When is the best time to collect birch sap? Nutritious salad with spicy chicken and grapes

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

When to collect birch sap

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

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

How to collect birch sap correctly: 6 important basics

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

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

How to make a hole in a tree

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

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

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

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

Features of collecting birch sap in Belarus

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

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

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

Which forest to choose in Belarus

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

How to save birch sap

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

Original recipes for storing birch sap

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

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

Helpful information

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

Not everyone is aware of how to collect birch sap correctly so as not to damage the tree and not cause death by wrong actions, so you should know which month to collect the drink, is it possible to do this in May and summer, what devices to use for collection, how to make a groove, how to use a drip, tubing…

What time to collect birch sap - terms, in which month

Which have been known to man since time immemorial - the drink is really incredibly tasty and healthy, rich in vitamins and other elements necessary for the body. However, not every lover of a natural drink knows how to properly collect birch sap so as not to damage the tree, but it is necessary to have such knowledge, otherwise irreparable harm can be done to the birch - the tree will die.

One of the important conditions for the correct collection of birch sap is the observance of the recommended terms - according to experienced harvesters, the optimal time for harvesting birch sap is spring, namely the period before buds begin to form. As a rule, this is the second half of March, when the air has already noticeably warmed up - this period is popularly called birch weeping, at this time the most active movement of sap is observed near the tree.

Collection of birch sap

The juice moves intensively along the trunk and branches of trees in the morning and daytime, and by the evening the process slows down noticeably, so the collection it is recommended to appoint in the first half of the day. The color and sweetness of the drink largely depends on which month the birch sap is collected in - fresh juice collected in March is almost transparent and has no color, but not particularly sweet, but a drink collected in April will have a brown tint, but more sugar.

It is necessary to stop collecting birch sap when the buds begin to turn into green leaves. In general, the period for collecting juice is 3-4 weeks, depending on what air temperature is relevant for spring.

How to collect birch sap correctly so as not to damage the tree - collection technology

When birch sap is harvested, the wounds inflicted on the tree are often neglected. If you follow the simple rules that you will read about below, you will be able to collect at least 12-15 liters of sap from a tree and not harm it - the birch will not become infected and, moreover, will not die.

To collect a healing natural drink, you will need a certain set of tools and materials:

A small but well-sharpened hatchet;
Hand drill;
A pack of plasticine;
The container where the juice will be collected;
Funnel.

Before you collect birch sap, you need to choose the right source - the tree must be at least 40 cm in diameter. With a hatchet, carefully remove the top layer of bark without hitting the wood. On the bottom of the log house, fix well-mashed plasticine so as to secure a tray or funnel for collecting juice - if the plasticine is damp or wet, the connection will be poor.

A container for collecting juice is installed on the ground under the log house - it can be a plastic bottle with a cut neck, a can or other container.

The third stage is drilling a hole with a drill, the depth of which should not exceed 6 cm - this distance is safe for the health of the tree.

After the required amount of drink has been collected, care should be taken to treat the wound inflicted on the tree - the hole should be tightly clogged, a wooden cork or other improvised materials will do. Such measures will help protect the birch from possible infections, which, with a strong spread, can lead to the death of the entire tree.

Among the rules on how to properly collect birch sap so as not to damage the tree, one more important point should be taken into account - the age of the birch. Collect juice from adults, and preferably old individuals, keeping young ones, since the injury inflicted on a young tree can be fatal for him, and you will be able to collect little juice.

Basic devices for collecting birch sap

Craftsmen have come up with many ways to collect birch sap using various devices, among which the use of a medical dropper is popular - this method gives the richest collection of the drink. A regular dropper, which is sold in a pharmacy, will do. The technology of how to collect birch sap using a dropper is as follows:

A hole in the trunk of a middle-aged birch is made with a sharp and thinnest drill (slightly thicker than a sewing needle) at a height of one and a half meters, the bark does not need to be removed from the trunk;
Insert the dropper needle into the resulting hole, and lower the other end through the plastic lid into a jar or bottle;
Two holes must be made in the lid - one for the tube, the other for the free exit of air from the container.

Do not forget to change the container in time so that the juice does not flow out to the ground and is not wasted. After the collection is over, carefully plug the hole with a wooden plug and cover with garden pitch.

Among the devices suitable for how to properly collect birch sap, so as not to damage the tree, are:

Glass jar 3 l - stable and reliable container for juice, and an aluminum groove inserted into the hole;
A plastic funnel that ensures the exact hit of the juice into the container in windy weather;
A bunch of dry grass, inserted into the hole and directing a stream of juice into the jar, also acts as a filter for the juice;
Tube for juices and cocktails - inserted into the hole in the barrel and sent to a plastic bottle, pinching with a clothespin.

As you can see, a variety of devices can be used, the main thing is to follow the rules of tree-safe collection.

When collecting birch sap, it is important not only to comply with the basic requirements for collection technology, but also to know how to store birch sap at home so that it pleases with its taste and benefits for a long time.

In Rus', white-barked trees have long been revered not only for their beauty, but also for the useful juice that they gladly share with people. Birch "tears" help strengthen the immune system, perfectly quench thirst and help get rid of many diseases. To get a truly healing nectar, you need to know how to collect birch sap, when it should be done and how to properly store the drink so that it stays healthy longer.

When is birch sap harvested?

The exact date of the appearance of sap in birch trees depends on the region of the country and the weather conditions in each particular year.

Approximately after the spring equinox, which occurs on March 20 or 21, you can go to the grove to check if the sap flow has begun in the white-barked trees. To do this, you should take with you a thin awl, with which you need to carefully pierce the birch bark. If a drop of juice appears, it means that the process has begun and you can start collecting healing birch.

Experienced harvesters know that the period during which the greatest amount of juice can be obtained is very short. It is necessary to have time to stock up on a healthy drink from the moment the swollen buds appear and before the leaves bloom on the trees.

In addition, the fastest juice goes in the daytime: from noon to six o'clock in the evening. But then the trees “fall asleep” and don’t give their nectar so generously.

How to collect a healthy drink without harm to the tree

Nature shares healing properties with us absolutely free of charge. We should appreciate gifts, taking care of fragile and vulnerable trees as much as possible.

The collection of juice should not be carried out rashly, set a single goal - to get as much drink as possible. Care must be taken not to harm nature.

How to collect birch sap?

1. Choose a tree that is neither too young nor too old, with a trunk diameter of at least 20 cm.
2. Make a shallow hole, given that the juice goes between the bark and the trunk. Distance from the ground - 20 - 25 cm, gap depth - 3 - 5 cm.

Important! No need to use an ax, it is better to use a drill with a small diameter nozzle.

One tree does not need to make many holes. With a trunk diameter of 25 cm, only one is allowed, from 30 to 35 cm - two, from 35 to 40 - three holes, for thicker trees - a maximum of four.
In the slot made (or under it), it is necessary to place a device through which the juice can drip into a container installed from below - a plastic bottle, a plastic bag, a glass jar, a canister. It can be a wooden gutter, a polyethylene tube, a dry grass tow, or other materials at hand.
No need to be lazy, you should go around more trees in order to collect one liter per day from each, and not completely dry one birch. It is unacceptable to drain all the juice, it will kill the tree. Therefore, the collection should be stopped in the evening.
Be sure to close the hole after collecting the birch. To do this, you can use moss, clay, wax, wood cork.

By following these simple rules, you can not only profit from healthy nectar, but also save healthy white trees that can regale people with healing juice next year.

Is it possible to collect birch sap in urban areas

All trees, and Russian beauties in particular, are very sensitive to changes in the environment. They absorb literally all the substances that are in the air and soil.

If the growth takes place in a favorable environment, in the depths of a forest or grove, away from highways, factories and other “benefits” of civilization, the juice is especially useful there.

But if you collect birch sap from trees that grow within the city, then the composition of the nectar will include, among other things, decay products, combustion, salts of heavy metals and other “pleasant” consequences of the active life of Homo sapiens.

Therefore, it is better to go deeper into the forest to get a truly healing birch tree.

The benefits of birch sap for the human body

Few drinks can boast such an impact on human health. At the same time, juice has practically no contraindications, it is suitable for everyone, regardless of age and the presence of any diseases.

Birch is not only perfectly refreshing, but also helps to improve well-being. Among other things:

relieves inflammation in the throat;
normalizes metabolic processes;
improves digestion;
improves immunity;
removes toxins, toxic substances;
has diuretic properties, removing swelling;
normalizes blood pressure;
improves the functionality of the liver and kidneys;
prevents the development of anemia, beriberi;
normalizes the hormonal background;
improves potency;
increases vitality;
fights stress, depression;
prevents the development of tumors;
improves the condition of the skin and hair.

The range of healing properties is impressive. All of them are actively used for the prevention and treatment of various diseases.

How to drink health drink

As mentioned above, "birch tears" is a safe drink. But not everyone can drink it.

To stay healthy, you need to limit yourself to drinking juice:

people allergic to birch pollen;
persons with kidney stones;
patients with diabetes.

And everyone else can enjoy a pleasant sweet woody taste, consuming no more than 2 glasses of a healthy drink per day.

Traditional medicine offers its own recipes that help improve the well-being of patients with various ailments.

1. To cleanse the kidneys, a cocktail of birch and parsley juice, and also honey (1: 1: 1) is used. This mixture should be consumed three times a day, 2 tablespoons. This course lasts for a month.
2. To normalize blood pressure, it is useful to drink half a glass of fresh birch twice a day for a week.

To relieve a sore throat, gargling with heated juice will help. They should be done several times a day, after meals.
A vitamin mixture of several juices at once will be especially useful for children. In addition to birch, you need to add the same amount of nectar from apples and carrots. 2 glasses a day will help strengthen the immune system and prevent anemia.
Birch effectively reduces body temperature during fever. To do this, put gauze moistened with juice under the armpits, on the forehead, under the knees on the bends of the elbows.
Half a glass of juice mixed with cow's milk greatly strengthens the immune system. To do this, you need to undergo a weekly course of treatment, using the drug three times a day.
Birch infused with oats improves digestion and promotes the removal of toxins. To do this, it must be boiled in a water bath until the amount of liquid is halved. For the proper effect, you need to drink a glass of healing elixir 3 times a day for a month.

Proper storage of birch sap

A sweetish healthy drink cannot stay fresh for long. The juice must be drunk within two days, otherwise it will spoil.

For longer storage of healing birch, you can resort to various methods.

Quick (it is also called shock) freezing of juice will allow you to preserve all the beneficial properties of the drink as much as possible. Not every conventional freezer will be suitable for this method, since a decrease in temperature by
high speed. It is necessary to freeze in small portions, so that later it is convenient to defrost and immediately consume the entire volume of liquid.
Evaporating the juice allows you to make a rich concentrate out of it. To do this, boil the liquid at a temperature of 60 - 70 degrees until 75 percent of its volume has evaporated. Roll the resulting concentrate into sterilized jars. Just be sure to dilute such a drink with clean water before drinking.
Sterilization will also preserve birch for a long time. To do this, the juice must be brought to a boil, but not boiled, poured into jars and sterilized for 15-20 minutes, then rolled up with lids.
Canned birch sap is the most popular way to store a drink. There are several cooking recipes. The first option is to add sugar and citric acid to the heated juice, boil and pour into jars, then sterilize them for 15 minutes. The second recipe allows you to cook kvass, with a pleasant sour-lemon taste. For it, you need to add yeast and raisins with lemon zest, and then insist the drink in closed jars for 10-14 days.

You can add mint leaves, lemon balm, rose hips, currants or lingonberries to the birch tree. They give the nectar new shades.

Fresh juice has a maximum of useful properties. With shock freezing, it almost does not lose its healing characteristics, but conservation, preparation of concentrate and sterilization make a useful birch tree just a sweet and tasty drink, nothing more.

Birch tears or how to collect birch sap

Slender white birches have been inspiring poets and writers to create masterpieces for centuries. Birches are not only pleasing to the eye, but also serve as a source of trace elements, proteins, acids and vitamins. Each person has tried birch sap at least once, but it must be collected carefully so as not to cause irreparable harm to the birch. Unfortunately, not everyone knows how to properly collect birch sap.

First you need to know when you can collect birch sap. The season for extracting birch sap opens from the end of March, and ends with April. As the weather warms, you should gradually move from the edge into the depths of the forest, where the forest wakes up from hibernation much later. An injection is made with a thin awl on a birch trunk, if juice oozes from the wound, then you can proceed to its systematic collection.

Preparing to collect juice. You need to take a few plastic bottles with you, because they have a narrow neck, and insects, dust and small leaves will not get into them. Be sure to take a hand drill or a cordless drill to make a neat hole in the barrel. You can’t make a cut with an ax, it destroys the birch, very often the tree dies from such a procedure. Be sure to make small plugs with which you will later close the holes you made. To collect the juice, you can take a soft rope, a piece of cloth, or just a clean bunch of grass.

Extraction How to properly collect birch sap is a whole science. The tree must be chosen old enough so that it can heal the wound. Once all preparations are made, proceed directly to the collection of juice. We choose a tree, preferably a little at an angle, so that it is easier to collect the juice. We make a small hole in the barrel with a drill and firmly fasten the bottle with a cloth (rope or grass) to the barrel. Three times a day we go to check bottles and collect juice. It is best to drill 5 or 6 trees rather than drain all the sap from one tree. In different trees, the intensity of the flow of juice is different, as soon as the amount of juice received decreases, the tree needs to be changed.

Helping the tree Once you leave the tree, you need to help it heal the wound it has caused. Carefully insert the plug into the hole, which was prepared in advance. Birch has already begun preparations for healing the wound, and your help will make the healing process quick. If you understand how to collect birch sap correctly, next year you will not find the place where it was taken from.

Storage Birch sap is best drunk fresh, then it will retain all the nutrients and vitamins in full. If you have a cellar in your house, and best of all, a glacier, then the juice will be stored for quite a long time without losing its qualities. It is not recommended to close in jars or pasteurize birch sap. If you want to try it, then the recipe for making it is extremely simple: it is made in the same way as usual, only birch sap is added instead of water, and the product turns out to be much more useful than plain kvass. Birch sap helps treat acne, narrows pores on the face, so you can freeze “birch ice” from it and use it as needed.

Strengthens the immune system, increases the body's resistance. Birch sap will help you avoid depression and fatigue. Juice destroys stones in the kidneys and liver, improves metabolic processes, cleanses the blood, reduces blood pressure. For pregnant women, birch sap is simply irreplaceable.

If you know how to properly collect birch sap, take care of trees, do not take more juice from them than they can give you, nature will generously endow you with useful vitamins, minerals and trace elements for the health of you and your family.

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

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

Features of medicinal raw materials

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

Preparation of birch sap

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

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

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

Healing properties and pharmacological action

The chemical composition of birch sap includes:

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

Pharmachologic effect:

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

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

What diseases are indicated

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

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

Features of the preparation and use of birch sap

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

How to use

How much juice can you drink per day?

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

cooking recipes

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

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

carbonated drink recipe

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

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

Recipe for birch kvass with yeast

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

Kvass perfectly quenches thirst, normalizes digestion.

Recipe for birch kvass without yeast

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

Recipe for kvass from malt

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

Earlier 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, cumin, linden, chamomile, lemon balm, St. John's wort. Blended low-alcohol drinks were made with the addition of mountain ash, rose hips, cherries, blueberries, and apples.

canned birch sap recipe

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

Orange can be used 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 is diluted with citric acid and water. Too much of it was produced in the USSR. In fact, a little lemon can be added to the recipe drink as a preservative.

Birch sap for women and children

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

Cosmetology

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

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

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