How to Make Your Own Kvass Out of Beets

For those who are new to home fermentation (or prized Muscovite fare), kvass might seem like a made-up word, some strange pairing of the consonants k and v that could only occur in renderings of Baltic languages. That’s fine and true. It’s not as if kvass is a feature in convenience store fridges, but now is a good time to become acquainted.

Traditionally, kvass is a dark, sweet beverage made from fermenting rye bread, not the Jewish rye found in US supermarkets but rather the dense, “black” bread of Eastern European and Russian descent. It smacks a bit of beer, and though it has a low alcohol content, it is consumed more as soft drink. It is also sometimes used in cooking.

Anyway, as fermentation has been making a fierce comeback in the health food movement, other incarnations of “kvass” have arisen, with beet kvass being the most popular. Pulling together the nutritive value of beets and the probiotic benefits of fermented foods, beet kvass is a wellness powerhouse, as well as a very unique beverage.

Why Do This?

Source: Clean & Delicious/Youtube

There are two main reasons for making beet kvass: the health benefits and the flavorful sipping. Beets have all sorts of phytonutrients, assist the circulatory system and aid in digestion. Fermented foods add to this by offering up a slurry of beneficial microbiota that boost immunity and gut health, which improves digestion and even mental wellbeing. As for the flavor, fermented foods have a tangy sour zip, a la yogurt and sauerkraut, which makes the earthy, sweet treat of beets all the more remarkable.

It is also really easy to do, a great toe into the fermentation racket. It’s a fun experiment with a very low failure rate. It’s inexpensive to make, only calling for a handful of everyday ingredients and an old jar. Oh, heck, let’s just get to it then!

What You Need

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Fermenting vegetables is a really simple way to preserve them with no need for cooking a huge pot of stuff or delving into the steamy world of pressure canning. Instead, with nothing more than salt (or sugar), water and time, tons of vegetables and grains can be converted into delicious, nutritious delights to enjoy for months to come.

To make beet kvass, the ingredient list can be a little as beets, sea salt, and (non-chlorinated) water. To add some pizzazz, citrus zests, ginger and/or spices can be added to the mix. These ingredients will need to be joined in a glass or ceramic container (a Mason jar works great), and that container will need a lid or piece of mesh over it.

How to Make It

Source: Gourmet Vegetarian Kitchen/Youtube

Making beet kvass has almost as few steps as ingredients.

• It begins with washing two or three organic beets and cutting them into small cubes. (Though tempting, don’t grate them. This creates too much surface area and will make the drink too concentrated.)
• Add the beet cubes to a glass jar—a half-gallon jar is ideal—until it’s about halfway full.
• Top those off with a couple of tablespoons of sea salt. Be sure to avoid iodine and anti-caking agents.
• Then, fill the jar up with filtered, distilled or untreated water. Leave about an inch of headroom at the top of the jar.
• The mouth of the jar should be covered with a piece of cloth or cheesecloth and stored at room temperature for a few days to ferment. Little bubbles will clue in that it’s happening.
• After a couple of days, strain out the beets (eat them!) and transfer the liquid to the fridge. It’s ready to drink but will improve after a few more days in the fridge.

To speed up the fermentation process, experienced beet kvass brewers will trade off a quarter-cup of sauerkraut juice with one of the tablespoons of salt. The sauerkraut juice is already loaded with the beneficial bacteria needed in lacto-fermentation.

Enjoy

For those unfamiliar with fermented foods like sauerkraut and fermented beverages like kombucha or water kefir, the first taste of beet kvass may be somewhat unconventional. However, after trying it a time or two, the flavor becomes pleasantly familiar and often addictive. Even better, it’s a bubbly tonic that’s providing a wallop of medicinal benefits whilst you enjoy it. That’s how good food should be!

Related Content:

• Top 5 Fermented Foods to Eat to Build a Healthy Gut
• 4 Easy Probiotic-Rich Fermented Foods for First Timers
• The Nutritional Benefits of Fermented Superfood Natto
• Amazing Health Benefits of Fermented Foods!

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