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There are probably very few people who need to be convinced of the undeniable benefits of birch sap. Although not everyone likes the taste and color. But its use can significantly alleviate the condition, and even cure so many diseases that only the very lazy do not collect it in the spring. It’s just that the problem of preserving a healing drink for a long time becomes as urgent as always. You can, of course, preserve it, prepare kvass and wine, but in recent years, an increasing number of people prefer to freeze birch sap.
Of course, this trend is associated, first of all, with the appearance on the open market of a huge number of practically industrial-type freezers. And the freezing procedure itself does not present any particular difficulties.
Is it possible to freeze birch sap?
People who have collected birch sap for the first time in their lives and have no idea how it can be preserved are most interested in the question of how to freeze it.
When thinking about this question, it is easiest to imagine how this process occurs in nature. After all, in spring the weather can be very unstable.Today the sun has warmed up and the snow has begun to melt. And the next day fierce winds blew, the frost began to crackle, and winter tried to regain its rights. And in the birch the process of sap flow has already begun in full swing. So it turns out that even in not too severe frosts (about -10 ° C), which can easily happen in the spring in the central zone, birch sap freezes right in the tree. And it also happens that at night there is frost, everything freezes, and during the day the sun melts the bark with its warmth, and the sap again runs through the veins of the birch. That is, under natural conditions, even repeated freezing and thawing does not greatly harm it and does not reduce its beneficial properties.
Does frozen birch sap lose its properties?
Of course, the situation is a little different with freezing birch sap artificially in the freezer.
Firstly, this natural product has such high biological activity that its natural shelf life is a little more than a few days. Even when stored in the refrigerator, after a few days it begins to ferment slightly. Symptoms of this phenomenon include a cloudy drink and a slightly sour taste. Moreover, if the weather is hot when collecting sap, it begins to ferment while still inside the tree.
This means that if the freezer does not have enough power to instantly freeze large volumes of this healing drink, then during the freezing process it may begin to sour and become cloudy-yellowish.In such cases, you should not be surprised if, after freezing, birch sap turns dark beige or yellow.
Secondly, the sap circulates in the tree through the finest channels, so its freezing occurs almost instantly, thanks to minimal volumes. From this we can conclude that if the freezer does not have a blast freezing mode, which guarantees instant freezing of any volume of liquid, then it is better to freeze the valuable birch elixir in minimally sized containers. This will ensure its best preservation.
In its usual freshly extracted state, birch sap in consistency and color resembles ordinary water - transparent, liquid, colorless. But occasionally, due to the special composition of the soil or an unusual variety of birch, it can acquire a yellowish or even brownish tint. In any case, you should not be afraid of this - the sap from any birch tree growing in an ecologically clean area is harmless and incredibly nutritious.
Freezing birch sap is considered the most effective way to preserve its beneficial properties among all possible ones. After all, with any heat treatment or the addition of preservatives, such as citric acid, a significant part of the vitamins is lost. And, therefore, many useful properties of the product. When using the instant shock freezing mode, the beneficial properties of birch sap are completely preserved after it. Therefore, this method can be safely recommended for preserving this healing drink in any quantity. Of course, if the freezer is not equipped with such a mode, then some of the beneficial substances may have time to transform during the freezing process.But in any case, this method preserves the healing substances of birch sap better than any other.
At least reviews from people who actually use frozen birch drink confirm that it is capable of:
- Support the body in the fight against depression, winter fatigue and vitamin deficiency. Helps you feel cheerful and energetic.
- Help strengthen the immune system and resist many seasonal infectious diseases;
- Imperceptibly dissolve kidney stones and remove toxic substances from the body;
- Improve the condition of skin and hair in case of age-related changes, allergic manifestations, diseases such as eczema, acne and other things.
But you can easily freeze birch sap for future use and enjoy all of its above-mentioned properties throughout the year.
How to freeze birch sap at home
The biggest problem when freezing birch sap will be choosing suitable containers. Especially if we consider the most common option, when the freezer does not have a shock (quick) freezing mode.
A variety of plastic forms, containers, and bottles are best suited.
The juice must be frozen almost immediately after collection. After all, even a few extra hours spent in the heat can start the fermentation process.
By the way, fermented juice itself is not a spoiled product, because even after defrosting it can be used to make very tasty and healthy kvass.
How to freeze birch sap into cubes
Cube molds are usually included with any freezer.And on sale now you can find small containers for freezing of any convenient shape.
In such containers, freezing juice occurs quickly, easily and without loss of beneficial properties, even in a regular freezer compartment of a modern refrigerator.
After collection, the birch elixir must be filtered and, having filled prepared clean molds with it, place them in the freezer compartment. After a day, pieces of frozen juice can be removed from the molds and placed in tight ziplock bags for more convenient and compact storage. The molds can be reused many times if fresh drink is available.
Ready-made frozen birch sap cubes are perfect for a variety of cosmetic procedures. If you wipe your face, neck and hands with frozen birch sap every day, you can solve many age-related and allergic skin problems. Pigment spots, freckles, acne will disappear quickly and unnoticed.
Thawing a few cubes and adding the juice of half a lemon makes an amazing hair rinse to add shine, vitality and remove dandruff. For greater effectiveness, you can directly rub this elixir into the scalp, adding burdock oil to it.
Freezing birch sap in plastic bottles
It is better to freeze birch sap in large-volume plastic bottles (1.5-5 l) if you have a freezer with a blast freezing function.
Small 0.5-1 liter bottles can also be used for freezing birch sap without loss in ordinary freezers.
Whatever bottle you use for freezing, do not fill it completely, otherwise ruptures may occur.You should leave about 8-10 cm of free space at the top.
Shelf life
Birch sap, frozen in any container, can be stored for up to six months in modern chambers at a temperature of about -18 °C. At lower temperatures you can store it throughout the year. The main thing is that you should not try to freeze it again. Therefore, containers should be used such that they are enough for exactly one use.
After defrosting, it is also stored for a short time, up to 2 days. It is better to use it immediately after defrosting.
Conclusion
If you freeze birch sap every spring, you can provide yourself with a uniquely healing elixir for almost the entire year, which will help both improve your health and preserve your beauty.
