Birch sap is claimed to have health-promoting properties.
The birch sap calculated at the right time in the spring is quite clear. Adobe Stock / AOP
In early spring, as the snow gradually melts, as light and heat increase, sap begins to flow through the deciduous trees.
This liquid, also called the elixir of life, is in circulation for only a few weeks once a year. And that time is now.
In this way, in the spring, the birches absorb groundwater from the soil at their roots. The sap flows all the way to the leaves of the birch and carries with it all the vital nutrients necessary for the growth of the birch.
When there is only a few degrees of frost at night, a Tuusula resident tunes in Vesa Simonen plastic hoses and buckets for birch roots.
– This year I’ve been dropping my juice for a week. I only recover the bright juice from birch at first, Simonen says.
The juice only drains a few weeks a year. Eeva Paljakka
He thinks that soon the juice will start to get thicker, at least in southern Finland. The sap completely stops when the leaf buds burst.
Simonen laughs that their family’s freezer is already full of juice, so there is enough valuable liquid to give to the neighbors as well. Simonen drinks the juice as is. Thanks to freezing, it is enough for a few months.
It is important to remember that collecting juice is not everyone’s right, but the landowner should be asked permission to drill a hole in the birch.
When Simonen thinned his grove, he deliberately left the birches not felled.
– There are a lot of trees on the plot, but so far I have taken juice from only a few trees. One year I tried the slightly smaller trees on the border of the plot, but no sap dripped from them.
Now Simonen has found good sapwood birches. One birch produces 10 liters of bucket juice a day.
No weird tools are needed to collect the juice: a bucket, a lid and a hose.
The juice is collected by drilling a hole a few inches deep in the side of the tree, from where the juice is drained into a container. The hole is drilled gently upwards, allowing the juice to run out.
The juice should be collected in a bucket with a lid to prevent debris or insects from entering. Eeva Paljakka
Simonen jokes that he has hissed, for he has put a funnel and a hose inside it in the hole he drilled. Thanks to the funnel, the sap is not wasted, so it does not attract ants. The joints between the hose and the bucket should also be taped carefully.
When Simonen stops counting the juice, he puts a tree branch in the hole he drilled in the trunk of the birch. The secretion of juice stops quickly and the tree does not suffer.
The juice contains natural sugars, glucose and fructose and in addition the juice contains various fruit acids, most of which are malic acids. The juice also contains small amounts of trace elements such as calcium, potassium, magnesium and manganese, as well as some vitamin C.
Juices are subject to beliefs and health claims. The juice has traditionally been used to combat spring fatigue.
The juice is perfectly clear. Eeva Paljakka
The juice is believed to promote metabolism and urinary excretion, which in turn promotes the release of waste products. At the same time, kidney function intensifies.
However, juice is not for everyone. People with birch allergies should not drink it.
The juice should be used within a day of collection. It can also be frozen for later use. After thawing, the juice must be used immediately.