Healing herbs

Healing herbs
Echinacea and Calendula

Saturday 1 March 2014

Birch Juice; Divine Nectar

Beryozovy Sok (Birch juice) is the sap from a Birch tree. It is a water-like sweet liquid. It’s the only kind of juice in Russia that is venerated in songs about the love of the Motherland.

The ancient Slavs worshiped various Pagan gods and Birch was one of the most sacred trees. At that time it was forbidden to take the juice from the tree for regular use – it was to be saved for rituals. But after the introduction of Christianity the ban gradually disappeared. And people started to collect Birch nectar for everyday needs.

To collect the sap you have to go to the Birch grove, of course. The only time you can get the juice is during the 20 day period from the middle of March to the beginning of April – that’s when the core of the tree is filled with juice. During some winters this period may be reduced to 10-12 days. Because of melting snow it’s important to wear rubber boots – otherwise one can get soaked.

Read more here

Due to an unusually mild (and very wet, I might add) winter in parts of Europe, Scandinavia and The U.K., Birch sap collection could possibly start earlier this year.

I vividly remember how we used to collect Birch tree juice as children. We would cut a suitable branch off at an angle and hang a glass bottle on it and return the next day to find a full bottle of sweet divine birch nectar. Wonderful childhood memories!



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