Foraged Leaves into powder - Birch dust
Birch powder is a fine, green dust made from young birch leaves almost resembling the texture of matcha powder. This versatile powder can be used year-round as a natural flavoring, nutritional supplement, or herbal remedy. The process of making birch powder is straightforward, involving drying and blending the leaves to preserve their beneficial properties.
This method can also be applied to other foraged goods such as nettles or young spruce tips. By following a similar process, you can create natural powders from a variety of plants, each offering its unique flavor and health benefits. Whether you're an outdoor enthusiast or simply interested in harnessing the power of nature, making your own plant powders is a rewarding and sustainable practice.
Reminder: When foraging, make sure to pick the produce in areas that are non-polluted away from large roads, farm lands etc. In Finland, when foraging anything from trees, you need to ask permission from the landowner.
How to Make Birch Powder
Ingredients:
Young birch leaves (a bucketful)
Equipment:
Large sieve (optional)
Baking tray
Parchment paper
Powerful blender
Airtight container
Instructions:
Collect Leaves:
Pick a bucketful of young birch leaves.
Initial Cleaning:
Place the leaves into a large sieve to allow bugs to crawl out.
Sort through the leaves, removing any bad ones and longer stems as needed.
Do not wash the leaves to prevent bruising. (however nettles can be boiled before to kill the stinging)
Drying Process:
Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Spread the leaves evenly on the tray.
Place the tray in the sun to dry the leaves from within. This might take several hours, but you can feel the leaves starting to crisp.
First Blending:
Once the leaves are dry, transfer them to a powerful blender.
Pulse blend to break the leaves into smaller granules. If moisture is released and the leaves are not fully broken down, proceed to the next step.
Additional Drying:
Spread the partially broken-down leaves back onto the baking tray.
Place them in the sun again to ensure they are fully dry and crispy.
Final Blending:
Once the leaves are completely dry, blend them again until they turn into a fine, beautiful green powder. Keep in mind, that you can blend them into the consistency you like.
Storage:
Transfer the birch powder into an airtight container.
Store in a cool, dry place and use year-round.
This method ensures you get a fine, dry birch powder suitable for various uses.
A bucketful of young birch leaves
Try this method with other foraged goods:
End result of the dried young tips of a spruce. it turned a slightly more brownish colour, almost like cumin in texture.
Cooking inspo for dried foraged goods:
Here you can see dried foraged leaves are great for cooking. They add into smoothies and on top of breakfast toasts. Ive added them into omelettes, salad dressings, pasta (pestos) and savoury pies. These foraged goods add a great degree of flavour to your food along with the health benefits (antioxidants and vitamins) they provide.
