When and how to properly collect birch sap in 2020 and product storage
Birch sap is considered a healthy drink that can significantly improve human health. This product is popular with many people. Therefore, the question of when exactly birch sap is collected is considered very relevant. Also, when preparing this drink, you need to take into account other features - choose the right tree and make a hole on it, through which you will be able to collect juice.
Useful properties of the drink
This drink brings great benefits to the human body and helps to improve health in case of various diseases. The healing properties are due to the composition of the product. Birch sap contains vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates. It also includes many micro and macro elements. These include potassium, magnesium, silicon. In addition, the product contains iron, copper, manganese.
Includes birch sap and fruit sugar, essential oils, organic acids. There are also phytoncides in it, which have an antimicrobial effect.
The varied composition of the natural drink helps to achieve a variety of effects. Birch sap helps with viral infections, coughs, tonsillitis, and respiratory tract infections. It can be used to treat headaches, eliminate swelling and symptoms of rheumatism.
It also helps to normalize blood pressure, copes with digestive disorders, kidney and joint pathologies, metabolic disorders and other diseases. With the help of birch sap, it is possible to eliminate depressive conditions and spring vitamin deficiency.
The product is also used in cosmetology. It is used for hair and skin care. The product helps to cope with acne, eczema, furunculosis. It helps with hair loss and wounds that do not heal for a long time. Birch sap has pronounced cleansing properties, has a moisturizing effect, refreshes and rejuvenates the dermis.
When using the product, it is important to take into account that it can also bring harm. The drink is contraindicated to drink if you are allergic to birch pollen. It is also not recommended to consume the product collected in contaminated places. The fact is that it is capable of absorbing hazardous substances from the environment.
Estimated collection dates in 2020
It is recommended to collect juice in the spring, when active sap flow begins. In this case, you need to focus on the following signs:
- the temperature during the day does not drop below +5 degrees;
- the snow has melted;
- swollen kidneys;
- sap appears from the cuts on the branches.
It is quite difficult to name the exact dates for collecting the juice.They are determined taking into account the climatic characteristics of a particular region. First of all, people living in the southern regions can collect the product. This is due to the relatively warm winter and the early arrival of spring. Long winters are usually observed in the north. At the same time, spring heat comes much later.
Middle lane
In central Russia, the time for collecting birch sap begins in the third decade of March. In 2020, it is recommended to do this from March 20th to April 20th.
South
In areas with a warm climate, it is worth collecting juice from the beginning to the end of March. This is recommended until the buds begin to bloom. Then the juice goes bitter. In 2020, it needs to be harvested from March 5 to April 5.
Siberia and the Far East
In Siberia and the Far East, the juice appears in the first decade of April. If a prolonged spring is observed, this happens later. In 2020, it is recommended to collect the product from April 15 to May 15.
How to collect correctly
The most suitable time for harvesting is considered to be morning and afternoon. After 6 pm and until dawn, the tree is dormant. This leads to a slowdown in sap flow along the trunk and branches. To make a hole in the bark and trunk, it is permissible to use a knife, drill or screwdriver. A screwdriver is also suitable for this purpose. At the same time, it is strictly forbidden to take an ax. With this tool, you can severely damage the plant, which will lead to its death.
Choosing the right tree
It is recommended to get pure birch sap in the forest. When choosing a tree for this purpose, the following features should be considered:
- birch age - 25, 30 years;
- trunk diameter - at least 20 centimeters;
- wide healthy crown;
- an even trunk - there should be no damaged areas, cracks, an abundance of dried branches on it.
When choosing a specific tree, it is recommended to give preference to plants that are located in open sunny areas. With a slight slope of the tree, collecting liquid is simplified. This is due to the fact that it is easier to fix the container for the drink.
Birch roots are deep in the ground. Therefore, it does not absorb toxic substances located on the surface of the soil. Experts advise to collect liquid in ecologically clean places. The fact is that trees can absorb harmful elements and exhaust gases through the foliage.
It is forbidden to collect from plants located on the territory of hospitals, parks, squares, greenhouses, sanatoriums. If you damage the birch trees that grow in the protected area, administrative responsibility will follow. It is allowed to collect sap in a birch forest, grove or on your site. The resulting drink can be used exclusively for independent use. It is prohibited to sell it without a license.
Determining the location on the trunk
It is recommended to make the hole in the barrel carefully. It should be shallow. The liquid is located between the wood and bark. Therefore, as a rule, a puncture with a 1 cm drill is sufficient. It is best done from the north side. It is there that the maximum amount of juice will be released, and the wound will heal rather quickly.
The number of holes is determined depending on the age of the tree. The older the plant, the more holes you can make. If the diameter of the trunk is 25-30 centimeters, 1-2 holes can be made. If the birch is larger, it is permissible to perform 3-4 in different places.
It should be borne in mind that one tree can bring a maximum of 1 liter of juice per day. During the season, it will be possible to get up to 10 liters of a drink from birch.
How to collect correctly
There are quite a few options for collecting birch sap, each of which has certain characteristics.
Collection from branches
To get the juice, it is recommended to take a branch directed upward, which departs from the skeletal branch. It shouldn't be too thin. It is advisable to use a branch the size of an adult man's thumb. The end must be cut off and a plastic bottle fixed on it. This must be done by the neck. Leave the container for 3-5 hours. If you need a lot of liquid, it is recommended to use several birches.
Without accessories
In the absence of collection devices, you can use the express method. In this case, it is recommended to cut the bark with a sharp knife and bend it back. The result should be a gutter. Then you can pour the liquid into a bowl with a wide neck.
When the juice is collected, it is recommended to put the bark in place and fix it. This can be done with damp soil, moss, or rope. Leaving damage is strictly prohibited. A strong flow of liquid can kill even the sturdiest tree.
Dropper
You can use a medical drip to get the juice. It can be purchased at every pharmacy. The adapter that fits over the hose has a diameter of approximately 4 millimeters. You can easily select the appropriate drill for it.
The tip has a flared base. Thanks to this, it will be able to fit tightly into the hole in the birch. The second end of the transparent tube should be lowered into a container that stands on the ground or is screwed to a tree with a rope. At the same time, the juice from the birch flows freely and enters the prepared container without loss.
To protect the liquid from debris and insects, you can drill a hole in the lid of the cookware and place the end of the tube in it. If there are several holes in the tree, you need to place an adapter from a dropper in each of them. In this case, the other ends are dipped into the same dish. In this way, it will be possible to obtain 3-4 liters of useful liquid.
Groove
The most traditional way to extract birch sap is considered to be the use of a birch bark groove. It is recommended to place one narrow end of the device in the hole, and from the other, the juice will drain into the prepared container.
A similar option for collecting juice is the use of a plastic corner. You can also use a cut handle body.
Herbal tourniquet
This method has been used for collecting birch sap for a long time. To use it, you need to make a tight bundle of grass blades, make a hole in the tree and place a blank in it. When the juice begins to stand out, it will saturate the tourniquet well. Therefore, from the second end it is worth placing a container for collecting liquid. It is important to keep in mind that it is recommended to take juice only in an ecologically clean area, which is located far from cities and highways. Collecting the product is permissible in villages and forests.
Processing birch after harvest
Immediately after the collection of birch sap is completed, it is recommended to process the damaged area. The hole must be covered with thick material. To do this, it is permissible to use the following means:
- Garden var - is a product with a viscous consistency. With its help, it is possible to protect the damaged area from infection and leakage of juice. This helps to avoid drying out the trunk. Thanks to the use of garden varnish, it is possible to accelerate the healing of damaged areas on the trunk.
- Plasticine - can also be used to close the hole. This will help prevent juice from leaking out.
- Wood cork - This can be easily made from wood. In this case, it is important that it coincides in diameter with the size of the hole. Then it is recommended to cover the damaged area with garden pitch. It is also permissible to use plasticine.
- Laundry soap - it is quite possible to close up the hole with this tool. It is also permissible to use a cork at first.
- Linseed oil paint - it is important to make sure that there is no kerosene or gasoline in its composition. It is permissible to use white paint, which is often used for treating trees.
In the absence of these funds at hand, it is permissible to cover the damaged area with earth, moss, clay or grass.
Taking care of the tree after the procedure
If cuts have been made in the tree and the bark remains on it, it must be closed back. Then fix it with a dense material. No further action is required. With minor damage, birch is easily restored. This happens quickly enough. With significant injuries, the tree will die immediately. Therefore, you need to extract the juice as carefully as possible.
Storing the collected juice
Freshly harvested juice is recommended to be immediately refrigerated. In such a place, it can be stored for about a week. The product can be stored at room temperature for a maximum of 3 days. If the rules and conditions of storage are violated, the composition may become hazardous to health. Mold and rot often appear in it. There is also a risk of multiplication of pathogenic microorganisms. Therefore, drinking juice after the expiration date is strictly prohibited.
It is recommended to use glassware to store the drink. It is better not to keep it in plastic containers. To increase the shelf life of the product, special processing is required. The frozen and double-strained composition can be stored in plastic bottles in the freezer. The shelf life of such a product is 1 month.
If a beverage is pasteurized, it must be stored in a glass container for 2 weeks. It is important to take into account that this procedure leads to the loss of some nutrients.
To extend the shelf life of the juice, it is recommended to preserve it. For this it is worth using natural ingredients. These include orange, lemon, honey, sugar, currant branches. Canned product can be stored for 6-8 months.
To prepare a healthy and tasty drink, it is recommended to use the following recipes:
- Combine 1 liter of juice with 100 grams of sugar and 5 grams of citric acid. It is important to stir thoroughly until all the grains are dissolved. After that, the composition must be pasteurized and covered with a lid.
- Heat the juice to a boil, add the soaked raisins and remove from the stove. Leave to infuse. Then pour into bottles. In this case, 8 centimeters should remain to the neck. Leave to infuse in a cool place for 2 weeks.
- For 1 liter of birch sap, take half a lemon, 1 small spoonful of honey and 5 grams of dry yeast. Mix all components well so that they completely dissolve, close the lid and refrigerate. After 10 days, the drink will be ready. It must be drunk within 2 months.
Birch sap is a very healthy and tasty drink that helps to improve health. It is important to properly prepare this product. In order for it to retain the maximum useful properties, it is necessary to choose the right time for collecting the liquid and provide it with optimal storage conditions.
