Is it possible to store birch sap in the refrigerator without preservation?
Birch sap, like any vitamin liquid, quickly deteriorates. Birch sap is stored in the refrigerator. The duration of storage is determined by the presence of preservatives in it:
- A fresh drink can stay in the refrigerator for no longer than 2 days.
- Canned from a jar or tetra-pack - up to 3 days open and up to 2 years closed.
To ensure that freshly collected juice lasts for a long time, it can be canned, evaporated, frozen, or kvass can be made from it.
Shelf life
Birch sap does not last long. As in any liquid, microorganisms quickly multiply in it, and when it comes into contact with air, it oxidizes. The more time it sits, the less vitamins remain in it. The drink becomes sweet, but more bland, becomes cloudy and at the end acquires a vinegary taste.
Shelf life of birch sap:
- fresh – 48 hours;
- canned – 2 years;
- canned open – 72 hours.
Some manufacturers indicate that after opening the drink can be stored for no longer than a day. Supposedly it does not contain preservatives and therefore spoils quickly. However, in practice, this is nothing more than a publicity stunt: a canned product can last much longer, up to 5 days. The main thing is to store it correctly.
Storage rules
In order for birch sap to be stored as long as possible, it should be placed in conditions unfavorable for the growth of microbes.
Storage rules:
- Birch sap, rolled up in a transparent container, is stored in a room protected from direct sunlight (refrigerator, cellar).
- The storage temperature of the closed workpiece is from 0 to 25 degrees.
- Fresh juice and canned juice in open packaging should be stored at a temperature of 0 to 10 degrees (only in the refrigerator).
- The container must close tightly. The less air gets into it, the longer the drink will not spoil. A glass jar with a tight lid is ideal for storage.
- The container must be sterile. At a minimum, it needs to be thoroughly washed and doused with boiling water, or even better, sterilized over steam.
How to increase the shelf life of natural juice?
Due to the short shelf life, fresh birch sap is processed almost immediately after extraction. What you can do with it: There are several options:
- Freezing. Allows you to preserve up to 80% of nutrients and increase shelf life to 8 months. Natural birch sap is frozen in portions, because after defrosting it quickly deteriorates. It is convenient to use plastic bottles with a volume of 0.5–1 liters. When freezing, the liquid will expand, so it is important to fill the container not completely, adding about 2-3 cm from the top.
- Conservation. To roll up birch sap, you need to add 3 tbsp. spoons of sugar per 1 liter, bring it to a boil and immediately pour into sterilized glass jars. Screw the lids on the jars and after cooling, put them in a cool place. Sometimes citric acid is added along with sugar (1 teaspoon per 1 liter).
- Kvass. Stored in a closed container for up to 3 months, it turns out very effervescent.Preparation: pour 150 g of washed dried fruits (dried apricots, prunes, apples, raisins) into a three-liter jar, pour in 2.5 liters of strained natural juice. Cover with gauze and place in a cool place for 2 weeks. Strain the kvass and pour into a sterilized container.
- Digestion. Birch syrup can be diluted with water, spread on bread, or added to tea. It can easily sit in the refrigerator all winter in a glass jar with a screw-on lid. Preparation: bring 3 liters of juice to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour, skimming off foam. Add 3 cups of sugar and continue cooking. After another 1 hour, the liquid will thicken and can be poured into sterilized containers.
Birch sap is healthy, and for many it is a favorite drink. It is mined in the spring, when birch trees begin to flow sap. Unfortunately, immediately after collection it quickly deteriorates. Therefore, it is stored only in the refrigerator and, if possible, processed. The canned or frozen drink will last a long time and can be drunk all year round!