When birch sap is harvested in 2022: rules and terms of extraction, storage

Birch sap is considered a he althy drink that helps to significantly improve human he alth. 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 can draw the juice.

Useful properties of the drink

This drink brings great benefits to the human body and helps to improve he alth in various diseases. 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. It also contains phytoncides, which have an antimicrobial effect.

The diverse composition of the natural drink helps to achieve a number 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, pathologies of the kidneys and joints, metabolic disorders and other diseases. With the help of birch sap, it is possible to eliminate depressive conditions and spring beriberi.

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 consider that it can also bring harm. It is contraindicated to drink the drink if you are allergic to birch pollen. It is also not recommended to use the product collected in contaminated areas. The fact is that it is able to absorb hazardous substances from the environment.

Estimated collection dates in 2022

It is recommended to collect juice in the spring, when active sap flow begins. In this case, you need to focus on such signs:

• temperature during the day does not drop below +5 degrees;
• the snow melted;
• swollen buds;
• juice comes out of the cuts on the branches.

It is rather difficult to name the exact timing of the collection of juice. They are determined taking into account the climatic features 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 warmth comes much later.

Medium lane

In central Russia, the time for collecting birch sap begins in the third decade of March. In 2022, it is recommended to do this from March 20 to April 20.

South

In areas with a warm climate, it is worth collecting juice from the beginning to the end of March. It is recommended to do this until the buds begin to bloom. After that, the juice goes bitter. In 2022, it must be harvested from March 5 to April 5.

Siberia and Far East

In Siberia and the Far East, juice appears in the first decade of April. If there is a prolonged spring, this happens later. In 2022, 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 morning and afternoon. After 18.00 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. 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

Pure birch sap is recommended to be obtained in the forest. When choosing a tree for this purpose, the following features should be considered:

• the age of the birch is 25, 30 years old;
• barrel diameter - at least 20 centimeters;
• wide he althy crown;
• smooth trunk - it should not have damaged areas, cracks, an abundance of dried branches.

When choosing a particular tree, it is recommended to give preference to plants that are located in open sunny areas. With a slight slope of the tree, the collection of liquid is simplified. This is due to the fact that it is easier to attach 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 collecting liquid in environmentally friendly places. The fact is that trees can absorb harmful elements and exhaust gases through foliage.

If the plant is located near roads, industrial plants, or hazardous waste areas, toxic substances and heavy metals may be present in the sap.

It is forbidden to collect from plants located in the territories of hospitals, parks, squares, greenhouses, sanatoriums. If birch trees that grow in a protected area are damaged, administrative liability will follow. It is allowed to collect sap in a birch forest, grove or on your own plot. The resulting drink can only be used for self-consumption. It is prohibited to sell it without a license.

Determination of the place on the trunk

The hole on the trunk is recommended to be done carefully. It must be shallow. The liquid is located between the wood and the bark. Therefore, as a rule, a puncture with a 1 centimeter drill is sufficient. It is best to do it from the north side. It is there that the maximum amount of juice will stand out, and the wound will heal fairly 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 trunk diameter 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 is worth considering that one tree can bring a maximum of 1 liter of juice per day. During the season, up to 10 liters of drink can be obtained 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 extract juice, it is recommended to take an upward bough, which departs from the skeletal branch. It shouldn't be too thin. It is advisable to use a branch the size of an adult male thumb. The end must be cut off and a plastic bottle fixed on it. This must be done for the neck. Leave the container for 3-5 hours. If you need a lot of liquid, it is recommended to use several birches.

No accessories

If there are no devices to collect, you can use the express method. In this case, it is recommended to cut the bark with a sharp knife and bend it. The result should be a groove. After that, you can collect liquid in a dish 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 current of liquid can lead to the death of even the strongest tree.

Dropper

To get the juice, you can use a medical dropper. It can be purchased at every pharmacy. The adapter, which is put on the hose, has a diameter of approximately 4 millimeters. You can easily pick up the appropriate drill for it.

The tip features a flared base. Thanks to this, it will be possible to tightly place it in a hole in a birch. The other 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 dish and place the end of the tube into it.If there are several holes in the tree, an adapter from a dropper must be placed in each of them. In this case, the other ends are lowered into the same bowl. In this way, you will be able to get 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 second, 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 pen body.

Herbal tourniquet

This method has been used to collect birch sap since ancient times. To use it, you need to make a dense tourniquet from blades of grass, make a hole in the tree and place the workpiece in it. When the juice begins to stand out, it will soak the tourniquet well.Therefore, from the second end it is worth placing dishes to collect liquid. It is important to consider that it is recommended to take juice only in an ecologically clean area, which is far from cities and highways. It is permissible to collect the product in villages and forests.

Processing birch after harvest

Immediately after the completion of the collection of birch sap, it is recommended to treat the damaged area. The hole must be closed with a dense material. To do this, it is permissible to use the following means:

1. 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 prevent the barrel from drying out. Thanks to the use of garden pitch, it is possible to accelerate the healing of damaged areas on the trunk.
2. Plasticine - can also be used to close the hole. This will help prevent juice from running out.
3. Wooden cork - it can be easily made from wood. It is important that the diameter of it coincides 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.
4. Laundry soap - with this tool it is quite possible to close up a hole. It is also permissible to use a cork at first.
5. Paint from drying oil - it is important to make sure that it does not contain kerosene or gasoline. It is permissible to use white paint, which is often used for processing trees.

In the absence of these funds at hand, it is permissible to close the damaged area with earth, moss, clay or grass.

Caring for the tree after the procedure

If cuts were made on the tree, and the bark remained on it, it must be closed back. Then fix with a dense material.No additional action is required. With minor damage, birch is easily restored. This happens quite quickly. With significant injuries, the tree will die immediately. Therefore, you need to extract the juice as carefully as possible.

Storage of harvested juice

Freshly harvested juice is recommended to be put in the refrigerator immediately. 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 he alth. Mold and rot often appear in it. There is also a risk of reproduction 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.Frozen and double-strained composition can be stored in plastic bottles in the freezer. The shelf life of this product is 1 month.

If you pasteurize a drink, it must be stored in a glass container for 2 weeks. It is important to bear in mind that this procedure leads to the loss of some of the nutrients.

To prolong the shelf life of juice, it is recommended to preserve it. To do this, use natural ingredients. These include orange, lemon, honey, sugar, currant branches. Canned product can be stored for 6-8 months.

To prepare a he althy and tasty drink, it is recommended to use the following recipes:

1. 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 closed with a lid.
2. Heat the juice to a boil, add the soaked raisins and remove from the stove. Leave to insist. Then pour into bottles. At the same time, 8 centimeters should remain to the neck. Leave to infuse in a cool place for 2 weeks.
3. For 1 liter of birch sap, take half a lemon, 1 small spoonful of honey and 5 grams of dry yeast. Mix all the ingredients well so that they are completely dissolved, 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 he althy and tasty drink that helps improve he alth. At the same time, it is important to properly prepare this product. In order for it to retain maximum useful properties, it is necessary to choose the right time to collect the liquid and provide it with optimal storage conditions.

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