Birch bud tincture: 3 recipes at home
March is already on the calendar, which means it's time to think about spring alcoholic beverages, including homemade birch bud tincture.
Learn how to make wine from birch buds birch sap.
Tips before you start
First of all, we need to understand what the buds look like, or as they are also popularly called "buds":
Birch buds are small bumps on the branches of a tree, from which leaves are to appear later. Although many people confuse them with the "earrings" that appear in summer, they are often depicted on store-bought vodka labels on the buds.
The best time to harvest is April-May. But everything can start much earlier, because this factor directly depends on the weather conditions and the region of your residence. Just watch the birch and wait for the buds to appear on it.
The main sign of kidney maturity is that they have noticeably increased in size, but are not yet about to open. The buds are a little sticky to the touch, and kneading them in your hands will release a bright and rich aroma.
If you don't want to wait, you can always buy a dried product at the nearest pharmacy. But you should be prepared for the fact that the resulting drink will not have a pronounced aroma, and the taste may differ significantly.
Mild tincture of birch buds
Ingredients
Birch buds - 4 tsp.
Birch sap - 600 ml
Alcohol (96%) - 400 ml
Granulated sugar - 2 tbsp. л.
The method of preparation
Put the buds in a glass container, pour in undiluted alcohol and leave for two weeks in a dark place at room temperature.
After 2 weeks, strain the tincture, add birch sap and granulated sugar.
After mixing thoroughly, leave the drink for another 10 days under the same conditions.
Then pass the tincture through a cotton or paper filter and bottle it.
The finished product should be cooled and only then serve it to the table.
Spicy tincture of birch buds
This recipe is prepared in two stages. At the first stage, prepare the essence, at the second - the tincture.
The prepared concentrate is enough for 10 liters of drink.
Ingredients for the spice concentrate
Birch buds - 40 g
Ground ginger - 5 g
Ground cinnamon - 1-2 g
Ground galangal - 3 g
Moonshine (50-60%) - 350 ml
The method of preparation
Birch buds must be crushed in a mortar.
In a small glass jar, mix all the dry ingredients and pour them with moonshine.
Insist the essence for about 30 days.
After a month, strain the liquid and pass it 2-3 times through a filter.
Ingredients for the tincture
Spice concentrate - 35 ml (recipe above)
Moonshine - 1 liter
Granulated sugar - to taste
The method of preparation
Mix all the ingredients and leave for 3-4 days to stabilize the taste.
You can also adjust the richness and strength of the drink by adding essence or alcohol.
Before tasting, filter the tincture, bottle it and cool it in the cellar or refrigerator.
Spicy tincture of birch buds
This recipe, like the previous one, is prepared in two stages: the concentrate and the tincture itself. The amount of the finished essence is enough to prepare 10 liters of drink on birch buds.
Ingredients for the concentrate
Birch buds - 6 g
Coriander seeds - 6 g
Herb bisque - 6 g
Linden blossom - 3 g
Citric acid - 1 g
Cognac - 200 ml
White port - 300 ml
Method of preparation
Pour all the spices and citric acid with cognac and leave for two weeks at room temperature in a room without direct sunlight.
After two weeks, strain the liquid through a strainer and mix it with port wine.
At the final stage, the concentrate must be filtered.
Ingredients for the tincture
Concentrate - 50 ml
Vodka - 1 liter
Honey / granulated sugar - 1 tsp.
The method of preparation
Mix all ingredients in a glass container, take a sample and, if necessary, add additional concentrate, alcohol or sweetener.
Leave the drink for 3-4 days in a dark place.
After the sediment has settled, the tincture must be passed through a filter and bottled.
Before tasting, birch bud tincture should be kept for 3-4 months in the basement.
Update: 21.03.2018
Category: Liqueurs and Tinctures