Many of us still remember the time when large three-liter bottles with a translucent sweet drink stood on store shelves, and birch branches were on the label. This health drink has not disappeared from the shelves today; in most cases, it has simply “migrated” to paper tetrapacks, but, unfortunately, the quality of the juice can be debated. Unscrupulous manufacturers often add various preservatives and other components that increase shelf life, but do not improve taste. Therefore, if possible, lovers of this nectar prefer to prepare it themselves: this way you can always be sure that the product is 100% natural. Since the collection period is very limited in time, in order to have time without harming the tree, you need to know when and how to properly collect birch sap.

When can you start collecting juice?

It is collected in early spring, with the exact time depending on the location of the trees and the climate. In the southern regions this is the beginning or middle of March, and in northern latitudes it is even the month of April. Sap flow is activated in the tree when the snow melts and positive temperatures prevail outside. You can visually determine whether a birch tree is ready to release a healing drink by the swollen buds.

It is important to have time to collect the juice before the buds begin to open and leaves appear (usually this is two weeks).

If you are in doubt, you can check whether sap flow has started. To do this, you need to make a small hole in the tree with a sharp awl. If nothing comes out of it, then you need to wait a little longer, covering the wound with garden varnish. A droplet emerging from the hole indicates the beginning of the sap collection season.

How to collect correctly?

While stocking up on a delicious drink, don’t forget about the tree itself. To avoid harm, the following rules should be followed:

The life-giving sap can only be “stirred off” from mature trees—young birch trees themselves need it to grow.
The minimum size of a birch trunk from which you can take sap should be 20 cm in diameter. Only one hole is allowed on such a tree.
In older and larger birch trees, you can additionally make one more hole for every 10 cm of trunk diameter, but do not get carried away, otherwise it will be difficult for the tree to heal many wounds.
It is better to make the hole obliquely with a downward slope, at a level no more than 50 cm from the ground, using a drill with a drill size of up to 10 mm - such wounds heal quickly and almost without traces. The penetration depth is from 2 to 3 cm. The bark in the selected location must first be removed.
Insert a gutter into the hole made and place a container under it.

It is better to take a liter of sap from each tree than to drain it all from one birch, because in this case there is a risk of the tree dying. At the end of the procedure, the holes should be covered or closed with a wooden peg.

We are lucky that we were born and live in a country where such beautiful and unique trees as birches grow.

After all, they are not just pleasing to the eye, but also have many other useful properties that can serve well both in the household and in survival conditions. This also includes the opportunity to enjoy birch sap! That's what we'll talk about today!

Birch sap is really very healthy and contains such valuable vitamins as B 6 and B 12, as well as other benefits in its composition! It is recommended to drink it for vitamin deficiency, diseases of the joints, skin and blood, problems with the respiratory system, liver, stomach, arthritis, rheumatism, headaches and other health problems!

When to extract birch sap?

The movement of sap in birches begins with the very first thaws of spring, and ends when the buds open.

How much birch sap can be collected from one birch tree per day?

It all depends on the size of the birch and the extraction method. On average, per day you can get about 2 - 3 liters from one tree; if a larger tree is selected, this figure can increase to 7 liters of juice; according to other data, tens of liters can be extracted.

What size trees is best to choose?

For any extraction method (which will be described below), it is NOT recommended to choose young birches; it is less effective and more dangerous for the tree than if you choose a larger and more mature birch! And, naturally, you should not try to extract sap from very young birches.

How to prevent the death of a birch tree?

To extract sap, in any case, you need to make an incision or notch on the birch tree, through which the valuable liquid will flow. Be sure to seal the hole or nicks made after you stop extracting birch sap, because if this is not done, the tree may dry out. The chances of a disastrous outcome are especially high for young trees, but large trees must also be handled with care. You can’t approach the extraction of juice like a barbarian, you need to be careful and caring! Wounds inflicted on the tree should be repaired using garden pitch, wax, a specially carved peg and other means.

Methods for extracting birch sap.

Which method of extracting birch sap is the most correct? In this matter we will not make any specific statements and will only express our general opinion. It is worth choosing the most humane method of extraction and at the same time it should provide you with a sufficient amount of juice. It is important to find the right balance between the amount of juice and the health of the plant, which you need to think about first of all already at the stage of preparation for harvesting.

A justified exception may be a situation in which you are far from the benefits of civilizations and are fighting for your own life. In a survival situation, you may need to urgently relieve thirst or get rid of scurvy. In this case, you need to use the tools and means that are at hand, because if you don’t do this, you will die. In this case, the speed of obtaining a valuable drink will be in the first place. If you have enough time left to prepare as much sap as you need, then you need to choose a more humane method, at the same time taking care of camouflage (the presence of icicles on a birch trunk in frosty conditions is very noticeable).

Methods for extracting sap from birch trees:

1. We will need a hand gimlet, drill or screwdriver to make a hole in the birch. You need to do it at a slight upward slope and on the warmer south side. After which (here the actions vary) either a groove of a suitable size is inserted (carved from deciduous wood, for example, from NOT dried buckthorn, the inside of which can simply be easily removed and a neat groove is formed) and a vessel is placed (tied) under the groove ( jar, plastic bottle, bag).

Instead of a groove made of wood, grooves and tubes made of other materials are used (or even an ordinary cocktail tube, or special metal grooves prepared in advance), which are adjusted so tightly that the juice flows through the hole and not along the walls from the outside. There is another option when, in order to prevent the juice from spilling, first make a small hole with a knife under the groove, which is driven quite tightly, and already above it, a little higher, make a deep hole with a gimlet, so that the juice flows from above exactly onto the groove, you can make a small channel in the bark .

An alternative to a gimlet can be, for example, a nail (as shown in the following video), the essence of the process does not change: you need to make a hole and, using a correctly fitted outlet, deliver the juice into the vessel.

Another method is using droppers and a screwdriver.

2. The method is less humane and boils down to various kinds of nicks and cuts at certain angles, which supply liquid into the vessel through juice drains.

And here’s how things stand with the extraction of sap in fraternal Belarus (in a video from 2014, it is stated that up to 30 liters of sap per day can be collected from a birch tree! And this is the official method! However, its humanity still raises great doubts).

3. There is a slightly different method, I haven’t tried it myself, but a video is attached for clarity. The advantage is that all we need as a tool is a knife, a vessel, and the birch tree itself will give us the gutter. You just need to bend (using a knife) the bark into a triangle, and a little higher above it poke the birch tree a couple of times with a knife, the sap will flow straight along the “triangle”. Obviously, this method also has a disadvantage and is not at all protected from insects, unless some improvements are made by covering the collection area, gauze or branches of coniferous trees.

Of course, there are probably other methods, with their own nuances and technology, but which method do you use?

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Just a couple of decades ago, everyone could enjoy this miracle drink by visiting the nearest store or canteen. Now it is difficult to find natural birch sap even in supermarkets. Therefore, amateurs collect the “correct” birch sap on their own.

A unique drink and its benefits

There is a popular belief: “Whoever drinks enough birch sap will gain health and vigor for the whole year.”

Many people know about the benefits of birch sap. It is beneficial for the whole body. Firstly, it restores metabolism. Secondly, it gives strength and vigor, and normalizes blood pressure. Thirdly, it is a storehouse of vitamin C.

Until recently, everyone could enjoy this drink. Now the production of birch sap has decreased. Now it is difficult to find a natural product even in supermarkets. This is why many people prefer to extract juice themselves. It turns out that this is a simple procedure.

What you need to know when you go for this juice

Before going to a birch grove or forest, you need to arm yourself with knowledge of the technology and secrets of successful sap collection.

Follow the law, take care of your national heritage!

Don’t worry, the legislation of the Russian Federation allows collecting birch sap. The main thing is that the tree remains alive after your extraction. Otherwise you will be fined.

To prevent this, choose an adult birch tree with a diameter of 25 cm or more. And also you should not make rough and deep cuts that are harmful to the tree.

Remember! It is forbidden:

collect the sap of young birches;
make deep cuts with an ax;
collect more than 10 liters of sap from one tree (a couple of liters from one tree is enough, it is better to go around several birches).

Right time of year

No one will tell you the exact date when you need to go for birch sap. It all depends on the weather conditions and climate of the region. Usually in Moscow, the Moscow region and central Russia, juice appears in the third ten days of March, in the southern regions - at the beginning of March, and in the northern regions, beyond the Urals and in the Altai Territory - by the end of April.

Be observant, as soon as the first signs of spring begin to appear, you can run to the birch tree to check. Look at the buds, if they begin to swell, then you can check by making a small hole in the trunk. Most likely, the juice will already be running with might and main.

But if the buds are still dry, you should wait a little, since most likely there will be no juice. Or there will be, but in meager quantities.

Table: Leningrad region, Siberia or Altai - when you can collect birch sap in different regions of Russia

Early March	Third ten days of March	April
Kursk region Lipetsk region Tambov region Belgorod region Voronezh region Krasnodar region Rostov region Volgograd region Astrakhan region Republic of Adygea Republic of Kalmykia Republic of Crimea	Tver region Vladimir region Tula region Oryol region Kostroma region Nizhny Novgorod region. Smolensk region Yaroslavl region Ryazan region Kaluga region Bryansk region Ivanovo region Moscow region	Leningrad region. Pskov region Novgorod region Vologda region Arkhangelsk region Republic of Karelia Komi Republic Murmansk region Altai Republic Irkutsk region Khabarovsk region

Temperature, lack of rain, suitable hours of the day and other nuances

There are also several “secrets of success” that are worth knowing in advance:

The air temperature should reach 5 degrees Celsius.
If after the thaw there are frosts or rain, this is not the best time to collect birch sap. It's better to wait until more favorable weather conditions. Otherwise, you will simply waste time.
The best time to collect juice is from 11:00 to 16:00.
When there is more sunlight, birch sap flows more intensely.
Pure and high-quality birch sap can only be collected in the forest, in a birch grove, where the environment is environmentally friendly. Also avoid swampy places. You cannot collect birch sap within the city, especially near factories. This is fraught with allergies, and in the worst case, poisoning.
You cannot collect birch sap within the city limits. This is fraught with allergies, and in the worst case, poisoning. And, of course, it is impossible to collect birch sap near factories and factories.
Collect sap from the south side of the birch tree.

Woodworking Instructions

This rule overlaps with the first. The thicker the tree, the better. A young birch tree will not produce as much sap as an adult tree can.

If you choose the right source, you can collect up to 7 liters of sap from one birch tree at a time.

And be sure to treat the injured area of the birch after completing the procedure.. To do this, cover the cuts and holes with garden varnish or close them with a homemade wood plug.

What methods of collecting birch sap will not harm trees?

Using a groove - plastic, aluminum or wood

You will need:

drill;
axe;
aluminum V-shaped gutter;
container

Thus, on average, you can collect a liter of juice in 20 minutes.

Video: extracting birch sap with a groove

No tools - just hands and a knife

You will need: a sharp knife, a container for juice.

This method is good when you are relaxing with your family or friends in nature. In a couple of minutes you will collect a mug of juice.

Video: how to collect birch sap quickly and easily

Collecting in a bag (bag) or bottle from a branch

You will need:

sharp knife or hatchet;
container

Using a dropper

You will need:

Drill a hole in the birch tree. We clear away sawdust.
Remove the needle from one end of the dropper. We insert the cambric into the hole.
We insert the other end of the dropper with a needle into a plastic bottle, piercing it.

This is one of the most common ways to collect birch sap. Since you can quickly and without harm to the tree collect up to 7 liters of sap.

Video: how to collect birch sap with a dropper

As you can see, there are many different options for extracting birch sap. Choose the one you like best. And do not forget to follow the limits and rules. Then the birch tree will thank you every year with its wonderful sap.

Birch sap is a clear liquid that flows from cut or broken birch trunks and branches under the influence of root pressure. The flow of birch sap begins in the spring with the first thaw and continues until the buds open.

It is difficult to determine the exact period of birch sap release, because it depends on weather conditions. For example, if during the March thaw the sap has already begun to flow and then frosts unexpectedly hit, then it may stop secreting for some time. However, as a rule, the sap begins to run around mid-March, when the snow melts and the buds swell. To determine the beginning of sap flow, it is enough to go out into the forest and make an injection with a thin awl on a birch tree as thick as your hand. If the juice has started flowing, a drop of juice will immediately appear at the puncture point, which means you can start collecting and preparing it. They stop collecting sap in the second half of April, when the leaves are already blooming.

The most intense flow of sap through the tree occurs during the light half of the day, so it is better to start collecting in the morning; at night the sap “falls asleep.” The best time to collect sap is between 10:00 and 18:00, when it flows most heavily. The number of holes that are recommended to be made depends on the diameter of the tree; if the diameter is 20-25 cm, then only one, if the volume is 25-35 cm, then two, if the diameter is 35-40, three, and if the diameter is more than 40 cm, it is quite acceptable to make four holes.

The collection of birch sap should begin in the most sunny places, where the birch tree wakes up even if there is still snow around. As the forest warms up, you should move deeper into the thicket, to where the forest wakes up later than on the southern edge. Usually 2-3 liters of sap per day are obtained from birch trees. A large tree can produce about 7 liters of sap per day, and sometimes more. It is preferable to collect sap where cutting is planned, and it is not recommended to take it from young trees.

Due to the fact that birch roots go deep into the ground, it does not absorb poisons from the surface layer of soil. Therefore, all places where birch grows are equally good for collecting birch sap, but it is still better to collect sap only in ecologically clean forests, because the tree itself is capable of absorbing harmful substances and exhaust gases.

The choice of containers for collecting and storing birch sap must be approached selectively. In the old days, birch sap was collected in special containers made of birch bark; it was believed that in them it retained its properties better. But it is quite possible to collect juice in ordinary glass jars or even in plastic bottles, but remember that chemistry can give the juice its own specific taste, and sometimes it dissolves in it itself.

The sap is usually obtained by cutting, nicking or drilling the bark of a tree with a diameter of at least 20 cm and a well-developed crown. It is better to make a slot or hole in the trunk on the south side of the tree, where sap flow is more active, at a distance of 40-50 cm from the ground, in a downward direction, your movement should be from bottom to top, the depth of the hole is 2-3 cm to penetrate under the dead bark, and if The birch is very thick, then even deeper.

An aluminum, plastic groove, birch bark tray or other semicircular device is inserted into the slot, through which the juice flows into the container. Sometimes the sap is extracted by cutting small branches and attaching a plastic bag to the cut site. There is no need to try to drain all the sap from one tree, it will compensate for some of it, but if you bleed the tree completely, it may dry out. It is better to take a liter of juice per day from 5-10 trees than to take 5 liters from one, dooming it to death.

After the collection of birch sap is completed, it is necessary to take care of the tree itself and tightly close the holes made with wax, cork or moss so that bacteria do not get into the trunk, which can pose a serious threat to the life of the tree. After cutting down the birches, sap can be collected from the stumps.

If you do not want to drink the juice right away, but want to store it longer, pour it into a glass jar and put it in the refrigerator. This way the drink will oxidize less, that is, spoil. However, it is better not to store the juice for longer than 2-3 days, otherwise it will ferment and turn from healing nectar into poison. But if you preserve the juice, it will last for several more months.

Several recipes for preserving birch sap for long-term storage.

Fresh birch sap is fermented in glass containers of any size. After washing with hot, preferably boiled, water, they are filled with fresh juice. For every half liter, add half a teaspoon of regular or glucose sugar, 2-3 raisins, washed in cold boiled water, and if you like, a little lemon zest. The container is closed with a stopper or lid and secured with wire or bands.

The pressure of carbon dioxide during fermentation is created quite high, and to prevent the glass from bursting, it is not recommended to add more than the specified amount of sugar. In a few days you will get a pleasant-tasting, sour, highly carbonated drink. To preserve the juice, heat it in an enamel container to a temperature of 80 degrees. Pour into glass bottles and jars. Fill almost to the top and seal the bottles with caps and then resin. Then soak for 15 - 20 minutes in 85 degree water to pasteurize.

Making kvass from birch sap.

To preserve birch sap, kvass is prepared from it. Heat to 35 degrees, add 15-20 g of yeast and 3 raisins per 1 liter, you can add lemon zest to taste. After this, the jar or bottle is tightly closed and left for 1-2 weeks. Kvass can be prepared in another way. To 10 liters of birch sap add the juice of 4 lemons, 50 g of yeast, 30 g of honey or sugar, raisins at the rate of 2-3 pieces per bottle. Pour into bottles and keep for 1-2 weeks in a cool, dark place. Kvass can be ready in just 5 days, but the fact that it sits longer will prevent the drink from spoiling and can be preserved for the whole summer.

Another recipe for kvass. A bag of burnt rye bread crusts is lowered onto a string into a barrel of birch sap. After two days, the yeast will move from the crusts into the juice and fermentation will begin. Then a bucket of oak bark is poured into the barrel as a preservative and tanning agent, and for aroma - cherries (berries or leaves) and dill stems. After two weeks, the kvass is ready and can be stored all winter.

Other methods of preserving and preserving birch sap.

Our ancestors drank birch sap fermented in barrels without adding sugar - it was a traditional low-alcohol drink at Russian feasts. Birch sap itself is a pleasant, refreshing and body-strengthening drink, but you can add chokeberry, lingonberry, blueberry juice to it or infuse it with various herbs - thyme, chamomile, caraway, linden flowers, rose hips, in a jar covered with gauze for about 2 weeks .

You can add to it infusions of St. John's wort, mint, lemon balm, pine needles, cherry juice, apples, currants. Birch sap can be thickened by evaporation to a syrup containing 60% sugar. This syrup has a lemon-white color and the thickness of honey.

Drink in Belarusian style - pour birch sap into a large bottle and place in a dark, cool place for 2-3 days. Then they add barley malt or toasted crushed crackers to it. For 5 liters of birch sap – 30 g. barley malt or crackers. Balsam is also prepared from birch sap. For a bucket of juice you need 3 kg of sugar, 2 liters of wine and 4 finely chopped lemons. All this needs to be left to ferment in the cellar for two months, and then bottled and aged for another three weeks.

Medicinal properties of birch sap.

Birch sap contains organic acids, tannins, minerals, iron, potassium, calcium, glucose, fructose, and phytoncides. Drinking birch sap helps break down stones in the bladder and kidneys, cleanses the blood, enhances metabolic processes, and removes harmful substances from the body during infectious diseases. It is useful to drink juice for stomach ulcers, diseases of the liver, duodenum, gall bladder, low acidity, radiculitis, rheumatism, arthritis, bronchitis, tuberculosis, scurvy, headaches and sexually transmitted diseases.

Birch sap increases the body's resistance to colds, infectious and allergic diseases, has an anthelmintic, diuretic, and antitumor effect; birch sap is useful for wiping the skin for eczema, acne, to moisturize and cleanse dry skin. It is very good to apply the following mask to your facial skin: mix 1 tbsp. l. sour cream with 2 tbsp. l. birch sap and 1 tsp. honey You need to keep this mask for about 15 minutes, rinse with cool water, after which the skin will acquire a beautiful matte shade.

It is also useful to wash your hair with dandruff with birch sap, to enhance its growth and appearance of shine and softness (infusion of birch leaves has the same property). Birch sap is a good remedy for impotence. Birch “tears” have a very good effect on people during menopause; if you drink at least a glass of juice a day, drowsiness, fatigue, irritability and other phenomena associated with menopause will disappear.

Systematic intake of birch sap has a general strengthening and tonic effect. Birch sap is contraindicated for those who are allergic to birch pollen. For medicinal purposes, birch sap should be drunk fresh. It is recommended to take 1 glass 3 times a day 20-30 minutes before meals for 2-3 weeks.

How to collect birch sap

The woody drink has a lot of healing properties and contains many useful substances and elements, organic acids. It is not difficult to obtain it - you need to know the period of time when birch sap is collected and adhere to certain rules for its collection.

From our article you will learn how to obtain and preserve this elixir and how it is beneficial for the human body.

Benefits of collecting birch sap

Few natural extracts can boast of such an effect (Figure 1).

It’s not for nothing that people say about berezovitsa that it is a drink for health:

It has no obvious contraindications - both children and adults can drink it.
The refreshing effect and improvement of overall well-being are far from the limit.
Metabolic processes, hormonal levels and blood pressure are stabilized.
Due to the diuretic effect, swelling goes away, the functioning of the liver and kidneys is normalized.
Inflammatory processes in the throat and tumors disappear, and potency increases in men.
Digestion returns to normal, waste and toxins are removed from the body, prevents anemia and vitamin deficiency, and strengthens general immunity.
Vitality increases, skin and hair condition improves, resistance to stress and depression increases.

Figure 1. Natural birch sap is very beneficial for the body

And these are not all the advantages of collecting a valuable product. It is actively used for the prevention and treatment of many diseases. Of course, for the benefits to be noticeable, you need to know how to properly collect birch sap and drink it.

It is worth adhering to the golden rule - do not overdo it, drinking no more than two glasses a day.

It is best to express tree tears away from highways and big cities, in ecologically clean areas.

Optimal collection time

It is almost impossible to determine the exact date of sap flow - it all depends on the region and weather conditions in a particular year (Figure 2).

If we talk about when is the best time to collect birch sap:

The best option would be to go looking for it in the forest after the spring equinox.
No earlier than March 20 or 21, it is worth checking whether the trees have started to release liquid.
You need to take a thin awl with you to pierce the bark - if characteristic drops appear, you can start decanting the birch tree.

Figure 2. Nectar collection begins when the buds swell

The period for collecting birch sap is short: as soon as the swollen buds appear and until the leaves bloom. Nectar flows fastest during the daytime - from noon to six in the evening. At night, birch trees fall asleep and are less willing to share their elixir.

Experienced collectors know for sure in which month birch sap is collected:

The period lasts from the end of March to the end of April.
First, healing moisture appears on trees growing on the forest edge, which have already been warmed by the sun.
As heat and light move deeper into the thicket, distant plants warm up and become suitable for harvesting.

Best places to gather

To get a truly healthy drink, you should not only know when it is best to collect birch sap, but also where (Figure 3).

Within the city, close to highways, this is the worst option, since trees easily absorb all harmful substances and exhaust gases from the environment.

Ideal places for collection are ecologically clean forests, as far as possible from industrial zones. A grove or forest edge, far from large factories and polluted places with mature plants, is the best location.

We collect birch sap step by step without harming the tree

Experienced collectors always act carefully, adhering to the principle of not harming nature (Figure 4).

Figure 3. Ecologically clean groves should be chosen for fishing

No matter how much you would like to express more of the drink, you will have to follow certain rules for collecting birch sap:

You cannot choose young trees, since they need liquid during the growth period - give preference to mature birch trees with a trunk diameter of 20 cm or more.
With dimensions of 20-25 cm, only 1 hole is allowed, then you can make one more for every 10 cm, the main thing here is not to overdo it.
Nectar must be collected from 10 am to 6 pm - at this time it is released more intensely.
It is prohibited to make deep cuts with an ax - moisture is located between the bark and wood, it can be removed using a drill with a drill bit up to 1 cm.
You should not drain all the liquid from one plant - you need to go around several of them, draining no more than 1 liter per day; per season you can take no more than 10 liters from one birch tree.
At the end of the process, be sure to help the birch trees heal the wounds inflicted on them.

Common ways to collect birch sap:

With groove- at a distance of 30 cm from the ground, a small hole is drilled, around which the top layer of bark is cleared, a v-shaped trench is installed using an ax at an angle of 45 degrees, a bottle, bucket or bag is placed under it.
Without accessories- a flat place is selected on the trunk for the cut with a tick, the cut bark is bent so as to form a hook to which the container is attached.
IV- a small hole is drilled and cleaned, the needle is removed from the system and the spout is inserted, the needle is put on the other edge and the bottle is pierced with it.
Using packages- a thick branch is selected, extending upward from another similar branch, the edge is cut off and a container for moisture is attached, sometimes bottles are simply put on the branches.

Figure 4. Basic methods of collecting juice

Let's take a step-by-step look at how to collect birch sap without harming the tree:

The first is to choose a suitable object with a well-developed crown.
The second is to make a neat hole in the trunk at a distance of 20 cm from the ground.
The third is to make a simple structure to collect liquid without damaging the wood.
Fourth - having received the required amount of drink, seal the hole hermetically with wax, moss, wooden cork or garden pitch.

Choosing a tree

Regardless of the device, collecting birch sap begins with choosing a suitable object. Mature specimens are preferred - many people find they have sweeter nectar.

Young animals are not suitable for these purposes, since they feed on their own juices during the growth period.

Pay attention to birch trees with well-developed crowns, with a diameter of more than 25 cm. To easily collect birch sap in bags, you need to choose specimens that grow at a slight slope. This will make it much more convenient not only to secure the bags, but also to install any other container. You should come for it as it is full, three times a day - morning, afternoon and evening.

When collecting birch trees, you can notice that the birch tree produces little product, when you collect birch sap and are faced with a similar situation - they do not make additional holes or recesses in it, but simply replace it with another one. Usually you get 2-3 liters of valuable elixir per day.

Making a hole

In this case, it is extremely important not to cut the trunk with an ax, since the tree will stop producing nectar next year or will die altogether (Figure 5).

To please yourself more than once with birch sap, the collection rules advise:

Make a hole with a hand drill with a 5-10 mm drill bit - it will overgrow almost without a trace.
Do not drill it too deep, since all the liquid is on the surface - between the bark and the wood; going 2-3 cm deep is enough.
Maintain a certain distance of 20-30 cm from the ground, which will allow you to make a small groove along which the drink will flow into the container.
Attach it directly to the hole or place it under it in the form of a birch bark tray or any other semicircular device; place a jar, bag or bottle under it.

Figure 5: The hole should not be too wide

Another humane method of how to properly collect wood elixir is using a dropper. It will also need a small hole, but you will not need to make any grooves. The nozzle of the system is placed in the resulting wound, and a needle is put on the other edge and stuck into the bottle.

Processing the hole

Treating the wounds is very important if you want to collect nectar without harming the tree and leave the forest intact.

As soon as it becomes clear that you cannot collect more fluid, you must immediately heal the drilled wound. It is good to cover the holes made with garden varnish or special wax; if you don’t have them at hand, cover them with moss or hammer in a wooden plug (Figure 6).

Figure 6. After completing the collection, the hole must be sealed

To avoid damaging the birch tree, find an old dry twig with a diameter slightly larger than the drill and plug the hole with it.

Methods for storing juice

Unfortunately, this sweetish, healthy drink cannot remain fresh for a long time (Figure 7).

There are several ways to store birch sap collection in order to preserve its beneficial properties as much as possible:

Fast, also known as shock, freezing- the product must be frozen in small portions under the condition of a sharp decrease in temperature at high speed, which not every freezer can boast of.
Evaporation of liquid- to obtain a saturated concentrate, birch bark should be boiled at 60-70 degrees until 75% of its quantity has evaporated, then rolled into sterilized jars, and be sure to dilute with clean water before use.
Sterilization- the drink is brought to a boil, but not boiled, poured into jars and sterilized for 15-20 minutes, after which the lids are rolled up.

Figure 7. Nectar storage technology

Storing collected tree nectar provides the same rules as how to collect birch sap without harm to the tree. Fresh birch must be drunk within two days, otherwise it will spoil - proper heat treatment will help preserve it for a long time.

The best option for these purposes would be canning, for which you need to add sugar and citric acid to the heated drink, boil everything well and roll it into jars, sterilizing them for 15 minutes. You can also prepare original kvass - add a little yeast with raisins and lemon zest to fresh nectar, let it brew in closed jars for 10-14 days.

The correct technology for collecting birch sap is shown in detail in the video.