How to Tap Birch Sap | Making Birch Gin, Birch Syrup & Toffee / Folk History & Benefits

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It's the beginning of spring here in Scotland and it's time for the annual tapping of the Birch trees. In this video i'll show you how to tap a birch tree for sap using a sterile drill bit. I'll show you how to choose the best tree and where to drill it as well as how to do it safely without risking infecting the Birch tree. We will also discuss a bit about the folk history and uses of Birch sap before making some delicious Birch syrup pancakes and enjoying them with a homemade Birch sap gin!
Be respectful to the Birch tree and your natural resources. Only tap what you need and don't waste any. If you consider harvesting Birch sap this year why not plant a few more Birch trees nearby to offset any unintentional harm you may do to the trees by tapping them.
00:00 - Intro
00:58 - Choosing your Birch tree
02:20 - Where to drill
02:53 - How to drill
03:35 - Tapping hygiene
04:29 - Drilling the hole and hammering in the tap
06:02 - Container for the sap
06:27 - Selecting a tap for the sap
07:26 - Making my own wooden tap with on/off valve
09:57 - Using rubber hose for the sap
10:29 - When to harvest birch sap
10:57 - Signs from nature about the tapping season
13:10 - What does Birch sap look and smell like?
13:35 - What does Birch sap taste like?
14:05 - Why do I tap the Birch tree?
14:48 - Birch sap and Pine needle tea
16:41 - Nutritional content of Birch Sap
18:05 - Fermenting Birch Sap
18:50 - Birch sap medicinal benefits and folk uses
19:25 - Birch sap for hair and skin
19:50 - History of Birch sap in Scotland
21:18 - Trying the pine needle tea
22:17 - Birch sap history in eastern europe
22:49 - Birch sap history in Scandinavia
23:46 - Birch sap gin
24:57 - Making Birch syrup
26:05 - Making the Birch sap gin
32:04 - Finished Birch Syrup
32:48 - Birch Toffee
32:23 - Making birch syrup pancakes and tasting the gin
35:34 - Finished pancakes with Birch syrup
36:06 - Small pancake for Hemp the dog
Disclaimer:
If you are following the gin recipe in this video you must only use food grade ethanol for the base spirit. Never use Denatured alcohol or any other type of chemical.

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2 июл 2024

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Комментарии : 67

@SongbirdAlom 2 года назад

this video is AMAZING. there is so much thought and love and effort put into all of this. I can't BELIEVE you don't have more subscribers. Birch trees are my absolute favorite tree and yet I still learned so much. thank you!

@JamieKunka 2 года назад

Thanks so much I’m glad you found it useful and enjoyable 😊 I really enjoy making them and so glad you appreciate all the effort 🙏

@simonamihaelaavram8678 2 года назад

Feel so good to be alive baby, wow

@rhondavaughan4174 2 месяца назад

Thank you for informing us about the trees

@danieldanielson2650 Год назад

Many compounds, especially resinous ones and different sugars, are more easily disolved in water that in ethanol. That might be the answer why your juniper berries came out much more pronounced in the 60/40mix.

@Valentina-tm5wi 2 месяца назад

Thank you so much! Cool history lessons about our ancients : ) Much appreciated. I Cannot wait to try this method and boil it down a bit, possibly making a juniper, Scot's pine and birch gin. You dived in on all of the amino acids and phytochemical constituents as well which was mu favorite part, great work!

@JamieKunka 2 месяца назад

Thanks Valentina! I hope your recipe comes out nice and tasty! I think it’s always interesting to look at the chemistry of how these things can work so well!

@borisacat9182 3 года назад

Thanks for this . We have a silver birch tree and will be trying this. Concentrating the solution without burning it might be done by freezing it , perhaps metal prongs to freeze onto , then remove the ice leaving concentrated syrup.

@JamieKunka 3 года назад

That's a great idea let me know if it works!

@cocis911 Год назад

Great video thank you!

@scottishbushman3745 2 года назад

Brilliant J lovely video with great Information to..

@warshipsdd-2142 2 года назад

Thanks, looking forward to seeing many more. Best of luck.

@toadstoolze 3 года назад

Thanks for the info 👍👍

@JamieKunka 3 года назад

Your very welcome!

@mihaelaniculita Год назад

Amazing stuff, thank you so much ! I am sharing this on my FB.. great job Jamie !

@JamieKunka Год назад

Thanks so much Mihaela!

@NCHerbSociety Год назад

Thoroughly enjoyable, informative, appropriate attention to cautions and to enviironmental concerns. Thank you!

@JamieKunka Год назад

Thanks Katherine!

@damienfontaniere4015 3 года назад

Another fantastic video, thanks Jamie! Too late for me this year to give birch tapping a go but will give it a try next year.

@JamieKunka 3 года назад

Thanks Damien! Definitely give it a go next year it's a great experience.

@damienfontaniere4015 2 года назад

@@JamieKunka Hello Jamie, it was too late for me last year but I managed to tap some birch this year? Thanks a lot for the advice and for your great videos.

@anotherprimate8670 2 года назад

Bro that was a great video .I see u walk with respect something not taught by society at large . Be respectful of the tree ...... wise words . I thank you for your wairūa

@JamieKunka 2 года назад

Thank you I’m glad you enjoyed it! Absolutely, I think we must cherish our trees like family.

@suzycat2026 2 года назад

Thanks for this informative video. Always wanted to try the Birch sap, we have many trees in our area. 8 March 2022 & it's still frosty at night > so this may be right time to try it.🙂 Love your dog called Hemp, glad he got a pancake too. 😻🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

@JamieKunka 2 года назад

Thanks Suzy! I feel like it’s the time of year now! Have a look at the buds on the tree and if you see some signs of little green buds appearing have a go at tapping them!

@suzycat2026 2 года назад

Good day & thanks so much @@JamieKunka No green buds yet, just those brown beginnings , so maybe next week to try. I'm really glad you reminded me about isopropyl alcohol to clean anything that goes into the tree, they are so precious. 🙂

@DinoStroker 3 года назад

Another beautiful video. My two year old son loves the squirrels. We don't have any red squirrels around us.

@JamieKunka 3 года назад

Glad you are both enjoying it. I'll have to do a red squirrel video 😁

@ruudjeufc 2 года назад

highly underrated this content

@wimoostra4640 Год назад

Whow what a clear story. I wondered whether boiling the juice has a negative effect on the good elements of it. If not, it is a good way of keeping it for a long time, isn't it?

@amarissimus29 Год назад

Excellent tutorial on putting a hole in a tree. I've been banging my head against the wall for weeks trying to figure it out. A drill. I'm so stupid.

@JamieKunka Год назад

Always glad to be of help!

@susieweir9847 2 года назад

Hello from Alaska! I've just gotten through making birch surup for the first time. I've learned the other uses from you. I just went and put my buckets back under for some more for drinking and hair and cosmetic uses. Unlike you, my men would like to use it for hair restoration uses. We'll see if they do or not. If they do ill let you know how it works.

@JamieKunka 2 года назад

I’ve yet to try it on the hair but I think the victorians and old Scots here used to swear by it for hair restoration. Let me know how it goes 😁

@Petra-oq5wl 2 года назад

Great video, thanku!, what is the little fire you used?, +can you make a film on pine needle tea, the right pines etc, cheers.

@JamieKunka 2 года назад

That's a great idea about the pine needle tea! I'll have a look for the font I used and tell you here once I found it! Jamie

@johnzomer3543 2 года назад

I wonder if the stove he used isn't the same as what he used to brew his tea in the Chaga video. I believe he mentioned that it was the cheapest one listed on Amazon.

@xerephinemusic8235 Месяц назад

Can I tap Aspen trees here in Colorado?

@digschopper9321 Год назад

You have Tango there? I havent had it in 40 years... For good reason, lol.

@thecanadianfishfinder60 3 месяца назад

L boso if you use anything more then 70% alc it evaporates before it kills anything especially the things you don’t want

@thecanadianfishfinder60 3 месяца назад

We just used a piece of pipe and we were getting more sap then we could handle

@evey244 3 года назад

I am thinking of using birch sap as shampoo and have read that it was done in the 1800s. Do you know of a way to perserve the sap and all the goodness so I could use up all of the birch sap I've gathered (around 4 L) without it going bad? Great video anyway! Informative and nicely filmed in nice nature settings. Keep it up!

@JamieKunka 3 года назад

Hi Alice. Yeh that sounds like a great shampoo idea to improve hair thickness and lustre! I think the easiest way would be to pasteurize the sap. Perhaps put it in a big pot and bring it up to around 80 degrees Celsius for 10 mins. I think that should stop it fermenting when it cools! Let me know if it works.

@purplewos Год назад

No pasteurisation will destroy all the nutrients and minerals.

@samvodopianov9399 3 года назад

Birch sap is drunk in a lot in Eastern Europe. Very similar to this!

@JamieKunka 3 года назад

That's very cool. What is the best month in Eastern Europe for the birch sap?

@samvodopianov9399 3 года назад

@@JamieKunka Spring as well - before new leaves appear.

@markcash2 2 года назад

They call those "electric screwdrivers" in Scotland?

@JamieKunka 2 года назад

I think that's just my strange name for it! Acording to Makita corp it's a cordless combi drill!

@candicez8010 2 года назад

The ratio for birch syrup is 1:100 ration unlike maple syrup which is 1:40 ratio

@JamieKunka 2 года назад

Yeh! Can’t believe how little syrup I got from the birch sap 😂

@cliffcampbell8827 Год назад

Pancakes are fluffy-ier. I think you made crepes, with how thin they are. From what I've been told, the only difference between crepes and pancakes is the thickness...I don't know why that is important but the French do take their food serious.

@marinaosmond4190 Год назад

Maybe a dumb question, but is it okay to give birch water to dogs?

@JamieKunka Год назад

Yes I think it may be fine as long as it’s from the tree and not from a carton which may have added Xylitol which is toxic to dogs. Always try a small amount first to check the animal tolerates it! From Wiki: Contrary to popular belief, there is no xylitol in birch sap (xylitol is a sugar alcohol that is industrially produced using high temperature and sulfuric acid, or through fermentation).[15]

@johngreggory5813 Год назад

@@JamieKunka I666

@johngreggory5813 Год назад

F r

@johngreggory5813 Год назад

@@JamieKunkaI666 is a

@michaelmcdermott3802 2 года назад

hapnin bid chap? still alive?

@NomenNescio99 3 года назад

Just don't let your dog drink it, it's highly poisonous for dogs.

@JamieKunka 3 года назад

I won't! Luckily hes highly suspicious of none meat or dairy based substances 😂

@borisacat9182 3 года назад

do not test this, but wikipedia says this: ''Contrary to popular belief, there is no xylitol in birch sap (xylitol is a sugar alcohol that is industrially produced using high temperature and sulfuric acid, or through fermentation).[16]'' I think jamie mentioned it on the video

@darranwilkins4648 8 месяцев назад

Mate you need to post weekly content. From allmsorts of angles as you could skyrocket 🎉 start doing camping and foreging with cooking. You would skelp it

@JamieKunka 8 месяцев назад

Got a new camera so new videos coming!!