve birch sap
The presented option is considered traditional, but birch sap and pine needles are often canned. To do this, young shoots of pine needles are washed well and scalded with boiling water. After this, put the pine needles in a pan, fill it with strained birch sap heated to 80 degrees and leave to infuse for 5-7 hours. After the specified time, the juice is drained, a little sugar and citric acid are added. Now you need to pour the juice into jars, seal with lids and pasteurize for 25 minutes at a temperature of 90-95 degrees. Using a similar recipe, you can preserve birch sap with mint.
Birch sap recipes
We have presented to your attention the main methods for long-term storage of birch sap while maintaining its beneficial properties. However, you can make other drinks from juice that will not be as healthy as pure juice, but nevertheless they will saturate your body with useful elements and will delight you with a long shelf life.
Morse based on birch sap
The simplest recipe for making a drink from birch sap is considered to be fruit drink. To do this, you need to mix your favorite fruit or vegetable juice with birch juice.
Birch kvass
You can also make birch kvass. There are several ways to prepare such a drink, we will tell you one, the simplest and most common.
Pour birch sap into a glass bottle, add a handful of raisins and sugar in the proportion of 2 teaspoons per 1 liter of juice, you can also add a little lemon zest, fruit or berries. After all the ingredients have been mixed, close the bottle tightly and put it in a cool, dark place. Birch kvass is ready for use in just a few days. You can either enjoy the taste of the drink immediately or store it for several months.
Birch-lingonberry drink
If you want to make a delicious birch-lingonberry drink from birch sap, then you will probably need this recipe.
First, you need to squeeze juice from 150 grams of lingonberries. Place the pomace in a saucepan and pour in a liter of birch sap. Place this “compote” in a water bath and heat for five minutes. After the drink has cooled, it should be combined with lingonberry juice prepared in advance, and honey should be added to taste. The drink is ready to drink!
As you can see, dear visitors of the portal site, the miraculous effect of birch sap can be felt not only immediately after collection, but also after quite a long time. Do you know other ways to store birch sap? Share them with us in the comments!
Recipes for birch sap with lemon are not only a tasty drink but also healthy.
What are the benefits of birch sap with added lemon?
Birch sap with lemon has many beneficial properties for both health and beauty. In addition, it has a surprisingly delicate taste. Just 1 glass a day will add strength and have a beneficial effect on the entire body. Treatment with birch drink has been known since past centuries. They treat many ailments:
- vitamin deficiencies;
- liver diseases;
- skin diseases.
Freshly collected juice can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 3 days. Therefore, people have learned to prepare this drink for future use, using many recipes. Recipes with lemon will help you preserve it well.
Recipes for birch sap with lemon
- Without adding third-party ingredients: birch sap (3 l), sugar (1 tbsp), lemon (0.5 pcs.), citric acid (0.5 tsp). Pour the liquid into a suitable container, add the citrus cut into slices, mix with citric acid and sugar. Bring the drink to a boil and pour into jars.
- With the addition of raisins: birch sap (3 l.), lemon (1/3 pcs.), sugar (2 tbsp. l.), raisins (5 pcs.). Strain the freshly collected drink through cheesecloth and pour into a jar. Add sugar and stir until completely dissolved. Add raisins and citrus slices. Close the container tightly and leave in the refrigerator for 3 weeks. Sometimes citric acid is used in recipes for preserving birch sap.
- With the addition of children's sugar candy: birch sap (3 l.), sugar (3 tbsp.), lemon (1 pc.), lollipop (2 pcs.). Strain the liquid through cheesecloth or a strainer. Add sugar, lemon slices (with peel) and candy to the birch drink. Heat the drink over low heat until all components dissolve. It should not be boiled. When the first bubbles appear, you can pour it into jars. Before use, dishes must be sterilized. The hot drink must be poured through a sieve. The filled container should be immediately covered with a lid. The finished preserve must be turned upside down, wrapped in a blanket and left for a day. After this time, move it to the refrigerator or other cool place with a temperature no higher than +5ºС. The product is stored for a long time due to the acid included in its composition.
Recipes for kvass based on birch sap and lemon
In addition to a fresh drink, you can prepare a low-alcohol one. For lovers of natural kvass, the following recipes are suitable:
- Necessary products per bottle: birch liquid (10 l.), lemon (4 pcs.), yeast (50 g), honey (30 g), raisins (3 pcs.). Add lemon juice and remaining ingredients to the liquid. Mix well and pour into glass bottles. The prepared mixture must be left in a cool, dark place for 1-2 weeks. The resulting kvass can be stored for a long time.
- To 1 liter of liquid, heated to +35ºС, add yeast (15 g), a few raisins and lemon zest. Close the jar and leave for a couple of weeks. The result is carbonated kvass that will keep well until the end of summer.
Birch sap with lemon in cosmetology
Recipes using this juice and lemon are also used in cosmetology. You can use them to prepare lotions, tonics and facial rubs:
- Bring 1/2 cup of this liquid to a boil, remove from heat, and cool. Add the juice of half a lemon and 1 tsp. honey Mix the resulting composition well. Use to cleanse the face with dry, aging skin.
- Add 1 tsp to 1/2 cup of drink. honey, 1 tsp. salt, 2 tbsp. l. vodka and juice of half a lemon. Mix everything well and leave to brew for several hours. Use the resulting lotion to cleanse and moisturize your facial skin.
- Bring the drink (1/2 cup) to a boil, cool, add 1/3 of the lemon to the juice, pour into special ice molds. Use ice cubes to wipe your face in the morning. This will give the skin freshness and radiance.
The same combination of vitamin products is used in hair care. Necessary products: birch sap (2 glasses), lemon (1/2 pcs.), liquid honey (1 tbsp.), fine table salt (1 tsp.), vodka (1 glass). Mix the ingredients. After the salt has completely dissolved, add vodka and mix everything again. Close the resulting mixture well and leave for 10 days in a dark place. The medicinal lotion is applied to the scalp 2 hours before washing.
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