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Berezovy sok (birch sap)
Берёзовый сок: barely sweet spring sap from the birch woods, drunk fresh or bottled with raisins until lightly fizzy
For two or three weeks at the end of March and into April, while there is still snow under the trees and before the buds open, the birches around Moscow, Tver, Vologda and across the north start to run. Families tap a few trees at the dacha and drink the sap straight from the jar: clear, cold, very faintly sweet, tasting of rainwater and fresh wood. Because it spoils within two or three days, villagers bottled the rest with sugar, raisins and lemon zest, letting it ferment slightly into a sparkling drink that kept into early summer; like any ferment it makes a trace of alcohol, well under 1% if drunk young. Only tap with the owner's permission, choose trees thicker than 20 cm, drill one small hole and plug it with a wooden peg afterwards so the tree heals. The common mistake is sealing the bottles tight at warm room temperature, which can make them burst; keep them cool and open the caps daily. The bottled sap is ready when the raisins float, a ring of fine bubbles forms on top and it tastes gently sparkling. Chef's tip: drink the first glass straight from the tree; it is never quite as good again.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the sap
- 12 ½ cups fresh birch sapcollected or bought the same or previous day, kept cold
For the bottled sap
- 2 ⅛ oz sugar
- 1 oz unwashed dark raisinsunsulphured; their bloom starts the fermentation
- 1 unwaxed lemonzest only, pared in strips
To serve
- 3 fresh mint sprigs (optional)
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What you'll need
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Strain the 12 ½ cups fresh birch sap through a fine sieve lined with a clean cloth to remove bark, insects and grit. Taste it: fresh sap is clear, cold and only faintly sweet. If it is cloudy or smells sour, it has turned and should be thrown away.
5 minStep 2: Pour out as many glasses as you want to drink fresh and keep them cold, with a sprig of 3 fresh mint sprigs if you like. Fresh sap keeps 2 days in the fridge.
Step 3: For the bottled sap, stir 2 ⅛ oz sugar into the remaining sap until it dissolves.
3 minStep 4: Divide 1 oz unwashed dark raisins and 1 unwaxed lemon zest between clean plastic bottles (or swing-top bottles plus one plastic test bottle). Fill with the sweetened sap, leaving 5 cm of space at the top, and close.
5 minStep 5: Leave in a cool, dark place (15–64°F) for 2–3 days, opening each cap once a day to release gas. It is ready when the raisins float, fine bubbles rise when you open it and the plastic bottle feels firm.
Step 6: Move to the fridge. It keeps about 1 week and grows drier and fizzier as it sits. Open carefully over the sink. Throw it away if it turns slimy, grows mould or smells rotten rather than lightly sour.
Step 7: Serve well chilled, straight or with ice, picking out the raisins as you pour.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 25 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 6 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does berezovy sok (birch sap) take?
- About 15 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of unwaxed lemon?
- Lime, or 2 tbsp bottled lemon juice per lemon (no zest from bottled juice).
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