Wild foraging Birch Trees

Birch trees are one of the more recognizable trees around. The papery outer bark that peels off in various size pieces is a common sign of the one of the many varieties of Birch. They are often found around lakes, rivers and streams, because they require extra water due to their shallow root system. Make note of the need for water for your foraging trips, anytime you are around a water source, a birch could be close by.

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Where are Birch Trees Found?

Birch trees are native to the more Northern Parts of the USA and Canada. Native varieties grow well in zones 2 through 7, but some new varieties have been grown for use in higher numbered zones. I live in Zone 8A and while their numbers are still fairly small, we have them in landscaping of many buildings, hospitals and medical offices.
If you live even further south, you might want to check with a local landscape company to find out if they can be grown in your area. They prefer cooler temps, but some varieties can tolerate higher temps.

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Edible Parts

Basically, the bark, leaves, twigs and sap are edible. Let’s look at each one individually to see how to harvest and use them.

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Birch Bark and Leaves

Until the Zombie Invasion starts, only harvest bark from fallen or dead trees. Once you cut through the outer bark to get to the inner bark that you use, the tree is open to pests and parasites that can kill it. It is better to save the tree for when it becomes emergency food than to kill it now before you really need it.
I have never personally harvested Birch Bark, but I found a very good, step by step guide with photos. Their guide goes from harvesting to making projects such as baskets with the gathered wood, but save some for eating too, lol.

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Once you have the inner bark, there are different ways of processing it, depending on how you will eat it.

1. Dry and grind to a powder to be mixed with flour for baking. By itself, it will not rise, but it can extend your flour reserves. It can also be used as a thickening agent.
2. Cut it into small then strips, 1/8 to ¼ inch wide at most. Boil it and use as a substitute for pasta.
3. Boil a few small pieces and drink as a tea. It has a flavor similar to wintergreen. Leaves and twigs can also be used for tea.
4. Oil from the birch bark has historically been used to expel worms, purify the blood, and relieve rheumatism. I have never harvested it but I found a tutorial here (NOTE: this oil is different than the infused oil recipe shown below. I would not consume this fire extracted oil)
5. A stronger tea made from bark, leaves or twigs can be used to help heal acne, itching, and eczema by daubing it on the skin.
6. Tar/resin made from birch bark oil is used much like tar as a sealant that is completely waterproof. It can be used to waterproof leather, can be made into soap and many other uses. Follow the tutorial above for making the oil to learn how to make the tar.
7. Historically Birch leaves and bark have been used for the following properties. Analgesic, Anti-inflammatory, Anti-Cancer, Aromatic, Astringent, Depurative, Febrifuge (fever reducer)
8. The leaves can have a slight laxative affect. This is good however, for constipation, abdominal pain, bloating, cramps and they actually help to stop diarrhea
9. Other uses for the tea includes boosting immunity, decreasing inflammation, arthritis and rheumatism, helping the scalp and hair, helps flush uric acid from your system, removes excess fluid from the body, helps heal kidney infections, eases insomnia, .
10. Fresh leaves can be applied directly to the skin via a bandage or compress to help treat joint pain or to sooth skin irritations
11. Infuse Olive oil by loosely packing a jar with fresh leaves. Fill the jar with olive oil, Cover it with a cloth. Use a rubber band to hold it in place. Leave the jar in an area where it can get some sun at least part of the day. Stir and push the leaves under the surface at least once a day. After a month, strain the oil and bottle it. The oil can be used to help remove cellulite, heal eczema, and ease the pain of muscles and joint pain.

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Edible Sap

Birch trees can be tapped just like maple trees but their sap is thinner. It can be boiled down into a syrup just like maple trees so. It has a delicious taste but it takes MANY gallons to make a single gallon of syrup because the water content is so high. That doesn’t mean it is not usable.

How to Wild Ferment Birch Sap

1. Measure your sap by the quart so you know how much sugar to add.
2. Pour the fresh sap into a clean, large contain. A 5-gallon water jug works fine for this, or use something smaller if you have less sap. Just make sure your sap does NOT go all the way to the top of the bottle.
3. Add 1 teaspoon sugar per quart of sap.
4. Drop a small handful of raisin in, they help the fermentation process.
5. Add a whole clove to prevent mold.
6. If you want to change the flavor, you can also add some other fruit for that purpose or simply go for it as is.
7. Cover the top with a cloth to let it breathe and keep out any critter that smell it, while still allowing wild yeast.
8. It should begin to turn from a clear liquid to a cloudy one. Usually within 2 to 5 days. Keep a check on the taste. It should begin to get slightly tangy, but don’t let it turn to vinegar. Once it reaches that tangy stage, it is ready to be bottled.

If you want a product more like sparkling wine

1. Gather enough wine bottle with corks or swing top bottles like some beer comes in.
2. Do not fill to the top, leave space for it to bubble.
3. Add 3 teaspoons of sugar per quart.
4. Add 4 to 5 raisins per bottle and a small piece of lemon or some citric acid.
5. Cap your bottles tightly. If using wine bottles, make sure you tie the corks in place to prevent the gases from pushing them out. This can be a strong cord or if you have them a wire rig made specific for this purpose.
6. After 15 to 20 days it should be ready to drink.

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Other things you can make with birch bark

1. Cut a circle from the bark. Heat it over a fire to make it pliable. Gently fold the 4 sides up. Cross both ends of two sides to the inside middle. Using a sharp object, punch a line of holes around the top edge. Use any thin cording, a shoe string or a thin pieces of birch bark heated to make it pliable, to “sew” the top edge through the holes you made to hold the cup together.
2. Native American made canoes out of birch bark.
3. Gather 12 to 24 limbs about 3 to 5 inches in diameter. Cut them all to the exact same length. Use Birch Tree tar as a glue to hold the limbs together in a filled, circular formation. When dried it can be used as a side table.
4. Sheets can be dried flat then used to help roof a shelter. Cover it with a solid layer of Birch oil tar to make it completely water tight.

That’s it for this time. I hope you found some usable information here. If there is a topic you need to learn more about, please let me know. I will get it done for you asap.