I can’t believe I never knew about beet kvass until a few months ago. I absolutely love beets and fermented foods, soooooo beet kvass should have been on my radar WAY before. I’m so happy to have found out about it now, because this fermented beet drink is one of the easiest fermented foods to make and contains so many health benefits!
What is beet kvass?
Beet kvass is a fermented drink originating from eastern Europe. In fact, Russians have been enjoying kvass for at least one thousand years. According to Weston A. Price foundation’s article:
“Russian soldiers took a ladle full of kvass before venturing from their barracks onto the Moscow streets during a cholera epidemic. Because kvass protects against infectious disease, there is no worry about sharing the glass… Folk medicine values beets and beet kvass for their liver cleansing properties and beet kvass is widely used in cancer therapy in Europe. Anecdotal reports indicate that beet kvass is an excellent therapy for chronic fatigue, chemical sensitivities, allergies and digestive problems.”
Beets themselves have so many health benefits, and according to Sally Fallon’s Nourishing Traditions, beet kvass is:
“valuable for its medicinal qualities and as a digestive aid. Beets are loaded with nutrients. One glass morning and night is an excellent blood tonic, promotes regularity, aids digestion, alkalizes the blood, cleanses the liver and is a good treatment for kidney stones and other ailments.”
I’ve been drinking 1/2 cup of beet kvass every morning and night, and I love how much it has been helping with my digestion. Also, if you have trouble digesting fats, beets are one of the best foods that thin the bile. I highly recommend you try out beet kvass because it costs pennies to make, but the health benefits are so great and numerous!
How does it taste?
Slightly sweet, slightly salty, slightly sour, and very beet-y. If you are not a fan of beets, I don’t know if you’ll love beet kvass. Even for beet lovers, it may take some time to get used to. The first time I made it, I didn’t like how salty it tasted and that’s why I adjusted the original recipe to use less salt. SOME salt is necessary to avoid the formation of mold.
If you have a hard time stomaching it, you can try diluting it with water or soda water and even add some lemon juice until you get used to the taste. To be honest, I drank it more for its medicinal properties than its flavor at first. Now that I’ve been drinking it everyday, I actually love it and look forward to drinking it every day. Just pour into a wine class and pretend that you are drinking a fancy cocktail to make it more fun!
Ingredients
- 1/2 gallon glass jar
- 3 medium organic beets
- 1/4 cup sauerkraut juice
- 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Wash and chop beets into 1/2 inch cubes.
- Place beets, sauerkraut juice, and sea salt into the glass jar.
- Pour filtered water into the jar, leaving 1 inch at the top.
- Stir well, and cover with a cheesecloth.
- Leave at room temperature for 48 hours to ferment.
- Taste the liquid and if it's fermented enough, transfer to the fridge.
- Drink 1/2-1 cup each day.
Notes
When I was making beef kvass regularly I did it with kombucha. The best flavor was just too much for me. But with 1F kombucha it was great!
That sounds wonderful! I don’t mind the taste of beets but I’m sure many will find this helpful. 🙂