Yellow Birch sap

  • Hey Guest, Early bird pricing on the Summer Moot (29th July - 10th August) available until April 6th, we'd love you to come. PLEASE CLICK HERE to early bird price and get more information.

Pignut

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jun 9, 2005
4,096
12
45
Lincolnshire
I collected some birch sap yestersay, two bottles where perfectly clear, the other has a yellow tinge, the bottles where not tampered with, is this normal/safe to drink?

Thanks
 
Jan 13, 2004
434
1
Czech Republic
in what conditions are the birch growing? personally i would probably risk it anyway, but i'm not advising others to do the same!

they may be more perceptible to picking up pesticides and the like nearer a farm. but to be honest i'm not sure. are you near sewage?
 

Pignut

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jun 9, 2005
4,096
12
45
Lincolnshire
No in the middle of a semi mature (25 year old) plantation all the trees within 10m of each other, on sandy soil
 
Jan 13, 2004
434
1
Czech Republic
then i'd be drinking it! but caution is always advised i guess. i have found myself immune to most things, living as i do near a 25 year old plantation of douglas fir myself, but in the middle of a farm! the birch form our pesticide wind break, but i boiled it and tried it anyway, i don't know if heat has any effect on pesticides but the reason i did that was to make a syrup anyway. i'm pretty wreckless to be honest!

edit: i have a random question: what flavours lincolnshire sausages? :D i saw some vege ones in the supermarket...
 

Pignut

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jun 9, 2005
4,096
12
45
Lincolnshire
bushtuckerman said:
then i'd be drinking it! but caution is always advised i guess. i have found myself immune to most things, living as i do near a 25 year old plantation of douglas fir myself, but in the middle of a farm! the birch form our pesticide wind break, but i boiled it and tried it anyway, i don't know if heat has any effect on pesticides but the reason i did that was to make a syrup anyway. i'm pretty wreckless to be honest!

edit: i have a random question: what flavours lincolnshire sausages? :D i saw some vege ones in the supermarket...

Stale bread, salt Most importantly Black peper and rubbed sage

Thanks for the sap advice!
 

match

Settler
Sep 29, 2004
707
8
Edinburgh
I've seen various shades of sap from birches, from clear through to a light yellow. I believe the yellow is perfectly natural, and is related to the presence of anthocyanins in the sap - either way I've used such sap in wine-making with no ill effects...
 
Jan 13, 2004
434
1
Czech Republic
no worries, thanks for the recipe!

i should have mentioned that the purity of the sap seemed to be affected by tanins in the bark when i tapped ours, so how clean the cut is may have an influence.
 

BCUK Shop

We have a a number of knives, T-Shirts and other items for sale.

SHOP HERE