Step-by-step recipe for making kvass from birch sap. How to make kvass from birch sap at home

Birch sap is what our native nature generously shares with us in early spring. Kvass from birch sap recipes help restore strength after a long winter, returning our body, exhausted by vitamin deficiencies and depression fatigue, the strength to live and enjoy the coming sunny days. It is unnecessary to talk about the usefulness of birch sap, but there is a drink that is not inferior, and even superior to the sap itself in terms of the amount of organic acids, vitamins (especially group B), calcium and magnesium, phosphorus and, moreover, is perfect for people on diets and trying to This will preserve and increase your health: the calorie content of such a drink is no more than 30 kcal per 100 grams. This drink has been known since ancient times and is called birch kvass.

The collected birch sap is filtered, removing small debris that invariably ends up in the jar when collecting the sap, poured into 3-liter jars, adding 1 tbsp. sugar and raisins and leave for a day in a warm place (for example, in the kitchen), covered with a linen napkin. Slightly fermented juice can be removed and stored in the refrigerator, drinking 1 glass per day. It’s enough to drink this drink for 2 weeks to feel that life is still a damn interesting thing!

If this “daily kvass” is left warm for 3-4 days in a closed jar, you will get real kvass - a fermentation product, the advantages and benefits of which will be immeasurably greater than from the “daily kvass”. This leavened drink does not require the addition of more sugar or raisins, and you can drink it for almost a whole year, make delicious okroshka with it, and use it for medicinal purposes not only internally.

Important! Such kvass should be stored in a closed container, without access to air and always in a dark, cool place.

Birch kvass fermented in a large 50 liter bottle should be stored in the same way. with a wide neck. A wide neck is needed in order to remove the whitish film that forms on the surface (like on cucumbers). To improve the taste of bottled kvass from birch sap, and at the same time to enrich it with vitamins, not only a full bag of raisins, but also 8-10 lemons, finely chopped into juice along with zest, will help. This kvass sours quickly, literally in 5-7 days. All that remains is to pour it into jars and bottles, seal it tightly and take it to the cellar, at a temperature of 5-10*. Kvass preserves itself - there is more than enough carbon dioxide in it.

Recipes for making kvass from birch sap are so varied that you simply can’t get tired of this drink! In addition, it contains only 1.25% alcohol, less than kefir, so even children after one year can drink it. For children, it is still better to sweeten kvass: for 0.5 liters - 1 teaspoon of sugar or honey, if there is no allergy, this is quite enough.

For gourmets, there are recipes for making kvass from birch sap that are more complex, but more refined in taste. For example, like this:

Recipe for kvass from birch sap with raisins

We will need:

10-15 liters of birch sap filtered through fabric;
100 pieces of raisins;
3 cups sugar;
1 cup fresh or pickled cranberries;
10-15 mint leaves (it’s good if it’s a sprig);
2-3 cloves;
thin rubber glove;
15-20 liter bottle.

Kvass from birch sap with raisins:

Warm the juice to room temperature.
Place mint leaves and cloves at the bottom of the bottle.
Add mashed cranberries with a glass of sugar to mint and cloves.
Pour in all the raisins.
Fill the bottle halfway (5-7 l) with birch sap.
Shake until the sugar dissolves.
Add the rest of the sugar and add the remaining juice.
We pull a rubber glove over the neck of the bottle and wait for it to inflate with fermentation gas.
We put the bottle with the “welcome” glove in a warm place and wait for the glove to deflate.
Now the fermented kvass can be carefully strained (you can simply use a fine sieve) and poured into jars or bottles.
We carefully seal the jars or bottles and send the kvass to ripen in the cool for about two weeks.
After the allotted time, the drink can be enjoyed both in its pure form and in cold soups.

Advice! To make kvass from birch sap of really high quality, it is advisable to find a glass bottle rather than a plastic one - plastic can spoil the taste of the final product.

Kvass from birch sap with bread

We will need:

filtered birch sap – 10 l;
loaf of rye bread - approx. 1 kg;
granulated sugar – 400-500 g;
raisins - a full handful;
coffee beans - a full handful;
1/2 tbsp. fresh frozen black currant berries or 10-15 dried leaves;
15 liter bottle

How to make kvass from birch sap:

We cut the bread and dry it into crackers (you can do it on a baking sheet without oil). Fry the coffee beans until black in a frying pan without oil.
Place the cooled crackers and coffee beans into the bottle.
Add all the sugar and raisins.
Add currants or their leaves.
Heat 2-3 liters of juice to 40-50* and pour into a bottle.
We tie the neck of the bottle with a linen napkin or gauze in several layers.
Let the starter ferment for one day.
After 24 hours, shake the starter well and add the remaining birch sap.
Close the neck again with a napkin and leave in a warm place for 3-4 days.
Strain the settled kvass and pour into small containers for storage in a cool, dark place.

Advice! It is best to store the juice not used on the first day in the refrigerator, and slightly warm it to room temperature before adding it to the starter.

Important! For those who have a weakened nervous system, this kvass is simply necessary! Also, this kvass is especially good for those who suffer from low acidity, as well as those whose hearts “play tricks” and their blood pressure “jumps.”

Recipes for kvass from birch sap with honey

For this recipe, freshly collected juice, cleared of small debris, should stand in the house for a while (2-3 days).

For kvass made from birch sap with honey we will need:

10 liters of settled juice;
1200 g thickened honey;
50-100 raisins;
plastic bottle 15 l.

Recipe for kvass from birch sap with honey:

Pour all the ingredients into the bottle at once.
Seal the bottle tightly and place it on its side.
When the bottle swells and becomes completely hard (3-4 days), open it with caution, gradually releasing the fermentation gas.
We filter the fermented kvass and pour it into convenient jars and bottles, seal it tightly and put it in a cool place to “reach”.
This kvass is completely ready in 1.5-2 months, but you can drink it right away.
If you notice signs of vitamin deficiency and severe loss of strength, then you should not let the kvass sit for 2 whole months!
Take 1 tbsp. pureed cranberries, pour it with a glass of fresh honey birch kvass and drink in one gulp. Every day – one glass.
This “compote” will not only quickly quench your body’s thirst for vitamins B and C, but will also help you get out of winter depression as quickly as possible and minimize the risk of spring diseases.

Important! In this recipe, honey can be replaced with wax (the liquid product remaining after boiling honey from honeycombs). The main thing is not to overdo it, otherwise the kvass will become bitter. Calculation: for 10 liters of juice – 200 g of wax.

Kvass from birch sap with barley

This recipe will appeal not only to people who want to quickly “recover,” but also to diabetics. By stimulating the regenerative processes of the entire body, this barley drink remarkably quickly lowers the level of harmful cholesterol, providing not only tangible benefits to the cardiovascular system, but also gradually lowering blood sugar levels.

We only need two products:

birch sap itself (filtered) – 3-5 l;
roasted barley - 1 cup.

Kvass on birch sap with barley:

Fry the barley (preferably unpeeled) in a frying pan without oil. The darker the color of the grain, the more rich in taste the kvass will be; roasted barley to the state of “black coffee” will give the kvass a light, pleasant bitterness.
After letting the birch sap sit for a day or two, add the cooled barley and sugar and, screwing the lid tightly, “forget” about the bottle for 10 days.
We filter the resulting barley kvass, bottle it and put it in a cool and dark place.
If there is no desire to filter the kvass after ripening, the barley can be dipped into the juice in the form of a sachet - a small fabric bag.
This kvass is not only a joy for the heart and blood vessels, it is also an excellent cosmetic product: it strengthens gums, tooth enamel, nourishes hair roots, and improves complexion. By optimizing metabolic processes, this drink prevents the proliferation of pathogenic flora in the intestines and accelerates weight loss, including the natural diuretic process. To enhance the removal of water, you can drink this kvass with lingonberries, or add a handful of lingonberry leaves to the “fermentation tank”.
Birch kvass fermented with oats, wheat or rice is no worse in properties. The cooking recipe does not change at all.

Advice! Since there is no sugar in the recipe, fermentation will take longer, but if consuming sugar is not contraindicated for you, add 1/2 cup of granulated sugar to the wort, this will shorten the preparation of the healing drink by 2-3 days.
If you wish, you can add a few raisins and bread crumbs, but this is not at all necessary - kvass will ferment perfectly on grain.

Kvass from birch sap with dried fruits

This is almost the national drink of the south of Russia! It is extremely easy to make, has a wonderful refreshing taste and perfectly quenches thirst on hot summer days.

We will need:

5 liter bottle;
freshly collected and filtered birch sap (3-4 liters);
raisins - approx. 1 glass;
dried fruits – 800g - 1kg.

How to make kvass from birch sap:

We put raisins and washed dried fruits into the prepared bottle at once. We make several small holes in the lid of the bottle for gas to escape. Fill the fruit-raisin mixture with birch sap, screw on the lid with holes and leave to ferment in a warm place.
As fermentation progresses, shake the bottle vigorously 2-3 times a day. Fermentation continues for at least a week!
After ripening, the finished kvass needs to be strained, discarding the raisins and dried fruits. Pour the healthy kvass, saturated with organic acids, into smaller containers and leave it in the cellar or refrigerator until hot days.
This kvass can also be diversified by adding bread and sugar, lemon zest and yeast, which will make the fermentation process much faster, but then the subtle fresh “spirit” of birch sap will be lost and the drink will take on the taste of ordinary bread kvass. Of course - delicious! But, alas, it’s not the same...

Advice! The dried fruit mixture can be replaced with prunes or dried wild pear.
Many people believe that only juices infused with these dried fruits without apples, dried apricots, etc. have the right to be called real birch kvass!

Important! Before you start “loading”, dried fruits must be washed (but not soaked!) in hot water.

All the recipes for kvass made from birch sap proposed here have one essential detail: they do not contain yeast. This is a pure product, fermented without additional process catalysts, and this is what distinguishes it from birch mash, which is often passed off as kvass with yeast. However, real kvass is not inferior to light mash in terms of the amount of lactic acid, and even surpasses it in the content of many vitamins and microelements. It’s a pity that such a “magical” drink can only be stored for six months or a little longer. The further fate of birch kvass after six months is sad - it turns into vinegar.
It can also be “helped” to turn into vinegar by loosely closed lids, direct exposure to light rays and excessive heat.

Important! To preserve the properties of the drink, you must follow basic storage rules, the main one of which is that open kvass should be drunk no later than two days later!
To do this, it is poured into small “containers” and stored, after opening, in the refrigerator, tightly wrapping the lid.
If you want to sweeten the kvass, then this should be done immediately before use, adding sugar to a glass, and not to a whole “container”.

Previously, the necks of glass bottles with kvass were dipped in boiling sealing wax or sealed with liquid wax, excluding the slightest air from getting inside. Maybe it makes sense to return to the ancient practice, since we just can’t part with the ancient habit of drinking birch kvass to stay healthy, beautiful and cheerful? And also - grateful to our native land for this amazing gift - birch sap!

Birch sap has gained wide popularity due to its rich chemical and biological composition. In addition, such a drink brings great benefits to the body.

But you can drink it in its pure form only for a limited period of time, but on its basis you can prepare very tasty, refreshing, and most importantly healthy kvass.

Our ancestors also noticed that birch sap fermented in wooden barrels significantly increased efficiency and perfectly quenched thirst and hunger.

There are several different options for making kvass based on birch sap.

All of them are united by two traditional factors:

Freshly collected sap from this tree.
Wooden barrels for fermentation and direct preparation of the drink itself.

In modern conditions, it is not always possible to use containers made of real wood to prepare a drink, so you can replace it with a glass jar or enamel pan.

With raisins

This is one of the most ancient recipes. The finished drink has a distinct taste of birch sap. It perfectly quenches thirst and helps to quickly restore strength after heavy intense exercise.

For preparation you will need:

5 liters of birch nectar;
250 g granulated sugar;
50 g dark raisins.

Important! It is not recommended to wash raisins before use. It is this that will act as yeast, since on the surface of unwashed dried berries there are all the necessary bacteria.

Cooking process:

Heat the juice to a temperature of 40 degrees.
Add granulated sugar to it and mix thoroughly until all its particles are completely dissolved.
Pour the syrup into a fermentation container.
Add raisins to the liquid and mix well.
Cover the container with a cloth and place in a warm place for three days to ferment.
Pour the drink into bottles and put it in the refrigerator for another three days. After this, kvass is considered ready for use.

Reference! The finished drink made from birch nectar should be stored in a hermetically sealed container in a cool place. In this case, its guaranteed shelf life is 20 weeks.

Watch the video that tells you how to make kvass from birch sap with the addition of raisins and dried fruits:

With barley

Another ancient option for making tasty and healthy kvass. It uses a minimum of products, and the end result will pleasantly surprise and delight you with its taste and aroma.

Ingredients for preparation:

freshly collected birch sap - 6 l;
dry barley - 200 g.

The non-alcoholic drink prepared according to this recipe is very similar in color and aroma to ordinary bread kvass. It can be stored in hermetically sealed bottles in a cool place for up to 7 months.

Preparing kvass from birch nectar is very simple:

The liquid must be carefully filtered through several layers of gauze.
Sort the barley and remove damaged or empty grains.
Pour the grain into a suitable container.
Heat the juice over low heat to 65 degrees and pour it over the barley.
Cover the container with a cloth and put it in a dark and warm place for 4 days. Then the kvass is filtered and cooled.

Reference! To enhance the taste of the finished drink and color it a pleasant brown color, it is recommended to fry the grains in a dry frying pan until golden brown. It is necessary to take into account that if the barley is not separated from the husk, the finished kvass will have a slight bitterness in the aftertaste.

The video shows how to properly prepare birch kvass with barley, oats and wheat:

With bread

Another option for making delicious and refreshing kvass is with bread.

Method 1. Ancient

Ingredients for cooking:

birch sap 2 l;
3 crusts of rye bread;
150 g granulated sugar;
50 g raisins.

This recipe appeared several centuries ago.

Preparing kvass is very simple:

It is necessary to carefully strain the birch sap.
Place scalded and dried raisins in a jar.
Add granulated sugar and bread crusts to the container.
Heat the juice to a temperature of 40 degrees and pour it into the contents of the container.
Mix everything thoroughly and put it away for fermentation for two days in a warm place.

Ready kvass, strain and bottle. It is ready to eat immediately after cooling in the refrigerator.

Method 2. Refreshing

Ingredients for preparation:

5 liters of birch nectar;
250 g granulated sugar;
15 pcs. raisins;
450 g rye bread;
50 g fresh mint leaves;
250 g barley.

Reference! The finished drink has a pleasant, invigorating and refreshing taste. It is best used in its pure form.

The more chilled it is, the more pleasant it is to drink.

The cooking process consists of the following steps:

Cut the bread into small cubes with a side of about one and a half centimeters and dry in the oven until crusty. The main thing is that the crackers do not burn.
In a thick-walled frying pan, preferably cast iron, melt the sugar and boil it until a caramel color is obtained. No need to add water!
In a similar container, you need to fry the barley grains until golden brown.
Thoroughly strain the birch sap through cheesecloth and pour into a large saucepan.
Boil the nectar over low heat for a couple of minutes, then remove the container from the stove.
Finely chop the mint leaves and add them to the container with the hot juice.
Pour all other ingredients into the liquid, mix well and leave for half an hour. During this time, the granulated sugar will completely dissolve and the crackers will soften.
Pour the liquid into a glass jar and put on a glove with a small hole in the finger.
Leave for three days at room temperature.
Pour the finished kvass into bottles, adding three raisins to each bottle for each liter of the finished drink.
Cool the kvass for 24 hours in the refrigerator.

Important! Kvass based on birch sap, prepared according to any of these recipes, should not be stored in plastic bottles. For storage, ordinary glass jars are best suited, which can be hermetically sealed with thick nylon lids.

The video describes the technology for preparing kvass from birch sap with bread:

How to drink correctly?

Birch kvass contains all the same beneficial properties as the sap of this tree. Despite its apparent benefits, this non-alcoholic drink should be consumed in limited quantities, and not all people can drink it.

Reference! Birch kvass has a powerful diuretic effect, so it should be drunk in limited quantities by people with diseases of the urinary system, as well as by those people who suffer from urolithiasis.

This drink should be consumed in accordance with the following recommendations:

If kvass is used for the first time, then a single dose should not exceed 100 ml. In this case, on the first day you are allowed to drink no more than 250 ml of this drink.
If this drink is used as a base for preparing cold soups, then it must be diluted with purified water in a 1:1 ratio.
Even if this healthy non-alcoholic drink is well tolerated, you should not consume more than 1 liter per day. In this case, it is better to divide the daily volume of kvass into several equal portions.
It is best to drink this liquid after a meal, especially for those people who have high stomach acidity and diseases such as ulcers or gastritis.

Attention! It is better not to give birch kvass to children under 10 years of age. Most pediatricians say that it is best to include this drink in the diet no earlier than 12 years of age. In this case, you can drink 150 ml of kvass once a day, no more than three times a week.

Properly prepared birch sap is a real benefit for the body, but only if it is consumed, stored and prepared correctly.

Particular attention should be paid to the main ingredient - birch sap:

It is better to collect nectar away from urban settlements.
It is necessary to collect sap from trees in early spring; it is at this time that it contains the maximum concentration of useful substances.
Birch trees that are at least two years old and with a trunk diameter of at least 25 cm are suitable for harvesting.

Important! Before further use, it is recommended to leave the collected nectar for 3-5 hours, and then carefully filter through several layers of gauze.

Only birch kvass prepared taking into account all these recommendations can be considered a truly healthy product.

Thanks to natural sugars (up to 2% in liquid), birch sap ferments well. It is used to make beer and wine, but we will talk about kvass. Get ready to wait: everything will take a couple of weeks

Where to get birch sap

Buy from hand or in a store: kvass is bottled and packaged in paper bags by several manufacturers in Russia and Belarus. As for private owners, many cities have food markets where pickers sell fresh or frozen juice (this is also suitable). The product is also available on Avito.

Birch sap costs from 50 rubles per half liter. In the West, the drink is known as a fashionable organic product, so they charge accordingly: on Amazon, 250 ml are sold for 800 rubles.

An alternative option is to collect the sap yourself somewhere in a birch grove. They do this in April-May: every spring, pickers make holes in the trunks of birch trees and hang containers into which sap drips from the cut.

If you have never tried birch sap, keep in mind: there are individual intolerances, which can lead to allergies.

Recipes for kvass with birch sap

In the book “Kvass Heals!” Maria Ostanina tells how to make kvass from birch sap. We are publishing three recipes so that your eyes don’t run wild and there is a choice.

Recipe for birch kvass “Tonic”

· 5 liters of birch sap

· 100 g toasted bread crusts

· 100 g oak bark

· 20 g cherry leaves

Pour birch sap into a container. Place the bread crusts there in a gauze bag and leave them in a warm room. As soon as three days have passed, add oak bark and cherry leaves to the preparation. Now we need to forget about the future kvass for two weeks. Then it’s simple: remember, filter, bottle, cool, drink.

Birch-lemon kvass recipe

· 5 liters of birch sap

· 50 g honey

· 100 g lemon juice

· 30 g yeast

· 10 g raisins

Pour birch sap into a container, add honey, lemon juice, yeast and mix it all. Then we pour the wort into bottles, after adding a few raisins to each bottle, cork it and leave it in a cool, dark place. In two weeks it's time to taste.

Birch-honey kvass recipe

· 5 liters of birch sap

· 200 g honey

· 20 g yeast

· 20 g raisins

Pour birch sap into a large container and heat to 30–40°C. Then add honey, yeast, raisins and put it in a warm place for two weeks for fermentation. When you see persistent foam on the surface of the wort, it’s time to pour the kvass into bottles, seal them and put them in the refrigerator. Or even drink it right away.

Step-by-step recipes for kvass from birch sap with bread and dried fruits, malt and honey, grain

2018-05-24 Marina Vykhodtseva

Grade
recipe

400

Time
(min)

Portions
(persons)

In 100 grams of the finished dish

1 gr.

0 gr.

Carbohydrates

11 gr.

51 kcal.

Option 1: Classic birch kvass with bread

Birch sap is a valuable drink with an amazing composition and pleasant taste. Moreover, it can be used as a base for kvass. This is a great way to locate a large amount of juice somewhere. Here is the simplest recipe for black rye bread. If there is less juice than required according to the list, then you need to reduce the amount of other ingredients.

Ingredients

5 liters of birch sap;
400 g rye bread;
160 g sugar.

Step-by-step recipe for classic birch kvass

We take warm juice for kvass, but there is no need to heat it in advance. It's better to just leave it at room temperature. You need to wait a couple of days and let fermentation begin. Then pour the birch sap into a large saucepan, add sugar, and put it on the stove. Now we heat it up, but just a little. Make a pleasantly warm liquid, the sugar should dissolve.

Cut the dark rye bread into pieces of three or five centimeters. Place in the oven and dry. To obtain a milder taste, you can fry the pieces. Also, golden brown crusts will give the kvass a brownish tint.

Add rye bread croutons to the juice, stir and cover. It is best to use a cloth or napkin. We remove the drink for at least two days.

Let's check the kvass. Stir gently, trying not to break any pieces of bread. Let's try. If the acidity and taste are not enough, leave the drink for another day. We continue to keep at room temperature; in a cold room the fermentation process will slow down.

The next day, you need to strain the kvass from the bread and small crumbs. But there is no need to throw away the grounds. Add a new portion of warm birch sap and do not forget about sugar; for five liters of drink we use an average glass of sand. We pour the strained kvass from birch sap into bottles with lids, put them in the refrigerator or in the cellar for five hours.

You can cook bread for kvass not in the oven, but in the microwave. To do this, lay out the pieces and run for about eight minutes at medium power.

Option 2: Quick recipe for kvass from birch sap

Recipe for kvass with added malt. It can be purchased at the grocery store, the product is made from grains and usually comes in powder form. We take birch sap that has soured or has barely begun to ferment. To do this, you need to keep it for a couple of days at room temperature. This is a great way to identify a sour drink. The recipe is based on honey, but below there are amendments for using granulated sugar.

Ingredients

2.5 liters of juice;
3 pieces of bread;
1 tbsp. l. malt;
3 tsp. honey

How to quickly make kvass from birch sap

Mix birch sap with malt, add bee honey, stir and place on the stove. Heat the drink to thirty degrees. Pour it all into a jar.

While we are cutting and drying the bread. You can make very rosy, and even burnt crackers, the taste and color of the drink will change. Add the crackers to the jar with the warm liquid. Be sure to lower them so that they are quickly saturated with liquid and give off flavor.

Cover it all with a napkin and put it in a warm place. Kvass is fast, it will be ready in 4-5 hours if you used juice that has begun to ferment. In other cases it will take a little longer.

You can replace honey with regular granulated sugar in this recipe. In this case, we take approximately 50 grams of birch sap for this amount. Brown sugar is also suitable for kvass.

Option 3: Birch kvass with raisins and yeast

Recipe for delicious birch kvass with raisins. For preparation, we always take fresh pressed yeast in the specified quantity. They will ensure good fermentation of the drink, a sharp and pleasant taste.

Ingredients

10 liters of juice;
100 g raisins;
30 g yeast;
200 g honey;
2 lemons.

How to cook

Dissolve fresh yeast and honey in a liter of warm birch sap. Stir and let them react. While you can wash the raisins, heat the remaining juice until warm.

Pour the raisins into the juice, add the yeast mixture with honey. Squeeze the juice from the lemons and mix it all.

Cover the container with the drink with a napkin and send it for fermentation. Let stand for two or three days until you get a sharp and sour drink. Strain and cool.

You can add not only citrus juice to this kvass, but also zest, it will give a wonderful aroma.

Option 4: Birch kvass with barley

A variety of delicious kvass made from birch sap. It is not only very useful, but also convenient, and has many advantages over similar drinks. This kvass can even be stored for future use; it does not lose its taste and beneficial properties. Just before this you need to master all the rules and subtleties of cooking.

Ingredients

100 g barley;
3 spoons of sugar;
3 liters of juice.

Step by step recipe

Sugar is a controversial product in such kvass. Very often the drink is prepared without it, but sand significantly speeds up fermentation and gives the desired sharpness. Strain the juice, add sugar and heat a little.

We take unhulled barley, with husks. Wash and place in a dry frying pan. Turn on the stove and start roasting the grain. Stir regularly, bring until golden brown, trying not to burn. Turn off the stove and cool the barley.

Add roasted barley to sweetened or regular birch sap. Pour everything into a container suitable for fermentation. It is best to use large glass jars. Cover, but use breathable fabric or just gauze. Let the barley and juice ferment.

After three days you need to check the readiness of the kvass; you can increase the fermentation time. If the drink is already ready, then strain it from the barley, seal it with airtight lids, and put it in the refrigerator. For long-term storage, we put birch kvass in a cold cellar.

This version of the drink is made with barley, but there are also recipes with oats. It is important to pay special attention to the purity and quality of the grain before use. There should be no traces of mold or dark spots on it.

Option 5: Birch kvass with dried fruits

A fragrant and very pleasant version of birch kvass with dried fruits. Its taste will directly depend on the composition used. You can take prunes, apples, pears, dried apricots, dates. Mixing in any proportions is allowed, but be sure to measure the raisins separately.

Ingredients

3 liters of fresh birch sap;
0.7 kg of dried fruits;
0.2 kg raisins.

How to cook

Strain the birch sap through a fine sieve or simply add several layers of gauze. Pour into a large jar or a clean enamel saucepan.

We wash the raisins and other dried fruits from dust and dirt. Shake off the water and pour it all into the juice. Cover with gauze or a lid with holes and leave in a warm place for 5-7 days. Since refined sugar is not added, fermentation will not proceed very quickly.

We check the kvass, filter it, and bottle it. In a cold place, this drink can be stored well for up to six months.

If you want to speed up the ripening of birch kvass with dried fruits, then simply add a handful of granulated sugar to it and stir. You can sprinkle in a few grains of dry granulated yeast.

Option 6: Birch kvass with raisins without yeast

Another version of kvass made from birch sap and raisins, but without the addition of yeast and other auxiliary ingredients. Sugar can be replaced with honey. We use raisins of any color.

Ingredients

10 liters of birch sap;
50 pieces of raisins;
0.45 kg sugar.

How to cook

Soak the raisins in warm water and let them swell for half an hour. Strain the juice, heat it up a little and combine with granulated sugar. Let the grains dissolve. By replacing sugar with honey, you can reduce the amount.

We take the raisins out of the water, pour them into birch sap, cover the container and leave to ferment for three days. Then we check the kvass and, if necessary, add more time for maturation. Strain the finished drink and pour it into bottles with tight lids. You can throw a few fresh raisins into each, they will maintain the sharpness of the kvass.

If the kvass has reached the desired taste, it is immediately filtered and stored in a cold place. Otherwise, the drink will simply sour and spoil.

Kvass made from birch sap is a rare natural nectar that is very effective in treating various diseases. Thanks to its unique properties, it has a beneficial effect on human health and perfectly quenches thirst. Next we will talk about the beneficial properties of the drink and how to properly make kvass from birch sap.

Birch nectar

The main ingredient of kvass is birch sap. You can buy it in a store, but it’s best to collect it yourself in the forest, because to make the drink you need it fresh. The collection is carried out in early spring, when the buds on the birch trees begin to swell. This natural nectar contains many useful substances: various trace elements, acids, salts. Thanks to its natural composition, birch elixir helps renew blood and restore immunity after the winter period.

The only drawback is that it can only be collected once a year, and when fresh it cannot be stored for a long time. Therefore, kvass is made from it, preserving its beneficial properties for a long time.

You need to collect the juice correctly. Here are some tips to help you obtain a quality natural elixir:

“birch drops” begin to be collected in March, the collection lasts until the first days of April;
It is best to collect in the morning, because by the evening the juice almost does not flow;
birch trees should be without signs of disease in the bark, with a diameter of approximately 20-25 cm;
the healthiest and most delicious nectar is collected from birch trees, which grow singly in an open space where there is a lot of sun;
an incision is made in the tree trunk at a height of 50 cm from the ground, after which a groove is inserted there;
for collection, it is better to choose those places that are far from cities and major roads to avoid contamination of the juice;
make cuts on the north side of the birch - this way you can collect more nectar;
It is better to collect liquid from wood in a plastic container, but at home it needs to be poured into a glass bottle so that it can be preserved longer;
You can take no more than 2 liters of liquid from one tree at a time;
When the collection of the drink is completed, the cut can be sealed with moss or wax so that the birch can recover.

What are the benefits of birch nectar:

helps improve metabolic processes;
perfectly strengthens the human immune system;
increases hemoglobin in the blood;
rejuvenates the body;
cures many diseases.

The benefits of birch kvass

Birch kvass is credited with many beneficial properties, and this drink really has them. Kvass made from birch sap contains many prebiotic bacteria, which are very beneficial for digestion. In addition, this elixir, thanks to the content of B vitamins, improves hair and skin health. It is also recommended for those who suffer from acne and pimples. They also make lotions from kvass to moisturize and cleanse the skin.

The drink also contains a small amount of vitamin C, so its consumption helps strengthen the immune system. It is especially useful in the spring, when people most often suffer from colds.

Kvass according to these recipes is also actively drunk for weight loss: according to folk medicine, if you drink 1 glass of kvass instead of dinner, body weight will begin to decrease. And this is not surprising, because with such a diet there will be a calorie deficit.

Kvass recipes are very varied, so let’s look at how to prepare this drink.

Recipes with honey

Kvass from birch sap with honey

honey (200 g);
birch nectar (10 l);
raisins (3 pieces per 1 liter of drink);
pressed yeast (50 g);
lemon (3 pcs.).

This is a classic recipe for kvass made from birch sap with honey. In this case, the drink must be fermented with yeast. To get this kvass, strain the birch nectar and boil it for about a minute. Dissolve yeast and honey in warm water. When the prepared drink has cooled, pour the resulting solution of honey and yeast into it, squeeze out lemon juice and add some dried raisins. The resulting mixture must be kept warm for 2 days, then cooled, and then poured into containers.

Birch kvass with honey without yeast

1 tbsp. honey;
2 tbsp. sourdough bread;
some raisins;
birch nectar (3 l).

Add honey and starter culture to birch sap, stir the resulting mixture thoroughly until the honey is completely dissolved. After this, let the drink steep for 3-4 days. When you bottle the elixir, add a few raisins to each bottle. Kvass needs to be left for another 2 weeks, after which it will be ready for use.

Recipes with raisins, dried fruits, barley

Kvass from birch sap with raisins

You can prepare kvass to which raisins are added. You need to take the following ingredients:

2-3 crusts of rye bread;
0.5 cups sugar;
100 g raisins;
2.5 liters of juice.

To prepare the drink, you need to strain the liquid through cheesecloth, then pour it into a three-liter jar. Raisins, bread and sugar are put there. The neck of the bottle is covered with a rubber glove. Leave to ferment at room temperature. After 2, maximum 3 days, the glove will rise. This will happen due to the fact that a large amount of gas will accumulate inside. The glove must be removed, the juice must be strained and put in the refrigerator for 2 days. After 2 days, the kvass will be completely ready and you can drink it.

Kvass from birch sap with dried fruits

dried fruits (150 g);
birch nectar (2.5 l).

Take a 3-liter jar, thoroughly rinse the dried fruits (for example, dried apricots) and put them in it. Fill the jar with juice to the brim, then cover it with a plastic lid with holes or regular gauze folded in several layers (it is important that air enters the jar). Place the jar in a warm place away from sunlight. Usually kvass is infused for 2 weeks. The prepared drink, chilled, can be drunk several times a day.

Kvass from birch sap with barley

barley (100 g);
birch nectar (3 l).

We strain the nectar to clear it of impurities. Straining can be done through cheesecloth. Next, you need to put the container in a cool place for two days.

Fry the unhulled barley grains in a frying pan, then pour them into birch sap. The elixir should be infused in a warm place for four days. Kvass becomes dark over time and develops a characteristic barley flavor.

After time, the resulting drink must be filtered and bottled. Kvass made with birch sap in sealed bottles is stored in the cellar for up to six months.

Recipe with bread

Kvass made from birch sap with bread is good as a dressing for okroshka or just as a drink for the dinner table.

black bread (400 g);
birch sap (5 l);
sugar (1 tbsp.).

To prepare bread kvass, first ferment fresh juice. Next, you need to pour it into a saucepan and add granulated sugar. Place the pan on the stove and heat the liquid until the sugar melts. Important: do not bring the juice to a boil!

Cut the bread into small pieces 3-5 cm wide. Next, put the sliced bread in the microwave for about 8-10 minutes. If you want the kvass to eventually become dark like jelly, let the bread pieces burn a little. Add the resulting crackers with a crispy crust to the pan and mix the resulting mixture thoroughly.

When the liquid begins to darken, cover the pan with a lid and place it in a cool place for 3 days. Bread kvass from birch sap is made at home for a long time. But at the end we have a very tasty elixir that quickly quenches thirst.

As you can see, making kvass from birch sap is not a difficult task. You can also experiment and add your own ingredients to give the drink a unique taste. Now you know how to make kvass from birch sap, and you will no longer have problems preparing it.