Every spring, Russian residents go to the forest to collect birch sap. People have been drinking it since ancient times, but it gained record popularity during the Soviet era. This drink was so loved by everyone that it was sold in Soviet stores in three-liter jars. Its taste depends on the time and place of collection, but in general it is a delicate drink with a sweetish aftertaste and slight sourness. It is recommended to drink birch sap immediately after collection, because under the influence of microbes it begins to ferment quickly. In general, this colorless and tasty liquid is enjoyed by people of all ages and is also considered healthy. But do you know where the sap comes from in birch trees and what it consists of? Now together we will fill the gap in knowledge and expand our horizons.
Birch is a unique tree that can produce sap
Contents
- 1 Why do birches have sap
- 2 When to collect birch sap
- 3 How to collect birch sap
- 4 Is it legal to collect birch sap
- 5 What does birch sap consist of
- 6 Why birch sap is useful
Why there is sap in birch trees
In winter, birches, like many other trees, are in a kind of hibernation. It seems to us that from October to March nothing happens inside them, but in cold times the roots of the trees accumulate useful substances that will be needed in the spring for the appearance of leaves and the growth of trees in general.
During the winter, birch trees accumulate useful substances, and in the spring they release them through their “circulatory system” system”
When the outside air temperature rises above +5 degrees Celsius, high pressure forms inside the birches. It causes the water and nutrients in the roots to rise upward – this is called sap flow. The sap starts the processes of tree restoration after a long winter.
When birch sap is collected
Usually birch sap is collected from April to May, that is, the season is very short. The sap begins to move after the snow melts and buds swell on the branches. When the first leaves appear on the birch trees, it is no longer possible to collect the sap. It is best to collect birch sap from 10 am to 6 pm, because at night and early in the morning the sap moves along the trunk very weakly.
The collection of birch sap has a very short season – only 3-4 weeks
Typically, you can get up to 3 liters of sap per day from one birch tree. In rare cases, if the tree is very large, a person can get up to 7 liters of birch sap. But you can’t take too much of the drink, because trees need this liquid to grow – if you damage the wood too much, the juice will leak out and the tree will simply die.
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How to collect birch sap
Many people collect birch sap by making a small cut in the trunk and inserting a groove made of aluminum or plastic into it. If you place a container under this groove, it will be completely filled in a few hours. It was noted above that up to 3 liters of liquid can be collected per day. It turns out that it takes about 12 hours to fill a 1.5-liter bottle.
More experienced birch sap lovers make a hole up to 5 centimeters deep in the trunk. They tightly insert one end of the IV tube into it – it allows you to draw more fluid per day.
Collecting birch sap usually looks something like this. Source: doctorate.ru
Whatever method a person uses, after collection he must cover the slot with wax or plug it with moss. Otherwise, the liquid may leak out in vain or an infection may get into the trunk. All this is fraught with the death of the tree, so the collection of birch sap must be treated with great responsibility. And under no circumstances should you take sap from young birch trees, because it is vital for their growth – they still have everything ahead!
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Is it legal to collect birch sap
According to the Forest Code of the Russian Federation, Russian citizens can freely collect birch sap only in forests and exclusively for their own needs. If the juice is going to be sold, entrepreneurs need to have a lease agreement for the forest plot. Collecting birch sap in parks and other urban areas is prohibited.
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What birch sap consists of
Most of the birch sap consists of water. But many useful minerals are dissolved in it, including potassium, calcium, sodium, magnesium and manganese. It also contains natural sugars, which give it a sweet taste. Other components include essential oils, vitamins and organic acids. Their concentration is always different, so birch sap is always a complex mixture, which, at the same time, benefits us.
Birch sap is a complex mixture of dozens of different substances, but there are harmful components in it no
What are the benefits of birch sap
It is recommended to drink birch sap half an hour before meals, but not on an empty stomach. Due to the substances it contains, it improves digestion and speeds up metabolism. It can improve your mood and reduce stress levels thanks to its taste. It is believed to strengthen the immune system, reduce swelling and slow down inflammatory processes.
Birch sap is sometimes used to make okroshka or even wine
So those who consider birch sap to be useless water are wrong. There are definitely benefits from it, and in the spring people should try this drink – at least it’s tasty and can’t be compared with anything else.
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Another popular drink originally from the USSR is kombucha. We also have a separate article about it, in which we talked about how it is good for health. Recently it became known that it even helps you lose weight.