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Birch sap is a national drink, the pride of the Russian people. Since ancient times, this healing natural elixir has helped and saved from many ailments, especially during the difficult spring season, when all winter supplies are coming to an end, and there are still no fresh green vitamins. To preserve the beneficial properties of birch sap, various drinks were prepared from it: kvass, honey, wine, champagne, mash. The recipe for kvass made from birch sap with barley has survived today as one of the most popular among the Russian people. This drink, having a rather sharp taste and a thick, rich aroma, most closely resembles traditional bread kvass. Perhaps this is the main secret of his popularity.
The benefits of homemade kvass made from birch sap on barley
Birch sap itself is a refreshing, strengthening and very pleasant-tasting drink, with a slight hint of sweetness. Its entire rich composition is completely preserved and transferred to kvass prepared at home. In addition to a rich set of vitamins and various useful minerals (potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium), homemade birch kvass contains organic acids and tannins, fruit sugar and plant hormones, enzymes and phytoncides.
The sugar content in natural birch sap can vary from 0.5 to 3%, depending on the location and growing conditions of the tree. Most often, this turns out to be enough to make a tasty and healthy drink, since traditionally granulated sugar is not added to birch kvass made from barley.
All this rich content provides indispensable help in curing many ailments.
- Thanks to its special tonic and general strengthening effect, birch kvass is useful to drink when the body is in a weakened state after serious illnesses or operations, with loss of appetite, anemia and all ailments associated with increased fatigue.
- It has an anthelmintic, antipyretic and diuretic effect, therefore it can help with infectious diseases accompanied by high fever, with bronchitis, sore throat, tuberculosis, as well as with kidney diseases. It is a known fact that it is capable of dissolving and removing stones from the body.
- It is no less useful for exacerbations of chronic diseases and severe intoxications.
- Having the properties of removing cholesterol from the body and lowering blood sugar, kvass will be useful for diabetics.
- Since birch kvass made from barley is a wonderful blood purifier, it is used for any diseases associated with metabolic disorders, as well as for rheumatism, gout, arthritis, and venereal diseases.
- The drink can provide relief from high blood pressure and heart pain.
- Regular consumption of birch kvass made from barley helps cleanse the skin and strengthens hair and teeth.
- Both antioxidant and antitumor properties of birch kvass are known.
- The healing effect of birch kvass on barley on diseases of the digestive system: stomach ulcers, problems with the gallbladder, liver, duodenum is also important.
- For men, this is a good remedy for impotence, and for women, it is very useful to use kvass made with barley during menopause.
- Well, of course, this drink is a real panacea for vitamin deficiencies, scurvy and scrofula.
Possible contraindications to taking this drink can only be if an individual intolerance to birch sap or an allergy to birch pollen is detected. Birch kvass made with barley should be used with caution by those who suffer from kidney stones and stomach and duodenal ulcers.
Secrets of making barley kvass with birch sap
The process of making kvass from birch sap with the addition of barley is not at all difficult; anyone, even a novice housewife, can handle it if desired. The most difficult thing, especially in a big city, is getting the right ingredients.
It is preferable to extract birch sap on your own. Only then can you be one hundred percent sure of the quality of the extracted product. And a walk through the spring forest itself will certainly inspire, give strength and cure possible winter blues. This is usually done in early spring, depending on the region, in March or April.
Barley grains are not so easy to find in a regular grocery store. They are usually found in health food stores.
Some recipes use barley malt instead of the grains themselves.If necessary, you can also find it on sale or easily make it yourself. Since malt is just sprouted grains in which the fermentation process has begun to occur, responsible for the further fermentation of the product.
As already noted, the classic recipe for making birch kvass with barley usually does not contain granulated sugar. This allows you to make the drink as natural as possible, low-calorie and healthy. True, it tastes somewhat harsh and will appeal more to adults than to children. If you particularly wish, sugar can be added to the finished drink so as not to provoke further fermentation. The amount of barley added may also vary. Depending on the proportions used, the taste of the drink has a more or less grainy taste.
Before using, barley grains are usually fried in a dry frying pan. This technique allows you not only to give kvass a unique grain taste, but also gives a rich brown color to the finished drink. Therefore, the roasting time directly determines both the taste of kvass and its color saturation. If barley grains are fried only until slightly golden, the taste of the drink will be quite delicate, and the color will be light brown and golden.
If you hold the grains in a frying pan for a longer time, you can get a dark brown drink with a rich and even sharp taste with a slight bitterness.
The taste of birch kvass made with barley is also determined by the time during which it is infused in heat. As this time period increases, the taste of kvass becomes sharper and thicker.
To increase the healing properties of the drink, various fruits and medicinal herbs are sometimes added to it when infused: rose hips, hawthorn, caraway, linden flowers, thyme, chamomile, pine needles and more.
Classic recipe for kvass made from birch sap and barley
To prepare birch kvass with barley according to the classic recipe you will need:
- 10 liters of freshly extracted birch sap;
- 500 g barley grains.
Manufacturing:
- Freshly collected juice must first be strained through a sieve with gauze placed at the bottom to get rid of possible forest contaminants: pieces of bark, wood chips, shavings or insects.
- Then it is covered with a lid and placed in a cool place for 1-2 days.
- Barley grains are washed in cool water and dried until crumbly. There is no need to clean them or subject them to any other processing.
- Dried barley grains are poured into a dry frying pan without oil or other fat and fried over medium heat for some time. The frying period is determined depending on what result they want to get in the end, which was discussed in detail in the previous chapter.
- Birch sap is poured into a prepared container for sourdough and roasted barley is added there.Comment! If you want to do everything carefully, so that the barley grains do not float throughout the entire volume of juice, then they are placed in a gauze bag, which is tied and placed in a container with juice.
- The juice is lightly mixed, the top of the container is covered with a piece of linen or gauze and left in a relatively warm place (temperature + 21-26 ° C).
- Kvass is infused for 2 to 4 days, depending on the desired taste of the final product. Within a day you can taste it and evaluate whether it needs to be left for further fermentation.
- The drink must be stirred every day.
- When it is decided that the kvass is ready, it is filtered again and bottled into separate bottles with tight-fitting lids.
Since the fermentation process will continue even after corking, only with much less intensity even in a relatively cold place, bottles should not be filled to the neck when bottling. In their upper part it is necessary to leave 5-7 cm of free space.
Rules for taking the drink
Natural birch kvass made with barley is perfect for making traditional Russian okroshka.
On average, for the prevention and treatment of various diseases, the following dosage regimen is used: consume 200 ml of kvass daily, half an hour before meals, up to 3 times a day. It is enough to carry out such a course for 2 or 3 weeks to feel significant relief and a surge of strength.
In order for kvass from birch sap and barley to be preserved for a long time (up to six months), it must be sealed as tightly as possible and kept in a cool or even cold room without light. When preparing small volumes of kvass, the refrigerator is perfect for this purpose.
Conclusion
Among many similar preparations, the recipe for kvass made from birch sap with barley is one of the most natural and healthy. After all, it doesn’t even contain sugar, however, the drink can retain its beneficial properties for up to 6 months.
