# Canning Birch Sap



## akhomesteader (Jan 5, 2006)

Does anyone know how to can birch sap? Would pressure canning work, and if so, how long should the jars be processed, and at what pressure? The extension service told me that boiling water bath is unsafe. Prior to calling them, I did can some in a BWB for 20 minutes. I was going to toss it after talking to the extension service, but forgot. A year later when I checked them, several had a black gooey looking stuff growing in them. I've talked to people who have said they had grandparents or other relatives who canned it and drank it year round, but they did not know how it was done.


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## PlicketyCat (Jul 14, 2010)

Every reference (including UAF and AK Birch Syrupmaker's Assc.) I have for birch syrup says to heat the filtered syrup to boiling (180-190F), ladle into hot sterile jars/buckets and seal with sterile lids. No additional BWB needed.

http://www.uaf.edu/files/ces/districts/matsu/hhfd/Birch-Tree-Tapping.pdf
http://www.uaf.edu/files/snras/MP_04_02.pdf
http://www.ifcae.org/ntfp/docs/ABSA 2008 - Best Practices for Producing Quality Birch Syrup.pdf

However, I can't find any information specifically about canning unprocessed sap. I did find one mention that "birch saps needs to be refrigerated to avoid spoilage". So, it looks like you need to filter it and then go through the process of condensing it down to syrup in order to make it safe for canning.


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## Ciffer (Sep 13, 2010)

I took a class on maple syrup last year. They didn't say anything about actual canning, although they did say to store at room temp and if mold forms, remove the mold, bring to a boil and keep boiling a few minutes to concentrate the sugars a little more, then cool.

Birch syrup is fructose, maple syrup is sucrose but the storage should be similar.

PlicketyCat mentioned that sap needs to be refrigerated leading me to believe that your big enemy for storage is too much water.


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## PlicketyCat (Jul 14, 2010)

Yes, birch sap has more water in it than maple sap and the sugar aren't as concentrated; it takes nearly twice as much birch sap as maple sap to make an equal amount of syrup. I guess the high water content and the simpler sugars (fructose/glucose vs. sucrose) make the sap a perfect medium for spoilage even though it is highly acidic.


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## Ciffer (Sep 13, 2010)

I am not sure if it is the simpler sugars that make it more prone to spoilage as maple syrup/sap have the same issues. The generally accepted average concentration needed is 100:1 for birch, 80:1 for silver maple, 60:1 for box elder (also a maple) and 40:1 for sugar maple. I do not know the ratio for hardwood maple. Your resulted will vary depending on climate, soil and other factors. I do not know the ratio for hardwood maple.

The fructose in birch sap is, however, the reason that birch sap is harder to make. The fructose will scorch much more easily so many people use a double boiler to finish birch syrup.


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