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“It does not seem to be that many kilometers, but the time of the fruiting of the trees and the explosion of the leaves is different. If in the West the buds begin to explode at the end of March or the beginning of April, in the forests of the east or north of Lithuania is still possible to see snow or frozen puddles at that time, ”said Aidas Pivoriūnas, director of the Private Forest Owners Association (PMSA).
According to him, this is noticeable even when planting a forest. It often happens that foresters in the south and west complete week-long tree planting work, and in the north or east they have not even started.
Important pick up time
According to A. Pivoriūnas, trees are like human fingerprints, they are not the same. Therefore, even birch trees growing next to each other can flow juice of different taste, viscosity and color. However, these differences are not very pronounced.
According to Gintaras Didžiokas, director of the company that produces birch and maple juice drinks, Straikas, the quality of the juice does not differ whether it is harvested in the birch forests of eastern or western Lithuania. However, it is affected by weather conditions and the specific time it is collected. It’s best to start flowing when the weather is even cooler and the nights are cold. Later, as it is heated, the quality gradually deteriorates.
The juice extraction time is very short, only 2-3 weeks. Perennials, middle-aged trees and mature kisses give more juices with the best properties, because they themselves need energy to injure themselves and survive. That is why it must be taken into account and not mature trees.
For juice extraction, it is important to follow the instructions on which trees are suitable, how thick it should be, and where to make the holes for the juice to flow.
Droughts can damage birch trees
Droughts have been quite frequent and severe in Europe in recent years. Trees respond to changing natural conditions and give much of their energy simply to survive.
Fir trees are drying out en masse, pines are attacking disease, so it is only a matter of time before changing natural conditions have a negative effect on birch trees as well.
“There must be a balance in nature, so it is always necessary to monitor and take care of its resources, not letting the trees run out, not overdoing it and dripping sap – it is necessary to do it properly without damaging them.
If everyone started serving juice en masse without knowing the basics, it would be bad. This can be compared to feeding wild animals. It seems to be doing a good job, but after a while the beasts themselves no longer know how to find food. So is the juice, if you look at it from the same tree for many years in a row, after a while the tree simply won’t have it anymore ”, explained A. Pivoriūnas.
Juice season has started
Juicing is especially short-lived, so it is usually only done by people who own the forest or live in the countryside and feel understanding.
R. Biekša, who works in the forests of Vilnius and the Trakai district, says that the juice started to flow here already in mid-March.
“Last year, the juice flowed in the first half of March. This year, the spring has been very long, so the season will be short. In sunny forests, the juice ran earlier, but in others there is still a frost remarkable, so the juices should only wait for the beginning of April, ”said R. Biekša.
Focus and quality
According to G.Didžiokas, although the juice extraction time is short, a lot of attention should be paid to its quality, no matter what corner of Lithuania it is brought from.
According to him, the path from the juice to the end user is quite long. After collecting the juice from certified organic forests, it first goes through a lengthy check for quality requirements. It is then filtered, pasteurized and bottled in special packages suitable for long-term storage of 200-1000 liters each. And only then is the juice packaged in small batches in commercial bottles.
“The juice season is especially short, but thanks to technology, it is possible to enjoy it all year round,” said G. Džižiokas.
