What the Heck is Beet Kvass?
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Beet Kvass Recipe
Very simply, beet kvass is a probiotic beverage made from beets! It can taste salty and sour, or mild and earthy. From what I have read, this particular tonic is an acquired taste. Yet, this particular food has mystified me, so much so that I had to try it.
Beets bring a lot to the table in this drink. Loaded with antioxidants, and B vitamins, Beet Kvass has been said to cleansing and supportive of organ health. Inoculating this nutritional powerhouse with beneficial bacteria enhances this beverage even more making it an incredibly nourishing food. The rich pigments of the beets make this drink quite stunning to look at.
In making my Beet Kvass, I followed this tutorial. I started by washing and chopping up my beets.
Then I placed the beets in a half gallon mason jar.
Next, I added a large pinch of sea salt and half a cup of whey.
Finally, I topped it off with filtered water.
I covered it with cheesecloth and left it on my counter for 2 days or so. According to the tutorial that I referenced, it is done when foam and tiny bubbles form on the surface. Once it was ready, I screwed on the lid and placed it in my refrigerator to stop the fermentation process.
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When it was chilled, I decided to capture my entire family tasting it for the first time. And, just because I like to keep it Real around here, you get to see me sans make up AND wearing an unflattering horizontal stripe shirt. You're welcome.
My favorite part, besides my second son acting like a sommelier, is around the 2:07 mark.
This post was featured on Real Food Forager's Fat Tuesday.
***UPDATE***
I recently made a batch of Kvass using a few different techniques and it is amazing. Far better than my first batch! This time, after I chopped up 2 or 3 beets, (upon Tamara's recommendation) I juiced 4 beets and used the juice as part of the liquid. I just added water to fill the remaining space in the jar. I also covered the jar tightly with a lid. I used the same ratios of salt and whey. The end result is fantastic. It is fizzy and rich and I will be sad when it is gone.
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Love the video. Peach’s facial expression is the best and #2 has quite the description!
Your kids are adorable!!!
Oh my gosh, thank you! I like them, too. 😉
Wow, that was terribly, terribly cute. All of you! I think I will try it. Does it help with digestion and low stomach acid? Where can I get whey? I was thinking the watery stuff from my yogurt? Would that be whey?
Yes the watery stuff from the yogurt is whey. Here’s a post on how to strain yogurt… https://ohlardy.com/how-to-make-your-own-greek-yogurt . Beet kvass is excellent for digestion and is very cleansing for your liver. In a class I recently took, the instructor said: beet kvass does to your liver/bile what paint thinner does to paint. (which is a good thing!) It also contains trillions of good bacteria which will help your entire gut. I am becoming slightly addicted to beet kvass. I really enjoy it using beet juice as the liquid instead of water…gives it an even more ‘beety’ taste. -tm
When I made my kavass i added a graded chunck of ginger, juice and peels of a orange and lemon. The flavor was great but to salty for my taste. I added extra salt since I did not have whey and was not sure I could use the stuff from my kefir. Can i use why from my kefir? Will my kefir go bad after removing the whey? If I use whey will it help with the saltyness? TYIA
I would imagine that using whey from your kefir would be just fine! I have never strained milk kefir before. Just yogurt. If you are able to strain your kefir, give it a shot! Your kefir won’t go bad. After your whey is strained off, you will have a curd that is probably a lot like cream cheese. (Just be sure to remove your grains and start another batch of kefir!) I always use my yogurt curd as cream cheese. If you use whey, you can back off the amount of salt you use to suit your taste. I find that a hefty pinch is all I need. Your additions sound amazing! I may have to try it soon! Please let me know if we can be of any more help.
Any advice for us casein intolerant lot? I noticed many soaking, sprouting, fermenting processes involve whey. TIA
You can use extra salt, no whey. Or add a vegetable culture starter like http://amzn.to/158yIg6
If I am lactose intolerant and casein sensitive what can I use instead of whey?
My kvass developed a cap of white mold and on top of that, a gray-black mold. I discarded that, but I’m afraid to drink it now. Could the second type of mold be the same variety as the “toxic mold” that makes people move out of their homes while the problem is fixed?
If there is anything besides white scum, I would discard it all and start again. Probably not toxic mold but you don’t want to drink it!
Tamara,
Thanks for this recipe! I’ve added it to the Farm Fresh Feasts Visual Recipe Index by Ingredient, a resource for folks like me who love to eat from the farm share.
I appreciate your help in making this index better!
So what do you use if you can’t use dairy (whey)?
I am very very new at the fermenting processes. I am interested in making my own whey. What type of yogurt are you straining? Peace Rhonda
Hi! Just strain plain yogurt (organic is always preferred, of course). Do not use Greek yogurt as that has already been strained.
Hi, so I followed the instructions and popped it in the fridge after 2 days. I didn’t strain out the beetroot then but have done so this morning, day 4 in total. It smells ok but is a bit gloopy. As it goes through the sieve it’s kind of a bit egg-white gloopy – is this ok?
BTW I made mine using whey.
Many thanks.
Your family is adorable!