A healing and delicious drink can be perfectly stored! Let's get acquainted with one of the most traditional Russian drinks - birch juice, the benefits of which are not in doubt today. Our ancestors at one time found in it not only a pleasant taste, but also found its positive effect on the body. It served as a means of traditional medicine, softening cough and body aches. They cured stomach ulcers and bone diseases, as well as colds, strengthened health and increased vitality.
But there is one drawback - birch sap does not retain its useful properties for so long, and can quickly disappear if you do not create suitable conditions. Ancient business executives have found a way to ensure long-term storage of birch sap, and not even one. The recipes of the preparation, among other things, improving the taste, were passed down from generation to generation. You will get acquainted with the classic way of cooking, as well as tips on how to collect birch sap, and most importantly – when it is better to do it.
Birch sap is collected no later than early spring. It is better to collect it from thin, young birches, the thickness of whose trunks is a couple of tens of centimeters in diameter. We cut a hole in the bark, install a groove in the hole and put a suitable container under it, time will do the rest. It is important to note that it is not worth leaving this case for the night or late in the evening. The juice flows most actively from the tree during its "waking hours" when the Sun is standing. Do not forget to seal up the hole made later, otherwise the tree may wither.
Now about how to roll up birch sap. We filter it through a clean, not very dense fabric. Gauze will do just fine. Then, pour the extracted juice into well-washed and scalded glass containers. We leave it in a cool place, covered with shadows. It takes two weeks for it to fully ferment. After that, the juice is completely usable. Nothing complicated, right? But in this form, although the juice will retain its original taste better, it will last barely a year
For a longer period of time, birch sap will be preserved only if you resort to various additives. Usually these are various combinations of sugar, dried fruits and varieties of dried bread. Birch juice recipe, which is offered below, will help you keep it for a very long time.
