Kvass from birch sap: 10 recipes

Since ancient times, kvass has been the most beloved and traditional drink in Our Country. It was served both in the royal chambers and in black peasant huts. For some reason, many people believe that only different grains can be the basis of kvass, but this is not so. Kvass can also be prepared from a variety of fruit, vegetable and berry juices. Moreover, it is easy to make kvass from birch sap at home, and this drink will turn out to be not only impeccably tasty, but also inexpressibly useful.

What is useful kvass on birch sap

Many people know about the benefits of birch sap, not even by hearsay. But kvass, prepared according to the right technologies, not only preserves, but also increases the beneficial properties of birch sap. Just like sauerkraut turns out to be even healthier than its fresh version.

It is not for nothing that birch sap appears in early spring, when the body, exhausted by beriberi and endless depressions, after a long winter, especially needs reinforcement and recuperation. Birch kvass, which can be obtained from fresh juice in just a couple of days, contains especially a lot of B vitamins, organic acids and various trace elements. All these substances in the most easily accessible form for the human body, when consumed, immediately rush to the rescue and make it easier to live the most difficult period of the year, when there is still a minimum amount of fresh herbs and vegetables on the table, and even more fruit. Therefore, the most important healing function of this drink is the fight against beriberi and spring weakness of the body.

Regular consumption of birch kvass can improve the state of the immune system and gradually cleanse the human body of toxins. Moreover, it has a diuretic effect and helps to remove stones from the kidneys and bladder.

But the special value of birch kvass is that, under the right conditions, it can be stored for a long time (unlike juice) and, of course, retain all its healing properties. Therefore, its beneficial effect can be extended for several months. In addition, in the summer heat, this drink will help quench your thirst and refresh you better than many others that use artificial colors and preservatives.

A contraindication to the use of birch kvass is the presence of an allergy or individual intolerance to birch pollen.

Calorie content of kvass from birch sap

Birch kvass is not a high-calorie drink. Its calorie content is no more than 30 kcal per 100 g of product. And the sugar content in its natural form is from 2 to 4%.

Is birch sap useful when it starts to ferment

Birch sap can be stored fresh without changing its characteristics for a very short time – from two to five days, even in the refrigerator. After this time, it first begins to become cloudy, and then ferment on its own. This property is used to prepare a delicious drink without any additional additives. Therefore, birch sap, which began to turn sour on its own, can be used to make kvass, and it also has all of the above useful properties.

But if traces of mold appeared on the juice, then in this case the benefits of the drink are very doubtful, it is best to part with it.

How to make kvass from birch sap

There are an infinite number of recipes and methods for making kvass from birch sap. But no matter what recipe is chosen for making kvass at home, it is best to collect birch sap for it with your own hands. As a last resort, use the help of residents of nearby rural settlements. The juice that is sold in stores does not always contain what is declared on its labels. And the benefits of such a drink can be very doubtful.

Do-it-yourself or otherwise obtained birch juice is recommended to be filtered through a colander lined with several layers of gauze. After all, in the process of collection, all kinds of insects and a variety of natural rubbish can get into the container.

Often the juice is harvested and sold in plastic bottles. At home, it is better to use enameled or glassware for the production of kvass. But for storing kvass from birch sap, it is also permissible to use plastic bottles, since it is very convenient to release excess air from them, which adversely affects the storage of the drink.

To further enhance the beneficial properties of kvass, according to various recipes, honey, perga, pollen and various medicinal herbs are used in the form of additives: oregano, mint, St. John’s wort, thyme and others.

Consumption of sugar for kvass from birch sap

Quite often, when making kvass from birch sap, granulated sugar is not added at all. After all, juice also contains sugar, and this is often enough. The sugar content in birch sap can vary and depends on many factors: ambient temperature, where the birch grows (on a hill or in a lowland), soil composition, the flow of a river or stream nearby, and the presence of groundwater nearby. Moreover, many people recommend adding sugar to taste in an already prepared drink, since its excessive amount contributes to a more intense fermentation process.

On average, with a lack of sugar content in birch sap, it is customary to add from one teaspoon to one tablespoon of sand to a three-liter jar.

How long should kvass be infused on birch sap

The time of kvass infusion on birch sap depends, first of all, on the use of additional ingredients. If wine, and even more so baker’s yeast is used in the manufacture, then in 6-8 hours the drink will be able to acquire the necessary taste.

When using the so-called “wild” yeast, located on the surface of a variety of dried fruits, the fermentation process can last from 12 to 48 hours or even more. A lot depends on temperature here. The higher it is, the faster this process proceeds. At a temperature of + 25-27 ° C, birch kvass can be considered ready after 12-14 hours.

It must also be understood that the more time kvass is infused in a warm place, the more sugar will be processed into alcohol. Accordingly, when insisting for more than three days, the strength of the resulting drink will be significantly higher than after 12 hours. Without additional sugar additions to the juice, it can reach a maximum of 3%. The addition of sugar (and yeast) further increases the possible strength of the obtained birch kvass.

How to know when birch sap kvass is ready

The readiness of kvass obtained from birch sap is most often determined by taste. If sourness and a slight effervescence are felt in the taste, then it can be considered ready. If you want these qualities to increase, then the drink can be allowed to brew for some more time in a relatively warm room and in an uncorked container.

Is it possible to make kvass from acidified birch sap

The sour sap from the birch is actually ready-made kvass, which begins to ferment in a completely natural way. If the degree of its fermentation is quite satisfactory, then you can simply tightly clog the vessels with it and move it to a cold place. If you want to make the taste of kvass brighter and richer, then you can use one of the recipes described below.

How to ferment birch sap with dried fruits

The easiest and healthiest way to make kvass from birch sap, the recipe of which has been preserved since ancient times, involves the addition of dried fruits. In the modern world, raisins are most often used for these purposes. But tasty and healthy kvass from birch sap can be obtained without raisins. Indeed, in ancient times in Our Country, vineyards were not held in high esteem. But apples, pears, cherries and plums grew everywhere. It was dried unwashed cherries that most often served as an ideal sourdough for birch sap.

So, you will need:

• 5 liters of strained birch sap;
• 300 g dried cherries;
• 400 g dried apples;
• 400 g dried pears;
• 200 g of prunes.

The components and proportions of dried fruits can be slightly changed if one or another ingredient is not available. For example, add dried apricots, dates or figs instead of pears or prunes. The taste of the drink, of course, will change, but not much. The main thing is to observe the general proportions of the components.

And most importantly, you don’t have to worry about the purity of the collected and dried fruits, they can be collected directly from the tree and dried in an electric dryer.

Manufacture:

1. If dried fruits are heavily soiled, then you can rinse them in warm water. But at least it is better not to touch cherries or another of the purest variety of fruits, so as not to wash off the “wild” yeast from their surface.
2. An enameled pan of a suitable volume is prepared, birch sap is poured into it and all the ingredients according to the recipe are added.
3. Cover the pan with gauze from dust and insects and put in a warm place (+ 20-27 ° C) for 3-4 days.
4. Every day, future kvass must be stirred, and at the same time its condition should be assessed.
5. Then kvass is filtered through gauze and bottled, not reaching the neck 5 cm.
6. Close tightly with lids and place in a cold place.

Recipe for kvass from birch sap without yeast

Most often, kvass from birch sap without yeast is prepared with the addition of raisins. As mentioned above, natural “wild” yeast lives on its surface, which are responsible for the fermentation process. You can use other dried fruits for these purposes, as in the recipe described above. But, there is another curious recipe for making kvass from birch sap in PET bottles of 5 liters.

You need:

• 10 liters of birch sap;
• Xnumx g of granulated sugar;
• peeled zest (yellow layer only) from one lemon;
• 2 bottles of 5 liters.

Manufacture:

1. In an enameled bucket, granulated sugar is completely dissolved in 10 liters of birch sap.
2. Then the juice is poured through gauze into 5-liter bottles so that there is still free space at least 5-7 cm high on top.
3. With a vegetable peeler, peel the zest from the lemon, cut it into small pieces.
4. A few pieces of zest are added to each bottle.
5. If possible, bleed the air from the bottles and immediately screw them tightly with lids.
6. Bottles are immediately placed in a cool place, preferably in a cellar or basement.

In a month, a unique effervescent kvass will be ready, which will pleasantly refresh you in hot weather.

Delicious kvass from birch sap on yeast with the addition of orange

The use of yeast significantly speeds up the process of making kvass from birch sap. The finished drink can be enjoyed within 6-8 hours after its preparation. It is only advisable to use special wine yeast for these purposes, which can be found on sale. Baker’s and alcohol yeast, of course, are also suitable, but they can spoil the natural taste of the finished kvass, making it look like mash.

You need:

• 2,5 liters of birch sap;
• 1 large orange;
• 250 grams of sugar;
• 10 g of wine yeast;
• Melissa, mint – to taste.

Manufacture:

1. The orange is washed well with a brush in running water.
2. Cut into thin half rings along with the peel, while removing the bones from it.
3. Place the cut pieces in a fermentation jar.
4. Yeast is ground with sugar and added to the same jar.
5. Fragrant herbs are also added there.
6. Pour everything with birch sap, cover with a clean natural cloth and put in a warm place for 1-3 days. The fermentation period depends on the temperature at which the process takes place.

Birch kvass recipe with rice

To make kvass from birch sap with rice, you will need:

• 5 liters of birch sap;
• 1 tsp rice
• 200 grams of sugar;
• 5 g wine yeast.

Manufacture:

1. In a suitable container, thoroughly mix all the components.
2. Cover with gauze or cotton cloth.
3. Stir in a warm place without light for 5-6 days.

After a week, the finished drink is tightly closed and moved to the cold.

A recipe for kvass from birch sap with kvass wort

Wort is a ready-made infusion or decoction on grain crops and malt, which is intended for the preparation of kvass drinks. You can make it yourself by sprouting cereals, adding a variety of baked crackers, fruits, berries, vegetables to them and insisting them for a while. But most often, the wort for making kvass is bought ready-made in the store.

With the preparation of birch kvass according to this recipe, even a novice in cooking will cope with the presence of kvass wort.

You need:

• 2,5 liters of birch sap;
• 3 Art. l. fermented wort;
• 1 a glass of granulated sugar;
• 1 tsp wine yeast.

Manufacture:

1. Birch sap is slightly heated (to a temperature of no more than + 50 ° C) so that sugar can easily dissolve in it.
2. Add all the sugar to the warm juice and stir thoroughly until dissolved.
3. Cool the drink to room temperature, add the wort and yeast, mix again.
4. Cover the opening of the jar with gauze, put it in a warm place for 2 days.
5. Then rearranged for another 2 days in a cool place.
   Comment! Kvass at this point can already be tasted.
6. Then the finished drink is filtered, bottled and, tightly corked, put in storage in the cold.

Kvass on birch sap with burnt sugar

Burnt sugar is added to birch sap instead of the usual one so that the drink can acquire a rich dark shade and a peculiar aroma.

1. To make burnt sugar, pour it into a dry frying pan or heavy-bottomed saucepan and heat until it turns slightly brown.

   

2. Then a little birch sap is added to the same container and stirred until completely dissolved.
3. The resulting sourdough is poured into the main container with birch sap and, after letting it stand warm for literally a day, is placed in a cool place.
4. When the hissing in the container is over, kvass can be poured into bottles, tightly sealed and stored.

How to put kvass on birch sap with lemon and honey

A very tasty and incredibly healthy drink is obtained from birch sap with the addition of honey and lemons.

You need:

• 10 liters of birch sap;
• 200 g of liquid honey;
• 2-3 medium sized lemons;
• 20 g wine yeast.

Manufacture:

1. Yeast is mixed with slightly heated (to a temperature of + 35-40 ° C) honey.
2. Remove the zest from the lemons and squeeze out the juice.
3. Yeast with honey, lemon zest with juice and birch sap are mixed in one container.
4. Stir, cover with gauze and leave for a couple of days in a warm room.
5. Then filter, pour into tightly closed bottles and move to the cold.

Preparation of kvass from birch sap with lollipops

If, when making birch kvass, 3 caramel of the Mint, Barberry or Duchess type is put into 1 liters of juice, then the resulting drink will be enriched with the taste and aroma of sweets from childhood. Otherwise, the technology does not differ from the traditional one. You can use yeast, or you can add caramel to the kvass recipe without yeast.

Kvass from birch sap on wheat

There are a considerable number of recipes for making kvass from birch sap with malt. Actually, in the composition of kvass wort, malt occupies the main place among other components.

But malt can also be made at home. After all, this is nothing more than germinated grains of wheat, rye, or barley. The easiest way to get and germinate grains of wheat.

You need:

• 10 liters of birch sap;
• 100 g of wheat grains;
• 200 grams of sugar;
• 10 g wine yeast.

 Manufacture:

1. Wheat grains are washed and poured with hot water. Leave for 12 hours until completely cooled.
2. Then rinse thoroughly under running cold water.
3. Cover with a lid and leave in a warm place to germinate.
4. It is advisable to wash the grains every 12 hours.

   

5. When they have the first sprouts, they are crushed with a blender. The resulting mixture is an analogue of malt.
6. It is mixed with sugar, yeast, poured with birch sap.
7. Cover with gauze, place in a warm place without light for 1-2 days.
8. Further, kvass from birch sap can be drunk, or it can be bottled and stored for a long time.

How to make hop kvass from birch sap

The number of degrees in birch kvass can be increased by adding more sugar and yeast, as well as keeping the drink warm for a longer time.

But you can do it even easier. 250 g of any beer is poured into a three-liter jar, and all the remaining space is filled with birch sap, leaving 5-6 cm at the top near the neck. The jar is closed with a lid and placed in a cool place for 2 weeks. After that, the drink can be safely consumed. It is stored further in the same way as ordinary kvass.

Carbonated kvass from birch sap

Kvass from birch sap is obtained carbonated using any of the above recipes. If you want to increase the degree of its carbonation, you can only add more sugar than prescribed by the recipe. With a long exposure, the amount of gases in the drink also increases.

Reasons for possible failures

Since birch sap is an exclusively natural natural product, when preparing kvass from it, possible failures and even spoilage of the drink are not excluded.

Why birch sap has become like jelly

In about half of the cases, while preserving the fermented birch kvass, the drink manifests a peculiar jelly consistency. On the one hand, this practically does not affect the taste of kvass, on the other hand, drinking such a drink is unpleasant and, possibly, unhealthy.

It is difficult to pinpoint the exact reason why this happens. Sometimes from non-observance of sufficient purity in the manufacture of the product. Sometimes low-quality additives are involved, because at present it is difficult to imagine any industrial product, including even bread and cereal products, without being treated with chemicals.

There is an interesting folk way that helps to some extent protect kvass from the appearance of mucus. In each bottle, into which kvass is poured for storage, a fresh sprig of common hazel (hazel) 5-7 cm long is placed. This sprig can help preserve kvass from spoilage.

If kvass has already acquired the consistency of liquid jelly, then you can try once again to close the container for its storage as tightly as possible.

Why kvass from birch sap got moldy

Mold can also appear from the fact that the caps on the bottles were not closed tightly, and from too warm temperatures during storage, and from exposure to light, and due to the addition of components that have ever been chemically processed (raisins, crackers from low-quality grain).

However, many do not pay much attention to a small thin film of white color on the surface of kvass. Indeed, when fermenting cucumbers or tomatoes, it also often appears on the surface of the blanks. Just carefully remove it, additionally filter the drink and use it without hesitation. Here, everyone decides for himself how much he can put his health at risk.

Terms and rules for storing kvass on birch sap

Most importantly, kvass should be kept hermetically sealed as much as possible. Kvass from birch sap can be stored in almost any container: in glass or plastic bottles, in jars and even in a flask. The main thing is that the dishes have a very tightly closing lid. In the old days, bottles with kvass were even sealed with melted wax or sealing wax, just to prevent air from entering inside.

The storage temperature should be low, preferably from 0 to + 10 °C. Under these conditions, the fermentation process is slowed down, and kvass is better preserved. Of course, in the room where kvass is stored, access to the sun’s rays should be closed.

Under such conditions, the maximum shelf life of a healing drink is 6 months. Some keep it longer, but here much depends on the composition of the juice itself and on the presence of certain additional ingredients. It is better not to take risks in vain and observe the indicated storage periods. Most often, after 6 months, birch kvass turns into vinegar.

Conclusion

Kvass from birch sap at home is not as difficult to make as it might seem to an uninformed person. Sometimes it is enough to use the simplest and most affordable ingredients. And if you want variety, then you can apply more complex recipes described in this article.