Birch sap: preserving sap at home for the winter

Birch sap is an excellent remedy for spring sap therapy. It is better to drink it fresh, within two or three days after collection. Then it loses its freshness and beneficial properties, so people have learned to preserve birch sap. It's important to know how to do it correctly.

How to preserve birch sap

Birch nectar can be frozen. To do this, you need a freezer equipped with a “no frost” system, which makes it possible to quickly and deeply freeze food and drinks.This function was not available in older refrigerators, but now the horizon of possibilities has expanded. It is necessary to freeze birch nectar in small portions, since after thawing after 2 hours it loses its freshness and begins to deteriorate.

It is best to preserve birch sap at home. Here you can give free rein to your imagination and culinary abilities. There are the most unusual recipes for a birch drink, for example, with pineapple, candy, barberry and many other natural flavor enhancers.

You can preserve birch drink quite easily. This does not require any special knowledge or material costs. You just need to work hard to collect sweet birch nectar in time, and also follow the basic principles of proper preservation:

• first, be sure to strain the drink through several layers of organza or gauze, since it often contains various debris, from small chips to midges; it is not recommended to preserve such a product, since it will not be stored for a long time;
• then bring to +100 degrees or boil for several minutes;
• before canning the drink, the jars should be sterilized in the oven, microwave or steam;
• use sealed lids intended for preservation; they also need to be sterilized;
• Dip additional components in the form of herbs and fruits into boiling water before preserving, this will make them as clean as possible;
• add sugar, the amount depends on taste preferences. Usually, 0.5 cups of granulated sugar are added to 3 liters of preserved food, but you can do less or more, or do without it altogether.

Birch sap should be preserved with citric acid - this is an essential component, a preservative that is needed in order for the drink to be stored.Place 1 teaspoon (without a slide) per 3 liters.

Is it possible to roll up cloudy birch sap?

In the first days of collection, birch nectar, as a rule, flows down transparent and clean. It has a low protein content and this is what makes it most suitable for preservation. The forcing lasts about a month. When the liquid flowing from the birch trunk begins to become cloudy, it is necessary to stop the harvesting process.

If the nectar is slightly cloudy, this does not affect the preservation process. It is necessary to boil it and then the drink will be well stored. In addition, during the boiling and preservation process, the color will change to normal. Birch sap that is too cloudy should not be canned at home. It is better to make kvass from it or drink it while it is fresh.

How to roll up birch sap with citric acid and candy

You can preserve birch sap for the winter with citric acid and fruit candies. Do it as follows. Place in jar:

• duchess or barberry lollipops – 3-4 pcs.;
• sugar – 0.5 tbsp;
• citric acid – 0.5 tsp.

For successful preservation, it is necessary to prepare clean, sterile jars. Heat the drink almost to boiling point (+80-90 C), remove from heat. Add the rest of the ingredients and let it brew. Filter and heat again, as before, then pour into jars. At home, you can roll up birch sap using any airtight lids.

Rolling birch sap with rose hips

Canning birch sap at home can be done using rose hips. It turns out to be a very tasty and healthy drink. First filter the birch nectar using a colander and gauze. Next, for preservation you will need the following components:

• juice – 5 l;
• rose hips (dried) – 300 g;
• sugar – ½ cup per jar (3 l);
• citric acid – ½ tsp. on the jar.

Pour the drink into a saucepan, add rose hips, bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 5-10 minutes. Leave for 2-3 hours. The result is a dark-colored solution, which needs to be preserved. Bring it to a boil again and keep on low heat for 10 minutes.

Turn off the gas, cover the pan with a lid, insulate the top with a blanket, and leave overnight. In the morning, pass the resulting concentrate through a sieve, straining out the now unnecessary rose hips. Pour 0.5-1 liters of concentrate into sterilized large jars, add sugar and citric acid.

To preserve further, you need to take the next portion of fresh birch nectar. Strain it through a filter to remove debris and midges that inevitably enter during harvesting. Pour into a saucepan and heat to +85-90 C. Use it to fill the missing volume in all jars. To preserve completely, seal with airtight lids. Turn the jars upside down, cover with a warm blanket and leave to cool.

How to roll birch sap with mint into jars

To prepare birch sap with citric acid according to the following recipe, you will need mint and lemon balm. They can be taken in dry form, since during the birch sap flow they are not yet available in fresh form. Also for conservation you will need:

• birch sap – 5 l;
• orange slices;
• citric acid – 1 tsp. (with top);
• sugar – 1 tbsp.

Pour boiling water over the herb for a few minutes to sterilize. Heat the birch drink until the first bubbles appear.This is approximately +80 degrees. Add citric acid, a glass or a little more granulated sugar. In each jar, put 3-4 orange slices, a sprig of mint and lemon balm, pour hot (from the heat) birch drink over everything. Roll up the lid tightly.

Birch sap for the winter with lemon

Boil birch nectar, prepare jars and lids for preservation. Place in each container:

• lemon – 3 slices;
• citric acid – 1 tsp;
• sugar – 100-200 g (to taste).

Before canning a drink with lemon, the grains of the fruit must be removed so that later bitterness does not form in the drink. Place all the ingredients in a jar, pour in the juice removed directly from the heat. Next, preserve as usual, roll up and cool, put in the basement for storage.

Winter recipe for birch sap with lemon and candy

On sale you can find a huge selection of various caramels and lollipops. They come in mint, lemon, orange. You should choose candies according to your taste, as they will add the main flavor note to the following recipe for preserving a birch drink. Wash the jars and hold over steam for 7 minutes. Dip the lemon into boiling water and cut into slices. Bring the drink to a boil. To preserve, put in a jar:

• mint candies 2-3 pcs.;
• lemon slices – 1-2 pcs.;
• currant sprig (optional);
• sugar – 5-6 tbsp. l. (with top).

Preserve the drink while it is hot, pour it into jars and seal tightly. Cool and store in the pantry until winter.

Birch sap in jars with lemon zest and raisins

To prolong the shelf life of birch nectar and at the same time give it a pleasant sourness, lemon is used during preservation. The result is a drink that tastes no worse than store-bought lemonade, but is much healthier.

Required ingredients for preservation:

• juice – 3 l;
• lemon zest – 1-2 tbsp. l.;
• sugar – 2 tbsp. l.;
• raisins – 5 pcs.

Pour boiling water over raisins and lemon, cut off the zest with a special vegetable peeler. Place everything in a jar, add sugar. Its quantity can be taken differently than what is indicated in the recipe for preservation. This should be decided individually, some people like it sweeter, others don't. Pour boiled birch nectar over everything. Immediately cover with a lid and roll tightly.

Preserving birch sap with currant branches for the winter

During preservation, currants give the drink a pleasant, unusual taste, to enhance which you can use plant shoots with unopened buds. You will need:

• juice – 3 l;
• sugar – 4-5 tbsp. l.;
• citric acid – 0.5 tsp;
• young shoots of black currant.

Wash the branches of the plant under running plain water and then pour over boiling water. Place in the bottom of a sterilized jar. Heat the birch nectar until the first bubbles appear; be sure to remove the foam. Pour sugar and acid into a jar and seal it tightly.

How to roll up birch sap with barberry

For this recipe, you can use barberries or similar-flavored candies. The fruits have excellent taste characteristics and are often used in the preparation of herbal teas, various dishes and drinks. They give an interesting sourness, aroma and rich color, and are often used for tinting compotes, marmalade, and jelly.Berries can be taken both dry and fresh. If this is not possible, the leaves of the plant will do.

Preserve the drink with the following ingredients:

• berries – 100 g;
• sugar – 1 tbsp.

First strain the drink, then boil and turn off. Pour hot into jars prepared for preservation and seal immediately.

How to roll up birch sap with orange and citric acid

Despite the fact that vitamins are lost at high temperatures, birch nectar must be boiled, otherwise it will not be stored. Minerals, natural sugars, and some other elements remain. In winter, the drink will still be many times healthier than plain water. To preserve birch sap with orange you will need the following ingredients:

• juice – 3 l;
• sugar – 1-2 tbsp. l.;
• orange – ½ pcs.;
• citric acid – 1 tsp.

Sterilize the jars, put in them an orange, cut into slices, add the rest of the ingredients. Pour boiling drink over and seal with an airtight lid. Cover the jars with a warm blanket for a day, then put them in a cool, dark place. Birch sap with orange, stored for the winter, will make very tasty lemonade.

Birch sap for the winter: recipe without boiling

Heat the strained nectar without bringing it to a boil. The maximum temperature of the drink should be no more than +80 C. Pre-prepare the container in which the juice will be preserved:

• Wash the jars and lids and let the water drain;
• sterilize everything;
• tar the necks of the jars in those places where there will be contact with the lids. This is done to prevent air from getting inside.

If empty jars were stored somewhere in the basement, mold spores could get inside. Therefore, it is unsafe to preserve in such containers. It is better to wash it not with plain water, but with a solution of baking soda. This will make it possible to destroy microorganisms and subsequently avoid spoilage of the drink before its expiration date. Then hold the jars over steam for 10 minutes.

Roll up hot birch sap in 3-liter jars. Then sterilize for 15-20 minutes at a temperature of +80 C. This method of preservation allows you to store birch drink for no more than six months.

Preserving birch sap for the winter with citric acid and honey

Place honey in a saucepan and pour the drink into it. Stir the contents of the pan until completely dissolved. Do not strain the birch nectar at first, so as not to have to do this several times, since the honey will form a sediment during preservation and will need to be removed as well.

Ingredients:

• honey – 200 g;
• juice – 3 l;
• citric acid – 1 tsp.

Strain, add citric acid and continue to preserve over fire. Bring to a boil, turn off and pour into prepared container, roll up. During preservation, white foam will form, remove it.

Preservation of birch sap with pine needles

It is necessary to take pine needles, only young shoots (one-year-old ones). They usually grow at the top or tip of branches. For the recipe you will need 250 g of such twigs, which is about 4-6 pieces, depending on the size. It is necessary to preserve the thinnest and most tender ones. You can also recognize young shoots by the oily, waxy surface of the cones, which should subsequently be trimmed.So, in addition to pine needles for preservation you will need:

• juice – 6 l;
• citric acid - 1 tbsp. l. (with top);
• soda - the same;
• sugar – 1-1.3 tbsp.

Pour the drink into a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Wash the jars with an alkaline solution, rinse and hold over steam to sterilize. Next, start preparing the branches. Before canning, you need to remove all thickenings, defects, various debris, wax deposits, and then cut off the tops. Rinse the branches well under running hot water, you can use a washcloth, and then scald with boiling water.

Rinse the coniferous branches again with hot water, then with cold water. Throw them into a saucepan with just boiled juice, first turn off the gas, and leave for 6-7 hours. Strain, add sugar and citric acid, pour into prepared jars. To finish preserving the drink, sterilize at +90-95 C, roll it up and gradually cool it. The jars are turned upside down and covered with something warm. In this position, you can clearly see whether the lids are leaking and how sealed they are.

How to store canned birch sap

Canned birch drink is sent for long-term storage in a dark, cool place such as a cellar or basement. The shelf life of such a product is no more than 8 months. The shelf life of the drink becomes longer if during the preservation process it is boiled, sterilized, and acid is added.

Conclusion

Preserving birch sap is quite easy; it does not require much effort or financial investment.But in winter, the drink will be a rich source of nutrients, strengthen the body, give strength and resistance against colds and seasonal diseases.

Recommended Posts

How to make apricot juice

Cranberry juice

Beetroot juice in the nose

Pear juice in a juicer for the winter

Blueberry juice

Melon juice

Liver cleanse with oil and lemon juice

Lemon juice: homemade recipes

How to make pomegranate juice at home