Spring has finally arrived and we are enjoying birch sap kvass to the fullest! We have a little forest across the road, so our whole house in this little wood is “fed” - some just drink juice, some make kvass, and some make mash :)
My husband already knows which birch tree is “GREEDY” and generously gives sap - he has “his own birch friends” here:
We cut out a small hole in the birch bark so that after use it can be SEALED WITH PLASTICINE (we still have to go to this forest to pick up mushrooms and berries, in case we get offended) :)
We put several jars, and after work, like a milkmaid, I go for “evening milking” - I pour the juice into one can.
Now, in order: for a 0.5 liter jar (sorry, it’s more convenient for me to take a photo like this), I took 3 raisins, 3 teaspoons of sand (without a slide) and a pistachio of dried apples. Yes, you should take dried apples, don’t even think about fresh ones! ( personal experience unsuccessful experiment). I take dried apples from familiar gardeners, or from grandmothers at the market, since those brown rotten apples that are passed off as dried fruit in the store are not suitable at all.
Having first strained the juice from the twigs, bark and dead ants, pour everything into a jar and leave it for 1-2 days in a warm place:
This is what happens the next day: the juice “ferments” a little and the result is light yellow, tasty and refreshing kvass. After 2 days it’s even better! Slightly reminiscent of kombucha.
Birch sap is available only in early spring, usually in April. You can preserve the taste, benefits and unique composition of microelements and vitamins not only by storing it in jars, but by preparing kvass based on it. The drink can be prepared not only from bread, but also from birch sap - this makes the drink soft and refreshing.
Options for preparing kvass with raisins and dried fruits, with barley and bread give a variety of tastes: from sour yeast to sweet fruit.
Kvass with barley
Making kvass from birch sap at home is not a troublesome task, as it may seem to inexperienced housewives. Adding barley will give a taste similar to the usual yeast.
Ingredients:
- fresh – 3 l;
- barley – 1 cup (about 100 g);
Preparation:
- Birch sap must be filtered through several layers of gauze, removing dirt, wood chips and bark. Put in cool place for 1-2 days.
- Pour the barley grains into a frying pan and fry. If you fry until golden brown, the drink will become tender and soft in taste. If you fry it until it is dark, almost black, the kvass will taste bitter.
- Pour the barley into the juice. If you don’t want the grains to float in a bottle of kvass, you can tie them in a gauze bag and throw them into the bottle.
- Kvass should be infused for at least 3-4 days in a warm room. The drink should be stirred periodically. Over time he acquires dark color and rich barley flavor.
- After a few days, the kvass can be strained and poured into glass bottles.
- Store the drink for up to six months in a cellar or other cool place.
Such natural birch-barley kvass - perfect solution for homemade traditional dressing It has the freshness of birch sap and sourness with a bit of bitterness from barley.
Kvass with raisins and dried fruits
Raisins in the composition are the basis of fermentation. Dried fruits will help add a fruity note to the drink.
You will need:
- fresh birch sap – 3 l;
- dried fruits – 0.6-0.8 kg;
- – 200 gr. or 1.5-2 cups.
You will need:
- fresh birch sap – 3 l;
- bread – 300 gr;
- sugar – ½ cup;
- choice: a handful of raisins, mint leaves, black currants, barley grains or coffee beans.
Preparation:
- Strain the juice through several layers of gauze to get rid of impurities: pieces of wood and debris. If the juice is freshly collected, it is better to leave it for 1-2 days in a cool place before preparing kvass.
- Cut the bread into cubes and make crackers: place and dry on a baking sheet in the oven or fry without oil in a frying pan.
- Place crackers and sugar on the bottom of the glass container where the fermentation process will take place. Pour in slightly warmed birch sap and stir. You can add your favorite flavoring ingredient: blackcurrant or mint leaves - this will give a light berry-herbal aroma. Coffee beans and barley will enhance the rye flavor.
- Close the bottle with a loose lid or tie several layers of gauze and leave to ferment in a warm place for 3-5 days.
- After a few days, the kvass can be strained, poured into convenient containers and stored in a cool place for up to six months.
Probably, representatives of the older generation remember very well the song performed by the legendary “Pesnyary” with the words: “And the Motherland generously gave me birch sap, birch sap”...
This early spring nectar with its illuminating sweetish note is dear to the heart of every Russian and has been valued from time immemorial. It is consumed fresh, medicinal kvass is made from birch sap, and even moonshine is made.
The juice is not only tasty, but also healthy, especially after winter vitamin deficiency, since it is rich in vitamins C and B, as well as microelements. They drink it to boost immunity, and simply because it’s delicious. And he also has healing properties, helps in the treatment of a number of diseases:
- perfectly cleanses the body, removes toxins and deposits in blood vessels and joints;
- strengthens cardiovascular system;
- improves brain activity;
- enhances physical endurance, gives energy;
- useful for people who have problems with the gastrointestinal tract, as it restores the acid-base balance;
- Thanks to its diuretic properties, it removes excess water from the body, relieves swelling and partially regulates arterial pressure;
- increases immunity.
However, despite the obvious benefits, people with kidney stones and peptic ulcers should not get too carried away with it.
Note that birch kvass retains all the beneficial properties of the juice.
Important. Kvass prolongs the shelf life of valuable juice up to six months, while sterilization significantly reduces its benefits.
The “spines” of the resulting carbon dioxide improve the taste, perfectly quenching thirst and refreshing in the heat. By drinking a glass of birch kvass daily, you will quickly feel improvements:
- in a week or two, vitamin deficiency and spring depression will go away, energy and performance will increase;
- prebiotic bacteria, invariably present in fermentation products, along with the vitamin and mineral complex of kvass, improve the functioning of internal organs: improve digestion, eliminate poisons accumulated in the liver and kidneys;
- the skin becomes healthier, youthful acne is actively eliminated and healed;
- the condition of hair and nails improves: fragility is eliminated. Hair begins to grow better and look healthy.
Attention. For beauty, in addition to consuming kvass, masks and lotions made from it are used.
Harvesting sap without damaging the tree
An adult healthy birch tree can give up to 7 liters of valuable sap (or sap, as it is otherwise called) without harm. But you should take good care of its capabilities and then in the spring you will be able to use its bounty again
Carefully. If you take too much sap, the birch tree may die.
Therefore, do not be greedy and carefully “heal” the wounds after taking the healing liquid so that the tree has enough nutrition for further development.
Some “tourists” use this technique: they break off a twig from a birch tree and insert the stump into a bottle. Then they take away the collected raw materials, and leave the wounds on the trees. A broken branch can also cause the death of a tree!
That's why best method such:
Take a small diameter tube (silicone, metal, wood) and drill a hole in the birch exactly the size (no deeper than 5 cm), at a distance of about half a meter from the ground. Insert the tube tightly into it and lower the tip of the tube into the jar. You can use a groove instead of a straw.
Peculiarities. A good container for collecting birch sap is plastic water bottles of 5-6 liters. But it is advisable to store the juice in glass.
After selecting the juice in reasonable quantities, a wooden plug (a piece of dry twig, etc.) is hammered into the hole. The cork will quickly swell and seal the wound. It is advisable to additionally lubricate the chopik with garden varnish before driving in order to protect the birch from possible infection.
How to cook at home
With honey and lemon
The sweet and sour tingling taste will appeal to both adults and children. Take:
- 10 liters of fresh birch sap;
- 50 g raw baker's yeast;
- 200 g (half a glass) honey;
- juice from 1-3 lemons (to taste).
Mix a glass of paska and yeast, let rise. Add honey, stir. Then – lemon juice.
Mix the mixture with birch sap. You can - in a large bottle or in a saucepan, then pour into three-liter jars (not to the very top) and close with nylon lids. Leave in room conditions. After 3-4 days the drink is ready.
Without yeast, with sourdough bread
This kvass is prepared using ready-made bread sourdough. Let's take:
- 10 liters of juice;
- 3-4 tbsp honey;
- 7 tablespoons of bread sourdough.
Mix the ingredients. We insist in the room for 3-4 days. We bottle it and send it to the cool of the basement or cellar to mature for a couple of weeks.
Advice. For a richer color and bready taste, add 500 grams of dried rye crackers.
When bottling, strain.
How to make kvass using raisins?
The addition of raisins is due to the fact that this gives the kvass additional sharpness and increases the amount of carbon dioxide in it. This makes it even more pleasant to drink, and at the same time it is hundreds of times healthier than store-bought carbonated drinks made from chemical ingredients.
Note. Before adding raisins to kvass, they are not soaked.
You don't have to wash it. And if you wash it, it won’t take long, cold water. Wild yeast on the surface will create the effect of light fermentation even in cool conditions.
With raisins and dried fruits
This recipe will help add a pleasant fruity note to the finished kvass. Choose dried fruits to your taste, you can use a mix (pears, apples, cherries, prunes, dried apricots, etc.). A recipe has been known for a long time, according to which the following is taken per 10 liters of birch sap:
- 200 g raisins;
- 500 g dried apples.
You can cook in a 20-liter enamel pan. The mixture is left warm, covered, for about a week. When “hotness” appears, the kvass can be filtered, bottled and sealed (from now on, kept cool).
Attention. To protect kvass from insects, it is advisable to cover the pan with gauze (in 2-3 layers), and then with a lid.
If you don’t strain it, but take the pan into the basement with all its contents, then day by day the drink will become tastier and stronger.
When making this kvass with the expectation that children will also drink it, you can add half a glass of sugar, and after fermentation is complete, strain.
With dark raisins
This kvass is prepared in early spring, but it will only gain the necessary properties by summer. It’s nice not only to drink it, but also to cook okroshka with it (see:). He doesn't lose for long healing properties.
Take 10 liters of birch sap and 80 pieces of large black raisins. Mix everything in a large bottle, close the lid tightly and send it to the cellar, where it will slowly ripen. The ready-made drink can be bottled, corked and enjoyed all summer long.
Children's "carbonated" nectar with orange
Children really like this naturally carbonated, sweet and tasty kvass. And the benefits from it are hundreds of times greater than from “chemical” drinks.
For 2.5 liters of fresh birch sap you will need:
- 1 chopped orange;
- a handful of raisins (50 g);
- 10 g raw baker's yeast;
- a couple of sprigs with mint and lemon balm leaves. Considering that natural birch sap is available only in early spring, dried ones are possible, but fresh ones are better;
- 1 cup of sugar.
Leave the yeast to rest (mash, add a pinch of sugar, a little juice, wait until it starts to rise). Mix everything except raisins in a jar. Place in a warm place for a couple of days.
When it ferments, pour into half-liter glasses. glass bottles. Add 3 raisins to each, seal securely and place in the cellar or refrigerator. In a day, sweet birch kvass is ready.
Advice. Bottles with clips (for example, from) are good for capping.
Lemonade kvass
This kvass with lemon is an excellent immunostimulant, and it’s also delicious and refreshing. Both adults and children will like it.
A simple option is to replace the orange with lemon in the previous recipe. But a drink with honey is more beneficial. So let's take:
- 10 liters of fresh birch sap;
- juice from 3-4 lemons;
- 3 spoons of honey;
- 50 g raw yeast;
- 50 g raisins.
Mix all ingredients at once and stir. There is an option - we close the whole drink in one container, if not - we pour it into jars, distributing the raisins equally. Let's keep it cool. After 3-4 days, the kvass is ready for use.
Delicious coffee kvass with black bread
This invigorating drink made from birch sap acts like an energy drink, giving vigor and a surge of strength. The taste is very similar to bread kvass.
- 2.5 liters of birch sap;
- 150 g crusts of black Borodino bread;
- 50 g raisins;
- 0.5 cups sugar;
- 50 g of coffee beans (some people count the number of beans as raisins.
Roast the coffee beans in a dry frying pan, stirring. Toast the bread crusts in the oven. In a jar, fill all the ingredients with birch sap. We put on a rubber medical glove and secure it to the neck of the jar with a rubber band.
After 2-3 days the glove will “raise your hand”, then we pierce one of the fingers with a needle. If it inflates too much, we pierce the other finger as well. We wait until the fermentation ends and the glove falls off. We strain the kvass, seal it in bottles, and put it in the refrigerator or basement for a couple of days. You can serve!
Dark birch-barley kvass
The rich color of dark beer and the slightly intoxicating properties of this kvass will appeal to lovers of light, refreshing drinks.
You need to take 1 kg of selected barley, wash it, dry it, and then fry it in a dry frying pan until golden or almost brown. Pour into a container and add 10 liters of fresh birch sap. Cover and leave to ferment in the room. Try it periodically.
After a few days, when a slight hop taste is already felt, pour it into bottles, cap it and send it to the cellar. Can be stored for up to six months without changing taste and useful properties. An open bottle should be drunk within a day or two.
Spicy citrus kvass with ginger and oranges
For those who love the spicy heat of ginger and the refreshing kick of orange, this recipe is perfect. Required:
- 3 liters of birch sap;
- 2 oranges;
- 50g grated fresh root ginger;
- 5 g fast acting dry yeast;
- 1 tsp honey;
- 150 g sugar;
- 15 mint leaves (fresh or dried);
- 0.5 lemon – optional.
Slice oranges and lemons, grate ginger. Place in a fermentation container and add honey, yeast, sugar, mint leaves. Heat birch sap to 25-28°C. Pour in the ingredients, making sure the container is no more than 2/3 full. Cover up thick fabric and leave it warm for a day. Then bottle, cap and store cool.
Sweet kvass without yeast with dried fruits
For 5 liters of birch sap, take:
- 250 g of any dried fruits you like;
- 1.5 cups sugar;
- 50 g raisins.
Dissolve sugar in strained birch sap, add raisins. Cover, leave in a warm place for three days, then strain, bottle, add 3 raisins for every half liter, seal and refrigerate for a week.
Is fermented birch sap suitable for kvass?
As a rule, even in the refrigerator, freshly collected birch sap is stored for no more than two to three days. Many people believe that such a product is already spoiled and cannot be saved. But this is in vain, since it is perfect for kvass, but only if the fermentation process has just begun. Don’t delay, but turn the juice into kvass, which will be stored much longer and prolong the benefits of the natural Russian healer.
You can use a simple recipe from what you have on hand. For 2.5 liters of pasokka take 1.5 cups of sugar (honey), a handful of raisins and several dried crusts of black bread.
The kvass has become viscous. Can he be saved?
Kvass sometimes becomes viscous, although it does not change the taste. This happens more often with sweet drinks.
Most likely, not the best processes began in kvass, and the best solution will put a mash on it and distill it. Birch moonshine is clean and pleasant to drink.
Conditions and periods of storage of birch kvass
There is an opinion that birch kvass can be stored for no longer than three months. However, experts claim that they drink it all summer and even the whole year, until the new pasok harvest. In most cases, kvass, hermetically sealed in the basement, can be stored for up to six months. That is, if you have enough stock, you can drink it all summer.
A very interesting and unusual drink is obtained if you take yeast, prunes, dried apples and pears as a basis. And kvass made from birch sap with dried fruits will not only be incredibly tasty, sparkling and aromatic, but also very healthy. On any table, children's or adults, at any holiday it will become the “highlight of the program”, so we advise you to prepare it with a reserve!
First, let's make a drink according to the basic recipe. It takes the longest to prepare, but contains the least amount of ingredients.
Dried fruits of your choice are suitable, but kvass is especially tasty and aromatic with the addition of prunes and pears. It is best to take one part of both, and also add one third of the dried apples.
Ingredients
- Birch sap – 2.5 l
- Dried fruits – 150 g
Preparation
- We take 3 liter jar, rinse the dried fruits well and place them in it without soaking. If the prunes have pits, leave them, the taste will be even richer.
- Fill everything with juice, filling the jar almost to the brim, and cover it with either gauze in several layers, or plastic cover with several holes for air to escape. You can make them with a hot knife or an awl.
- Place the jar in a warm place, but avoid direct sunlight. We remember that the lower the temperature in the room where the kvass is stored, the longer it will take to cook. On average, preparation time takes from 9 – 10 days to two weeks.
- We filter the finished kvass and bottle it, cool it and either serve it or drink a glass 3 times a day, as it is very healthy in itself.
Kvass with dried fruits made with yeast
To speed up the fermentation process, since it is not always possible to keep the drink for ten days, add regular dry yeast to it.
- We take a mix of dried fruits, for example, raisins, dried apricots, prunes, cherries and cranberries - only 200 g, put them in a jar or pan.
- Pour in 10 g of yeast and fill it with 3 liters of birch sap.
- If necessary, add sugar to taste.
- Cover with a napkin or gauze - it is important, as in the previous recipe, to provide ventilation.
We keep the kvass, depending on the room temperature, from one and a half to 3 days. We try it, monitoring the fermentation process in order to strain and serve the drink in time. Otherwise he will stop.
In this recipe for birch kvass, it is good to use honey instead of sugar as a sweetener for dried fruits.
By adding rye bread to the main composition, we get a taste similar to traditional leavened bread, but sweeter, even without the participation of sugar and, of course, more summery. In addition, this drink is also made quite quickly; you don’t have to keep it for 2 weeks.
- We combine your favorite dried fruits or take a mixture of raisins and prunes in equal proportions in the amount of 180 g. We wash everything and put it in a pan or jar, and put a crust of black bread there (60 - 80 g).
- If you want the drink to ripen faster, add 5 g of yeast and fill the jar until full with birch sap (2.5 - 3 l).
- Let it sit for at least 2 days in a warm place away from direct sun, taste and, if necessary, leave for another day or strain and bottle.
Whatever recipe we choose for birch kvass with dried fruits, quick or longer-lasting, it’s always worth remembering the pleasant need to try the drink. This is the only way we can control the fermentation process and interrupt it in time so that the kvass does not overripe.
Try it, friends, and share your miracle recipes for this healing, incredibly tasty drink in the comments!
Birch kvass is not only a refreshing and tonic soft drink, but also a storehouse of many vitamins and useful substances. It has a very beneficial effect on work gastrointestinal tract, improves digestion, has a diuretic effect, and easily removes harmful waste and toxins from the body. Recipes for birch sap kvass with raisins are easy to prepare and also require a minimum of effort and ingredients.
Classic recipe with raisins
This version of kvass is best prepared using pure raw materials - that is, from fresh birch sap brought from the forest.
You will need:
- Fresh birch sap - about 10 l;
- Sugar – half a kilogram;
- Dried raisins – 50 pcs.
Recipe:
- Clean the wort collected from birch from debris by straining it through gauze, which you fold in several layers.
- First dry and rinse the raisins.
- Add raisins and sugar to the drink, stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Cover with a cloth lid and leave for 3 days in some warm place - this is done for fermentation.
- Strain the finished kvass thoroughly again and bottle it.
Kvass can be made for future use - it can be stored for up to four months in a cool place.
Recipe with dark raisins
This option must be done in early spring in order to get a ready-made drink by summer.
You will need:
- Fresh birch sap - about 2.5-3 liters;
- Dark large raisins – 20-25 pcs.
Recipe:
- Strain the birch wort thoroughly to remove any debris.
- Pour raisins into the bottle with the drink.
- Carefully seal the container with a lid and send it to a cool place (ideally a cellar) until summer.
You can even make good okroshka from such kvass, it long time retains its beneficial properties.
Recipe with honey
An incredibly healthy option for a birch sap drink that can be used to strengthen the immune system.
You will need:
- Fresh birch sap – about 10 l;
- Lemon – medium size 3-4 pcs.;
- Highlights – 3-4 pieces;
- Fresh yeast (live) – 50 g;
- Liquid honey – 30-40 grams.
Recipe:
- Strain the birch wort and pour it into a deep container.
- Squeeze the liquid out of the lemons and add to the drink.
- Pour yeast in there, add honey and raisins.
- Mix everything and pour the drink into jars.
- Seal the jars and place them in a cool place during the day.
- After 3-4 days you can eat kvass.
Recipe with bread
This version of a drink made from birch sap with bread has an unusual rich taste, and it is practically indistinguishable from ordinary “bread” kvass.
You will need:
- Birch sap – 2.5 liters;
- Borodino stale bread – 2-3 crusts;
- Sugar - about half a glass;
- Raisins – a handful (about 50 g);
- Coffee beans – the same amount as raisins.
Recipe:
- Lightly roast the coffee beans in a dry frying pan.
- Dry Borodino bread in the oven.
- Wash and dry the raisins.
- IN three liter jar add raisins, bread and coffee beans, add sugar. Fill everything with birch nectar.
- Take a rubber glove and pierce it in one place with a needle. Place a glove over the top of the jar and place it in a warm place.
- After some time (2-3 days), the glove will begin to “vote”, that is, it will rise up - which means the fermentation process has begun.
- Wait until the glove “falls off”, strain the drink and put it in the refrigerator.
In another couple of days, this kvass will be ready for use.
Recipe with orange
This option can be made for children - it turns out similar to fruit nectar, very aromatic and healthy.
You will need:
- Fresh birch sap – 2.5 liters;
- Orange – 1 pc.;
- Raisins - a handful (to taste);
- Fresh mint and lemon balm - several sprigs of each herb;
- Sugar – about one glass;
- Yeast -10 g.
Recipe:
- Cut the orange into small slices.
- Grind the yeast with a small amount of sugar. Pour them into a three-liter jar.
- Throw in mint, lemon balm, orange and the remaining sugar.
- Pour the contents with birch sap.
- Leave the drink in a warm place for a couple of days.
- When the drink has fermented, pour it on the floor liter bottles, adding 2-3 highlights to each of them. Place the kvass in the refrigerator.
- In another day, kvass made from birch sap will be ready for use.
Birch kvass with the addition of raisins will not only help you feel refreshed on a hot day, but will also add health, vigor and strength to your body.