Have you been taught that you must use whey or another culture starter when making beet kvass? (You don’t.)
Are you dairy free, on a tight budget, on the GAPS or SCD diet and therefore cannot buy and use whey or other culture starters? (Don’t worry!)
Have you been taught that if you do not use a culture starter to make beet kvass, it must contain so much salt that it is not pleasurable to drink? (Not true.)
For these reasons or more, have you been living without the beauty of beet kvass in your life? These are all common misconceptions and I think it’s time we all set them aside and empower ourselves to harness the transformative powers of mother-nature.
Beet Kvass is comprised of simple ingredients and is simple to make through the process of wild fermentation. Fancy fermentation equipment is fun, convenient, and pretty but rarely a must.
What is Beet Kvass?
Here in my kitchen, we call it blood of the earth. Indeed I do taste the earth when I sip this crimson liquid. Beet Kvass is an age-old tonic associated with many health benefits including efficient hydration. Fermented beverages are the original sports drinks. Like other lacto-fermented drinks, kvass is more hydrating than even water. In order to remain hydrated, our bodies require a balance of electrolytes. Cultured beverages like kvass help restore this balance without the sugar and preservatives of modern “sport drinks”.
Beet Kvass is traditionally heralded as a blood and liver tonic. And indeed this ancestral knowledge is meted out in science. In fact, beets are high in betacyanin which can dramatically increase the oxygen-carrying ability of the blood.
Personally, beet kvass gives me a feeling of energy and clarity. I LOVE beets and the taste of beet kvass. If you don’t love the taste but do want the health benefits of this tonic, try adding it to a soup when serving or use it to make a virgin ‘dirty martini’ or ‘bloody mary’. The taste is perfect for these concoctions and a big hit at any dinner party I’ve ever had.
Beet Kvass Ingredients
- Filtered water
- 3-4 beets
- 1 ½ tablespoon unrefined sea salt
Beet Kvass Method
- Wash the beets of any dirt but, do not scrub or peel the beets. Our aim is to keep the delicate bacteria on the skin of the beets in tact so that we can encourage their multiplication during fermentation.
- Chop the beets. I like a medium dice.
- Add the beets to a 1-gallon jar.*
- Add 1 ½ tablespoon unrefined sea salt
- Add filtered water to ½ inch below lid
- Affix lid tightly and label with date.
- Allow to ferment for 1 ½ weeks or more out of direct sunlight.
- You may strain through a cheese-cloth and decant into smaller containers, taking care to redistribute a handful of beet pieces into each bottle and then store in the refrigerator. Or feel free to store in the refrigerator as is.
Chef Notes:
*If you have difficulty successfully using wild fermentation methods in your environment/home, consider using a jug with an airlock affixed to the top to ferment beet kvass. This will mitigate the introduction of funky yeasts from your environment making a film on top of your fermenting kvass.
This post was generously contributed by Monica Ford of Real Food Devotee. Check back next Friday for more delicious recipes from Monica that will make your mouth water and your tummy purr. If you’re lucky enough to live in Los Angeles, Real Food Devotee can make your life easier by delivering nutrient dense goodies directly to your door.
photo credit: An Eye Full Studio
This post can be seen at the following blog carnivals: Whole Foods Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, Traditional Tuesdays, Fat Tuesday, My Meatless Monday, The MorrisTribes Homesteader Blog Carnival, Weekend Gourmet, Make Your Own! Monday, Keep It Real Thursday, Fill Those Jars Friday and Seasonal Celebration Sunday. Hop on over to check out some other posts you may enjoy!
Won’t the tight lid break the jar when fermentation starts?
I’ll have to try this!
Hi @Laura
I’ve never have an issue with a tight lid breaking during wild fermentation of beet kvass but, if you’re concerned about this, go with a plastic lid instead. The lid will not actually touch your ferment and will be more flexible than metal:)
I’m with you though I use more salt and let mine ferment longer. I love it thick and salty.
How long can you keep it in the refrigerator? How much should you drink and how often?
@Charity makes a great point. When making artisan, fermented foods, you can create to your own tastes. Magic!
@BB start with 4-6oz Beet Kvass in the morning. It is quite detoxifying so slowing work your way up to more if you like.
It can be kept in the frige for months:)
I have been dairy-free for months and was wondering how I coud try this. Thanks ever so much!
yaaay @Michelle
Let us know how yours turns out!
I’ve got a couple of jars at home of beet kvass that I made this summer. It was way too salty and I just couldn’t bring myself to drink it. I love beets but more on the sweet side instead of the salty side. I’ll have to try this, since I have some beets in the fidge now that are begging to be used.
Do you cut the beets before putting them in the gallon jar?
Hi @Amanda
Thanks for catching that. Yes indeed.
I do chop the beets into roughly 1 inch cubes
Hi @Saeriu
I sometimes make a sweet sparkling beet kvass. Maybe I will share that recipe in the future. xo
I would love to have your recipe for the sparkling beett kvass
I have been such a chicken about trying wild fermentation. You make it sounds so easy, and I’ve got beets coming out of my ears. Sounds like a good time to take the plunge. Thanks!
Go for it, “Little Sis”! Once you start fermenting, you won’t be able to stop.
Thank you for your submission on Nourishing Treasures’ Make Your Own! Monday link-up.
Check back tomorrow when the new link-up is running to see if you were one of the top 3 featured posts!
I have health issues with my back and have pinched nerve in my neck and was getting head aches all the time and last fall I started using rejuvenate every day and my head aches disappeared . This is made by sprouting 1 1/2 cups of whole red wheat seeds to 1/4 inch tails and then adding 1 gallon of distilled water to it and letting it wild ferment for 2 days and then saving the juice off of it and doing it 2 more time with only 1 day in between . I will never give this up and I also do beet kvass and I do fresh pineapple the same way as the beet kvass . Last year my store started selling fresh whole raw milk and I do whey and cream cheese also . I also make my own sauerkraut and eat it raw . All of this I have learned on the internet and my over all health has greatly improved . If you take care of your stomach , your stomach will take care of you and this is also in the Bible ….. So try all these things …… michaelvangogh
I have health issues with my back and have pinched nerve in my neck and was getting head aches all the time and last fall I started using rejuvenate every day and my head aches disappeared . This is made by sprouting 1 1/2 cups of whole red wheat seeds to 1/4 inch tails and then adding 1 gallon of distilled water to it and letting it wild ferment for 2 days and then saving the juice off of it and doing it 2 more time with only 1 day in between . I will never give this up and I also do beet kvass and I do fresh pineapple kvass . Last year my store started selling fresh whole raw milk and I do whey and cream cheese also . I also make my own sauerkraut and eat it raw . All of this I have learned on the internet and my over all health has greatly improved . If you take care of your stomach , your stomach will take care of you and this is also in the Bible ….. So try all these things …… michaelvangogh
Is the 10 day ferment a hard and fast rule? I began my first batch of kvass one week ago today, and it’s very fizzy. Should I consider it to be ready or do I need to give it three more days? Thanks!
Hi @Melissa
No. 10 days is not a hard and fast rule. You may take your kvass off ferment now if you would like or you may go for a month or more.
I think you should take this batch off and begin to enjoy is earthy goodness! xo
The kvass turned out SO well!!!! It tastes delicious. I feel like I’m having a soda or something!
@Melissa how wonderful! I can’t help but be proud of u! Enjoy the delicious health benefits!
What do you do with the beets after the kvass is gone?
Hi @reluctant you COULD eat them but I find them a bit tasteless so they usually find a home in the compost:)
I’ve tried to make this using a Fido jar & Caldwell starter along with the salt. Organic beets. It got something filmy on the top, mold? Is there an optimal ferment temperature for beets? Any advice would be appreciated
Thanks for the recipe! I tried it out (because I had leftover beets with no plans) and I believe it turned out well. (Did half recipe, fermented 10 days, got a little foamy on top..) However…this is my first time even tasting it, and I can’t say I’m a huge fan of drinking it plain. I mixed a little with some of my fizzy coconut kefir and that helped the medicine go down
It made a fun, bright magenta color when the two mixed!
Hi! I just made some beet kvass and then I realized that I forgot to add salt! So it was just like soaking beet pieces in water for a day. Can i save it? What do you recommend?
Hi @Xandria
Open her up and add the salt. This isn’t ideal so please let us all know what happens:)
@Lynn
I feel another recipe post coming on
Hi everyone,
One question if I can?
First timer here, ok beet kvass is suppose to be a very beneficial drink and I agree with you, but there is one thing that I do not think is so good in this drink and that is the 1½ spoon of salt in it.
Is there a way to ferment the drink without the salt or using less of it? Thank you for your help, and congratulations for the site…
Hi @Jorge
Yes. Salt is needed if seek to create favorable conditions for lactic acid bacteria to ferment. If we were seeking to make an alcoholic fermentation, we would not need salt.
Salt is one step toward preventing moldy bacteria from growing in a ferment during the initial stage of fermentation where the oxygen is used up and the lactic acid bacteria begin to reproduce. Since fermentation always occurs in the same pattern no matter what we’re fermenting, we use salt to keep the bad guys at bay until the LABs kick in and start growing like crazy.
The correct salt concentration will encourage LABs to grow, giving them a competitive edge. Too little salt gives the icky bacteria an edge, which can lead to spoilage.
Also, high quality sea salt (not our modern day processed table salt) is mineral rich and trace minerals are sorely lacking in present day soil, water and foods.
So, drink up and enjoy! xo
Hello, I have made beet kvass a few times with different recipes. Sometimes it is fizzy and some times it just goes bad (and everything in between). I am using your recipe because we are casin free and there are tons of tiny white bubbles so I opened it up expecting it to fizz and it still tasted flat. Should I let it keep fermenting? I really like it fizzy
Thanks for all the advice in advance.
Hi @Angela
How long have you been fermenting the kvass?
If you’d like a sparkling kvass try straining and decanting you kvass into quart or smaller size bottles and add a little beet juice to the bottle (2 T/quart). Put the lid on snug and ferment for approx 24 hours (shorter time in warmer weather). It will become fizzy.
Enjoy!
Thank you! I will try that. I might also try adding 2 tbs of kombucha instead
@Angela
That will very likely work as well. Let us know!
Question: Do you chop the beets or just throw them whole in the jar? I always followed the Nourishing Traditions’s recipe that calls for chopped and peeled beets.
Hi @Drito
Thanks for catching that. Yes indeed.
I do chop the beets into roughly 1 inch cubes
What is the waxy film that sometimes develops on top of the beet kvass after its been fermenting for several days? is it still ok to drink if you remove this?
I made some beet kavass and it has been sitting in my frig for a several weeks now. When I check on it today it was a murky brown color at the top but the bottom of it was a deep purple. When I shook it everything blended together. Is this normal and is it still good?
Hi @Tye
It is totally normal for most of the pigment in beet kvass to fall to the bottom of the vessel when undistrubed for days, weeks, months. Just give her a shake or a stir and drink up. Why is it sitting in your fridge? Drink. Drink! xoxoxo
Janelle asks: “What is the waxy film that sometimes develops on top of the beet kvass after its been fermenting for several days? is it still ok to drink if you remove this?”
Hi @Janelle
Go ahead and scrape off this film. And then (this is optional) you can strain your beet kvass through a fine mesh strainer or a strainer lined with cheese cloth when you bottle just before storeing in the fridge. Enjoy!
I have kombucha, water kefir, milk kefir and beet kvass on the go. There is only so much room in the fridge and only one person drinking these drinks. Is there another way to store these liquids? With the kvass I found it too salty. After I’d consumed about 6 ounces I added another beet and topped it up with water. The foam that formed was skimmed off and now the kvass is yummy. This was made in a quart jar.
Hi @Joan
If you like, you can store your kombucha and beet kvass in a cool area of your home. Kvass was traditionally stored in root cellars.
What size was your original vessel of kvass? Also a quart? How much salt did you add to the original batch? Happy fermenting!