We collect birch sap correctly: when and how
Many of us still remember the time when there were large three-liter bottles with a translucent sweet drink on the shelves in the store, and birch branches flaunted on the label. This health drink has not disappeared from the shelves even today, in most cases it simply "migrated" into paper tetrapacks, but unfortunately, one can argue about the quality of the juice. Unscrupulous manufacturers often add various preservatives and other ingredients that increase shelf life, but do not improve taste at all. Therefore, if possible, lovers of this nectar prefer to harvest it on their own: this way you can always be sure that the product is 100% natural. Since the collection period is very limited in time, in order to be in time and at the same time not harm the tree, you need to know when and how to collect birch sap correctly.
When can you start collecting juice?
Birch juice harvested in early spring, the exact time depends on where the trees grow and the climate. In the southern regions this is the beginning or middle of March, and in the northern latitudes it is even April. Sap flow is activated in the tree when the snow melts and positive values prevail on the street. You can visually determine the readiness of a birch tree to give a healing drink by the swollen kidneys.
It is important to have time to collect the juice before the buds begin to open and leaves appear (usually two weeks).
If in doubt, you can check if the sap flow has started. To do this, a small hole must be made in the tree with a sharp awl. If nothing stands out from it, then you need to wait a little longer, covering the wound with garden varnish. A droplet emerging from the hole indicates the beginning of the juice collection season.
Experienced collectors recommend starting work in the afternoon and finishing it in the evening - at this time, the release of juice is especially active.
How to collect correctly?
When stocking up on a delicious drink, do not forget about the tree itself. In order not to harm birch, you should follow these rules:
- It is possible to "grind" life-giving sap only from mature trees - young birches need it themselves for growth.
- The minimum size of a birch trunk, from which you can take sap, should be 20 cm in diameter. Only one hole is allowed on such a tree.
- In older and larger birches, for every 10 cm of trunk diameter, you can additionally make one more hole, but do not get carried away, otherwise it will be difficult for the tree to heal many wounds.
- It is better to make the hole obliquely with a downward slope, at a level not more than 50 cm from the ground, using a drill with a drill size of up to 10 mm - such wounds heal quickly and almost without traces. The depth of penetration is from 2 to 3 cm. The bark in the selected place must first be removed.
- Insert the groove into the hole made and place the container under it.
It is better to take a liter of juice from each tree than to drain it all from one birch, because in this case there is a risk of tree death. At the end of the procedure, the holes should be covered or covered with a wooden peg.