On hot summer days, a soft drink instead of soda is the best solution. Especially tasty with raisins. This drink quenches thirst well and has many beneficial properties. It is very easy to prepare, even with your own hands. The basis for such a drink can be not only flour and malt, but also berries, fruits and other natural ingredients.
Useful properties of kvass
Kvass made with birch sap and raisins is very refreshing in the heat and has a beneficial effect on the body. The drink is good for the gastrointestinal tract, removes toxins and has a diuretic effect. Kvass can prevent the development of many diseases. contains:
- magnesium;
- iron;
- organic acids;
- calcium salts;
- microelements and a whole complex of vitamins.
Birch sap helps restore immunity after winter and improves blood circulation. During fermentation, the beneficial properties of the drink are not lost. Birch sap is good for reducing fever and helping with headaches. Nectar has proven itself in the treatment of bronchitis, sore throat and tuberculosis and has a healing effect. Birch sap is very useful for kidney problems and urinary tract diseases.
Nectar speeds up metabolism. Birch sap helps treat joints and removes swelling, and has a beneficial effect on the skin. When preparing kvass from nectar, many of the listed properties are preserved. But only if the ingredient is collected away from the city, and the prepared drink is stored only in the refrigerator.
Which birch trees can you collect sap from?
In order to make it with raisins without preservatives, you need to collect the ingredients yourself. Birch sap is best taken from forests located away from the city. Older trees are selected to collect nectar. But at night there is no movement of juice, so it is collected in the morning. A birch tree with a circumference of approximately 25 cm is selected.
To collect the sap, a small incision is made in the bark, just touching the trunk. The excavation should be made at a height of half a meter from the ground. A small groove or tube is then inserted into the incision. After collecting the juice, the excavation must be covered with dirt, clay, moss or other (but preferably only natural) substances.
Classic with raisins
To prepare classic birch kvass with raisins you will need:
- 10 liters of natural nectar collected in the forest;
- 500 g granulated sugar;
- 50 pcs. dried raisins.
Cooking method
The collected birch nectar is cleared of microscopic pieces of wood. To do this, the juice is filtered through gauze folded in several rows. Then the raisins are washed and dried. Birch nectar is mixed with granulated sugar. Stir until it is completely dissolved. Then raisins are added. The container in which the kvass is prepared is covered with a cloth lid and placed in a room with a temperature of approximately 22 degrees.
The drink must ferment for three days. After this, it is filtered again. Pour into bottles and put in the refrigerator.
Recipe for kvass with honey
The recipe for birch kvass with raisins and honey is very simple. The resulting drink helps prevent colds and has antibacterial agents. To prepare you will need:
- 10 liters of birch sap;
- 3 lemons;
- 4 raisins;
- 50 g live fresh yeast;
- 40 g liquid honey.
Preparation
Birch sap is cleaned and filtered through cheesecloth. Lemons are squeezed and added to the nectar. Then yeast, honey and raisins are poured out. The resulting mixture is thoroughly mixed and poured into jars or bottles. The container is tightly sealed and stored in a cold place. The fermentation lasts four days.
Recipe for kvass with coffee beans
Birch kvass with raisins can be prepared with coffee beans. To do this you will need:
- 2.5 liters of birch sap;
- 3 pieces of stale;
- 100 g granulated sugar;
- a small handful of raisins;
- the same portion of coffee beans.
Process
A frying pan is placed on the fire. Oil is not pouring. Coffee beans are roasted. The bread is cut into pieces and slightly dried in the oven. The raisins are washed and dried. A three-liter jar is used for the starter. All the ingredients are placed in it and filled with birch sap. To determine the fermentation of the drink, a medical glove is pulled over the neck and pierced with a needle. The container is left warm. Kvass begins fermentation after 2-3 days. At the same time, the glove inflates. When it subsides, the drink is filtered and placed in the refrigerator. It is better not to touch the kvass for several days, as it needs to brew.
How else can you prepare birch kvass?
Birch kvass with raisins can be prepared with orange slices. For this, classic ingredients are used with the addition of mint sprigs, lemon balm and 10 g of yeast. They are ground with granulated sugar. Then the remaining ingredients are added, mixed and fermented for two days.
Birch kvass, which is prepared with the addition of dried fruits, is very tasty, nutritious and rich in vitamins. And for a more interesting taste, you can add a little barberry. All ingredients are mixed and the drink ferments for four days.
In order to prepare high-quality kvass, birch nectar must be thoroughly cleaned of wood debris. To do this, the juice is filtered through cheesecloth. Birch nectar kvass should be prepared only from nectar collected in the forest outside the city. Because exhaust gases and smog affect the raw materials taken from trees.
It is better not to use plastic containers for sourdough. Glass containers (can be made in 3- or 5-liter jars) or enamel dishes are best. Prepared birch kvass with raisins can be stored for no longer than 120 days. Large dark raisins are best suited for this drink. It’s better to make the drink in early spring so that it brews by summer. Birch kvass is great for okroshka.
It is best to make a drink with honey in the fall. This kvass helps maintain immunity in winter. To do this, you can add medicinal herbs to a drink prepared at any time of the year. Kvass should only be stored in the refrigerator.
Making birch kvass at home is a fairly simple and not time-consuming process. But the pleasure and benefits of this drink are simply enormous.
Think about it, if birch sap, prepared for future use, undergoes heat treatment and loses more than 50% of useful microelements, then in the case of birch kvass, everything valuable remains untouched and at the end, we get the most valuable, healthy, and most importantly natural product, which cannot be bought even in stores positioning themselves as the Eco brand.
You can read about the benefits of kvass made from birch sap in the next article, but now let’s get straight to the recipe itself.
Step-by-step preparation of homemade kvass from birch sap
Let us note in advance that kvass made from birch sap, the recipe for which we will give below, does not require the presence of all dried fruits, namely dried apples. They, like raisins, contribute to the fermentation process of the drink.
If you are a beginner and making a drink for the first time, you can try store-bought ones.
Recipe for a 1.5 liter bottle or jar
To make birch kvass at home you will need:
- birch sap - 1.5 l.;
- dark raisins - 10-12 pcs.;
- dried apples - 7-10 pieces;
- sugar to taste (minimum 5 teaspoons - maximum 5 tablespoons per bottle).
So, let's begin.
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We take sugar, dried fruits, raisins (there is no need to wash them, since they contain natural yeast). |
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We filter the birch sap through a fine metal mesh or gauze, thereby removing small debris and forest dwellers who also wanted to enjoy the sap. |
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For preservation, birch sap should be as fresh as possible (light in appearance), but for kvass, sap that is not the first freshness is suitable. Typically it has a darker yellowish color. |
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We take a container, in this case a plastic bottle. You can prepare and store birch kvass in glass jars, but then you will need to seal them with thick plastic lids, not sealing ones. If excessive gassing occurs, the lid will pop off the jar without damaging the container. |
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Pour in the juice, leaving about 7 cm unfilled to the top. |
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Add dried apples. |
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A handful of raisins. |
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Now it's sugar's turn. It is better to pour granulated sugar into a bottle using a sheet of paper rolled into a bag with a hole inside. (Lifehack:)) |
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Twist and shake. It is not necessary to achieve complete dissolution of sugar; during the fermentation process it will certainly react and dissolve. We put the drink away for 3-4 days for fermentation in a warm place, you can just leave it in the apartment. |
After this time, the kvass made from birch sap can be considered ready, and now you can drink it for pleasure. But if you want to save it for future use, then strain all the ingredients, pour it into a glass container and put it in a cold place - a cellar or refrigerator.
Happy drinking!
Print text
Everyone is familiar with the slightly sweet taste of such healthy and pleasant birch sap! Fresh birch sap is available only in early spring, usually in April. But you can preserve its taste, benefits and unique composition of microelements and vitamins not only by preserving it in jars, but by preparing an equally wonderful product based on it - kvass.
Few people know that it can be prepared not only with bread, but also with birch sap; this makes the drink much softer, lighter, and therefore more refreshing, while retaining all the beneficial properties. And the options for preparing kvass with raisins and dried fruits, with barley and bread - give a variety of tastes from the classic sour yeast to the sweetish birch-fruit.
Kvass with barley
Making kvass from birch sap at home is not a troublesome task, as it may seem at first glance to inexperienced housewives. And preparing kvass from birch sap with barley will result in a taste most similar to the usual yeast kvass. To prepare you need only two ingredients:
- Birch sap (fresh, collected) must be filtered through several layers of gauze, removing possible mechanical impurities, wood chips, and bark. Cleaned, leave in a cool place for 1-2 days.
- Pour unpeeled barley grains into a frying pan and fry. If you fry it until golden brown, the kvass will have a more delicate and mild taste; if you fry it until it is dark, almost black, the kvass will have a bitter taste.
- Pour barley into birch sap. If you don’t want barley grains to float in a bottle of kvass, you can tie them in a gauze bag and throw them into the bottle like that.
- Kvass should be infused for at least 3-4 days in a warm room. Kvass should be stirred periodically. Over time, it acquires a darker color and a rich barley flavor.
- After a few days, the kvass can be strained and poured into glass bottles, which can be tightly sealed and can be stored for up to six months in a cellar or other cool room.
How to prepare birch kvass Very simply
This natural birch-barley kvass is an excellent solution for seasoning homemade traditional okroshka, because it has the freshness of birch sap and sourness with a bit of bitterness from barley.
Kvass with raisins and dried fruits
When cooked, kvass made from birch sap with raisins leaves a specific taste and sweetness. Raisins in kvass are the basis of fermentation. Dried fruits will help add a fruity note to the drink. So, to prepare kvass from birch sap with dried fruits and raisins you will need:
- Fresh birch sap – 3 l;
- Dried fruits – 0.6-0.8 kg;
- Raisins – 200 g (1.5-2 cups).
- Fresh birch sap must be cleaned of all the slightest mechanical impurities by simply straining through several layers of gauze. After straining, the juice should be allowed to stand for 1-2 days in a cool place in a glass container.
- Rinse raisins and dried fruits thoroughly, remove dirt and debris.
- Place washed dried fruits and raisins in a container with birch sap, close the bottle with a lid with holes or several layers of gauze.
- We leave the future kvass to infuse in a warm place for at least 5-7 days, since we do not add sugar in the recipe and the kvass will ferment a little slower. If you add 3-5 tablespoons of sugar when mixing the ingredients, fermentation will occur faster, and as a result the kvass will have a richer taste and may lose the slight sweetness inherent in birch sap.
- The finished drink from a common bottle can be strained and poured into small glass bottles and in them, tightly closed, kvass from birch sap with dried fruits can be stored for up to six months in a cool, dark room.
Homemade kvass. Branded recipe from birch sap.
This drink will delight you with the pleasant spring taste of birch sap and provide the benefits of vitamins accumulated in dried fruits even in late autumn. Kvass made from birch sap with dried fruits can even be an interesting solution for a holiday table as a wonderful aperitif.
Kvass with bread
Having already seen how easy it is to make kvass from birch sap, housewives will probably wonder how to make kvass with the usual rye taste, but with the unique benefits of birch sap. The following recipe for birch sap kvass with bread will be an excellent choice in this case. To prepare you will need:
- Fresh birch sap – 3 l;
- Black bread (rye, Borodino, etc.) – 300g;
- Sugar – ½ cup;
- Optional: a handful of raisins, mint leaves, black currants, barley grains, coffee beans.
Preparation of bread kvass with birch sap:
- Strain fresh birch sap through several layers of gauze to get rid of microcontaminants: pieces of wood, specks. If the juice is freshly collected, before preparing kvass from it, it is better to let it stand for 1-2 days in a cool place.
- Cut the bread into small cubes and make crackers: Place and dry on a baking sheet in the oven or simply fry without oil in a frying pan.
- In a bottle (preferably glass) where the fermentation process will take place, place crackers and sugar on the bottom, fill with slightly warmed birch sap and stir well. You can add your favorite ingredient for taste: these can be blackcurrant or mint leaves - this will give a light berry-herbal aroma, coffee beans and barley will enhance the rye taste.
- Close the bottle with a loose lid or tie several layers of gauze instead of a lid and leave to ferment in a warm place for 3-5 days.
- After several days of fermentation, the kvass can be strained, poured into more convenient smaller containers and stored for up to six months in a cool place.
Birch sap is rich in vitamins and macroelements that are so necessary for our body, but not everyone knows how to make birch kvass from it at home
Birch sap is rich in vitamins and macroelements that are so necessary for our body, but not everyone knows how to make birch kvass from it at home. After all, a fresh drink does not have a long shelf life, and kvass can be enjoyed for many more months.
Birch kvass is an excellent alternative to preserving sap using preservatives. During its production, no beneficial substances are lost, but remain in the drink.
Useful properties of birch kvass
Kvass infused with birch nectar is rich in substances that have a good effect on the human body, improve the functioning of the immune system, and strengthen the cardiovascular system.
By drinking this drink, you can not only get a pleasant taste and quench your thirst in hot summer weather, but it also helps remove harmful substances from the body and improve digestion (if such a problem exists). Kvass made from birch sap has diuretic properties. It is recommended to drink it to get rid of swelling. Regular consumption of birch sap or kvass restores the environment in the stomach and normalizes its acid-base balance.
The organic acids and enzymes included in the composition, magnesium and iron, calcium salts, vitamins and macroelements saturate the human body. This drink can be drunk by children, adults and the elderly.
Birch kvass is consumed not only as a tasty and healthy drink. It is used for cosmetic purposes; it is used to make anti-aging face masks or hair strengthening products.
Advice! Drinking birch sap helps in the fight against colds, and is also an excellent preventative during the cold season and for boosting immunity.
Contraindications
Even one of the healthiest drinks has minor contraindications. They are based on individual intolerance to the product and the body’s allergic reaction to birch pollen. It is in these cases that it is not recommended to use birch sap or kvass or use it with caution.
Rules for collecting birch sap
In early spring, along with the end of frost and rising temperatures, sap flow begins, and it is at this time that lovers of this drink begin to collect it. In order to determine its beginning, you should carefully make a small depression with an awl, about 5–7 cm. A drop of birch sap that appears means that you can start collecting it.
The choice should be made on a birch tree whose trunk is at least 25 cm. A tree of this size has only one cut to collect sap. For every additional 10 cm, 1 hole can be added to the diameter of the trunk. If you do not follow these rules, you can ruin your birch tree.
Advice!It is better to collect birch sap during the day, since sap flow slows down at night, and as a result, a little less will flow into the bottle than you would like.
To make a cut to collect sap, it is better to choose the southern side of the tree, at a height of 50–60 cm, insert a special boat-shaped groove into it. From one tree you can collect from 3 to 7 liters of juice per day. After collecting, it is necessary to cover the cut with dirt or moss, otherwise the liquid will continue to drain and the birch tree may dry out.
It is more convenient to collect juice in a plastic container, but for storage it is better to pour it into glass bottles, which will preserve the healing properties of the drink.
Advice! To collect birch sap, you should not choose a young tree or one that grows outside the window. Birch should be looked for away from populated areas and roads, as trees tend to absorb all harmful substances in the air.
Nuances of preparation
In order for birch kvass to turn out tasty, you need to know some rules:
Advice! Birch sap and kvass contain a large number of phytocytes. They are a natural antibiotic. Drinking this drink for sore throat, bronchitis, and pneumonia is very useful.
Best Recipes
There are many recipes and ways to make birch kvass at home. Below are the most common ones.
Birch kvass with raisins (classic recipe)
To prepare you will need:
- 10 liters of fresh birch sap;
- Granulated sugar - 500 grams;
- Raisins – 100 grams (50 pcs.)
Cooking method:
Clean the birch nectar using a strainer or gauze filter, rinse the raisins well and dry. In an enamel saucepan, mix sugar and juice until completely dissolved. Add raisins and cover with a cloth lid. Leave to ferment at room temperature for three to four days. Pass the resulting drink through a gauze filter again and pour into clean glass bottles, close the lids tightly, and cool. A tasty healthy drink is ready to drink.
Advice!Classic birch kvass with raisins is ideal for making okroshka. It will add interesting notes to your favorite dish.
Birch kvass with the addition of large dark raisins
When using large dark raisins, the recipe and fermentation time changes slightly.
Required components:
- Fresh birch nectar – 3 liters;
- Large dark raisins – 25 berries.
Cooking method:
Rinse and dry the berries well, strain the nectar through a strainer. In a glass or enamel bowl (it is best to use a three-liter glass jar), mix all the ingredients. Close the container with the future drink tightly and place it in a cool place for three months, for example, in a basement. After the allotted time, the kvass must be filtered and you can enjoy the wonderful drink.
Birch honey kvass
Ingredients:
- Fresh birch sap - 10 liters;
- Raisins - only 3 berries;
- Live yeast (fresh) – 50 grams;
- Liquid honey – 35–40 grams;
- Lemon (medium size) – 3 pieces.
Cooking method:
Squeeze the lemons and mix in a deep container with strained birch sap. Add live yeast, honey and raisins. Make sure that all components are mixed evenly, pour the resulting mixture into a glass container, close tightly and place in a cool place where bright light does not penetrate. After 3-4 days, you can try a fresh tonic drink.
Birch sap with orange
Required Products:
- Natural and fresh birch sap – 2.5 liters;
- Orange – 1 piece;
- Raisins – 15–20 grams (10 pieces);
- Melissa and mint to taste;
- Granulated sugar 250 - grams;
- Yeast – 10 grams.
Cooking method:
Grind a little sugar and yeast and pour into a prepared glass jar, add the orange cut into pieces. Pour in the remaining granulated sugar, add a sprig of lemon balm and a few mint leaves. Fill the jar with juice, cover with a lid and leave for two days.
Strain the fermented mixture through a sieve or gauze filter and pour into bottles. Add 2-3 raisins to each of them. Place the drink in the refrigerator for a day. Exactly one day later you can quench your thirst on a hot day with a delicious drink with citrus notes.
Advice!Early spring is the best time to prepare kvass based on birch nectar with raisins. This way, a delicious cold drink will be ready for summer. It’s better to stock up on a drink that contains honey before winter to boost your immunity.
Bread birch kvass with coffee beans
To prepare kvass you will need:
- Fresh birch sap – 2.5 liters;
- Borodino bread (preferably stale) – 2-3 pieces;
- Granulated sugar – 100 grams;
- A handful of raisins;
- A handful of coffee beans.
Cooking method:
In a frying pan, without adding oil, fry the coffee beans. Dry the pieces of bread in the oven. Rinse the raisins thoroughly and dry. Mix all the ingredients in a glass container (a three-liter jar is good for this), pour everything with juice. Place a rubber glove over the neck of the jar and carefully pierce it with a needle. Place the starter in a warm place for two to three days. After this time, the kvass should be won, the deflated glove will indicate this. Pour the already strained drink through a gauze filter into glass bottles and place in a cool, dark place. After three days, you can enjoy a divine tonic drink, rich in vitamins and minerals.
Advice! To be sure of the naturalness of the birch drink, you should not buy it in the store; it is better to collect it yourself. When preparing kvass, you can add various medicinal plants and herbs. This will only add vitamins and substances that are so missing in early spring to the healthy drink.
Birch kvass with added dried fruits
There are two ways to prepare kvass from dried fruits based on birch nectar.
Ingredients:
- Natural fresh birch sap approximately three liters;
- 150 grams of dried fruit mixture.
Cooking method:
Place thoroughly washed dried fruits in a glass jar, fill with nectar and cover with a gauze lid. There must be access to oxygen. Place the jar of future kvass to steep at room temperature for two weeks. After time, strain the finished drink and you can drink and enjoy the amazing taste.
Ingredients:
- Freshly collected birch sap - 3 liters;
- Mixture of various dried fruits – 200 grams;
- Dry yeast – 10 grams;
- Honey optional.
Cooking method:
Rinse the dried fruit mixture well under running water and dry. Place in a container for future fermentation (not plastic). Pour in the yeast and pour birch nectar over everything. If desired, add honey to the starter for taste. Cover the container with a gauze lid and place in a warm place. After two days, the drink is ready, all you have to do is strain through a fine strainer and you can drink the tonic cool kvass.
Advice! When preparing kvass using yeast, you must carefully monitor the time and try not to overcook it. In a warm room, this drink is prepared very quickly, so you need to be especially careful.
Birch-barley kvass
Lovers of traditional bread kvass will love birch-barley kvass. They have almost the same taste, but this drink is richer in vitamins and microelements. It will also be a good base for okroshka. Below are two recipes for a birch-barley drink.
For preparation you will need:
- 10 liters of birch nectar, preferably freshly collected;
- 1 kg. selected barley.
Cooking method:
Wash and dry the barley, then fry it in a frying pan until golden brown. Pour the grains into a container with strained birch sap and mix. Place in a cool room. Gradually the juice will begin to get stronger. After making sure that it has reached the desired strength, strain and pour into the prepared container. This kvass can be drunk until mid-summer.
Required ingredients:
- 10 liters of fresh birch sap;
- Half a kilogram of barley;
- 500 grams of sugar;
- 800 grams of rye bread;
- 100 grams of dried mint.
Cooking method:
Cut the rye bread and dry it in the oven. Fry pre-washed and dried barley in a frying pan until golden brown. Boil the juice in advance and add all the ingredients to it when it has cooled slightly. Leave the mixture at a temperature of 22–24 degrees for fermentation for three days. Next, you should strain it, pour it into a specially prepared container and leave it to cool. You can enjoy the divine taste of a cool drink. Kvass prepared in this way can be safely stored for six months.
Making birch kvass at home is not a complicated process. If you want to enjoy a healthy tonic drink, you need to spend very little time on it. A good addition when collecting birch nectar is to walk through the forest and enjoy its beauty. And you will be sure that birch kvass is made exclusively from natural ingredients.
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 a 3-liter jar, rinse the dried fruits well and put 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 several layers of gauze or a plastic lid with several holes to allow 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 and 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.
Depending on the room temperature, we keep the kvass for 1.5 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!
