This happens to be Yellow Birch (Betula alleghaniensis); Black Birch (Betula lenta) tastes sweeter.
In winter, when the sap is not flowing, you can scrape the cambium (the layer between the inner bark and the wood) and steep it or brew it for a delicious beverage. The following recipe is for a winter harvest, when the sap is not flowing and the tree is dormant.
- Positively identify the tree. The small branch pieces in this photo were enough to make 2 quarts of strong birch beer.
- Cut the outer bark from the branch, exposing the green inner bark.
- Use a sharp knife, scrape through the inner bark to the cambium, letting the fluffy pieces fall onto a cookie tray.
- Gather the scraped inner bark and cambium. Immerse it in room-temperature water.
- Refrigerate for 2-4 hours. The brew should range from amber to dark brown. Add more inner bark, if necessary.
- Strain solids and add equal amounts of maple syrup. For carbonation, add seltzer water.
This is a photo of the shaved inner bark and cambium from a black birch. You’re not cutting strips, but rather scraping and creating green and whitish shavings.
This brew also tastes delicious with a dash of cinnamon.
In a survival situation, you can chew on the delicate birch twigs to clean your breath, brew them into hot tea, and even relieve pain. “Wildman” Steve Brill gave his toddler a black birch twig when she was teething. That’s safe enough for me.