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Wine from birch sap is an ancient Slavic tradition. Initially, the housewives used fresh juice and honey instead of sugar, but now this technology has been adapted to the maximum extent to modern possibilities. Optionally, in the traditional recipe of birch wine, you can add other ingredients to get the original taste.
Recipe for birch wine with yeast
One of the classic recipes for birch sap wine at home is wine with yeast. You can buy special wine yeast in the store or use raisins( 200 g).In addition to this ingredient, you will need fresh birch sap( 25 liters), 5 kg of white sugar, 10 tsp.citric acid and honey as desired.
- For 3-4 days, you need to make a sourdough of raisins. It is poured into a container, 50 g of sugar, 400 ml of water are added, closed and left in a warm room.
- Birch sap, sugar and citric acid are combined in a large saucepan and cooked over low heat. The foam is periodically removed and monitored until about 20 liters of liquid remain.
- As this is a recipe for birch sap wine with yeast, it will not work without the leaven. It is added to the liquid and stirred. If you use wine yeast - you must dilute them according to the instructions. From a large pan, the liquid is poured into a container in which the wine will ferment.
- A hydraulic lock is placed on the bottle throat. If it is not available, you can replace the medical glove with a small hole in the finger.
- Wine should ferment for a month. When the process is over, a precipitate will appear on the bottom, which should be separated. To drain the wine in another container, use a straw.
- The container is sealed with an airtight lid and sent for 2-3 weeks to a dark cool room. After that, the liquid is again drained from the sediment.
Making wine from birch sap is a long and laborious process. You need to choose high-quality fresh juice and follow all the rules and monitor the temperature at all stages, otherwise the product may fail.
Method of cooking without yeast
The recipe for birch wine at home without yeast is slightly different from yeast. For its preparation birch sap( 30 l), 7.5 kg of sugar and lemon peel( it is enough to remove the peel from 3 large fruits).You can do without it, but the zest adds brightness to taste.
Birch sap is placed in a large saucepan and brought to a boil. Then add sugar and lemon peel to it and keep still for a while on a slow fire. When the liquid in the pan begins to evaporate - it is removed and cooled to room temperature. Then the cooking process and its timing do not differ from the classic recipe for yeast: the wine must ferment, it is removed from the sediment and stored for some time in a dark room. After the second withdrawal, the drink is ready to drink.
At home, you can try different variations of this recipe. This wine should not be stored for a long time, it is better to use it immediately after preparation. Shelf life in a cool place( in the refrigerator or cellar) can be up to a year.
Birch wine with orange instead of lemon is a great alternative to the usual taste.
Wine from birch sap without boiling
If you can, you should try making homemade wine from birch sap without boiling. This recipe will require birch sap( 5 liters), sugar( 1-2 kg), 1 liter of any fortified wine and lemon pulp.
In the process of preparing a drink, you need a keg designed for at least 7 liters of liquid. It is necessary to pour the juice into it and add all other ingredients. The barrel is sealed and sent to the cellar for 2 months. If there is no cellar, any dark and cool room will do.
After this time, the liquid from the barrel is poured into glass bottles, which can be sealed tightly. They should be stored for another 3 weeks in a horizontal position( in the same room).Then you can open the bottle, take a sample from the wine and put it on the table.
There is a huge amount of birch sap wine recipes that everyone can do. The main thing is to choose high-quality and fresh birch sap. On it should not be noticeable signs of souring. During cooking, you can experiment and combine different ingredients. Each housewife will get a special drink, which will differ in color, sweetness and strength.
