How to Make Beet Kvass

How to make Beet Kvass- an Eastern European probiotic drink made with fresh beets, sea salt and water. Full of healthy probiotics from Lacto-fermentation, these good bacteria heal the gut and support immunity.

Here is a fun little recipe I’ve been playing around with for years now- Beet Kvass! Beet kvass is a fermented probiotic drink that hails from Eastern Europe that is tangy, earthy, salty and slightly sweet from the beets. Full of gut-healthy probiotics, it’s a simple way to add diversity to our microbiome and, in turn, support our immune system.

It differs from Kombucha or Water Kefir in that this fermented drink is savory and briny,  made with salt, rather than sugar, more like our gut shot or pickle brine.

It takes about 15 minutes of hands-on time and 5-7 days of fermentation time to make your first batch using whey (the liquid from strained yogurt). Whey significantly speeds up the fermenting process and requires less salt. You can also use store-bought kvass as a “starter ” for your first batch. And know that it is absolutely possible to make beet kvass without whey or a starter, but it can take up to 2 weeks, and you’ll need to use more salt- make sure to read the recipe notes!

Why you’ll love Beet Kvass

• Easy to make– takes 15 minutes of hands-on time before letting Mother Nature take its course (5-7 days).
• Made with simple ingredients– just beets, salt, and water! We use whey for the first batch to jump-start the process, but after that you can use your own batch of kvass.
• Gut-supporting! Filled with billions of healthy probiotics in just one tablespoon!

Beet Kvass Ingredients

• Organic beets– I love the color of red beets, but yellow beets works fine too! Use organic, unpeeled beets.
• Fine sea salt– you want to use natural, unprocessed salt when fermenting.
• Filtered water– chlorine in tap water can suppress fermentation, so use filtered if possible.
• Whey – To shorten the fermentation process, add whey (the liquid from straining yogurt). Strain 1-2 cups of yogurt through a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth. Collect the liquid; this is the whey! You can also use Kvass from a previous batch, or store-bought beet kvass (as a starter). Sauerkraut or pickle brine (without vinegar) can also work in a pinch.
• 2-quart mason jar (or 2 x 1-quart jars) with a lid. (For experienced fermenters, feel free to use airlocks)

Optional Beet Kvass Flavorings

• Fresh dill (or fennel fronds), bay leaves, or other herbs.
• Pickling spices (fennel seed, dill seed, peppercorns, celery seeds, caraway, etc) to prevent floating; add them to the jar first or use a fine-mesh spice bag. 
• Sliced onion and/or garlic cloves.
• Fresh sliced ginger or turmeric root.

How to make Beet Kvass (instructions)

1. Prep: Wash hands and jar well using soap.
2. Rinse and slice the beets into ½-inch-thick rounds, then dice them into cubes, leaving the skin on. Grating or cutting any smaller will release too much of the sugar too quickly.
3. Place beets in a clean, 2-quart mason jar. If adding herbs or seeds, add these before adding the beets.
4. Brine.  Mix 3 cups of water with 1 tablespoon of fine sea salt.
5. Combine. Pour this brine into the jar along with the whey. Then fill the jar with more water, leaving 1 inch of headroom. Remove any floating seeds or herbs with a slotted spoon- anything that rises above the brine can mold. Tip: If adding a lot of spice seeds, use a fine-mesh spice bag to prevent them from rising to the top.
6. Cover with a loose-fitting lid. Place in a shallow bowl or baking dish (to collect any overflow).
7. Ferment: Place the jar in a cool, dark place; 60°F-70°F  (basement or lower cupboard is ideal). Check every couple of days for cloudiness, bubbles, or overflow- all signs of fermentation- roughly 3-5 days. The longer it ferments, the more tangy it will taste, so you can ferment “to taste.” For an even tangier flavor, continue fermenting for 1-2 more weeks. Once happy with the flavor, refrigerate.
8. Refrigerate and store. Either strain or leave beets in; I leave mine in- yes, you can eat them. It will continue to ferment in the fridge, but at a much slower rate, developing more depth of flavor. The sugar from the beets will continue to feed the healthy bacteria. Beet Kvass will keep indefinitely in the fridge. If you notice any white foam on top of your kvass, it is most likely kahm yeast and harmless. Skim it off with a spoon and toss. If you see mold, I would discard the batch.

How to drink Beet Kvass

If new to fermented foods, start slowly. Drink a tablespoon first and see how you feel. You are adding millions of probiotics to your gut in just a tablespoon. This creates diversity in the gut, which is thought to be healthy! You could take a sip with every meal if you like, or take a shot once a day. I like to drink a shot in the afternoons for a refreshing pick-me-up. If it tastes too strong for you, you can water down the portion you are drinking. Yes, you can eat the beets!

Troubleshooting

• If you notice any white foam on top of your kvass,  it is most likely kahm yeast and harmless. Skim it off with a spoon. The Kvass will have a slightly cloudy appearance; this is fine!
• If you see any mold, I would personally discard the batch. There are many opinions on this, but this is what I would do. I used to be more lax, just removing the molded object, but I’ve changed my mind here!
• Beet Kvass should smell tangy and good like pickle brine – if it smells “off”, don’t drink it. A bad bacteria may have inadvertently been introduced – perhaps an unclean jar or utensils or dirty hands. It is easy to do.
• If your kvass doesn’t smell slightly sour or tangy, it likely hasn’t fermented or hasn’t fermented long enough. This could be due to not using the right salt ratio or chlorine in your water, or a contaminated jar (or hands).

More Fermented recipes you may like:

• How to Make Kombucha
• Probiotic Gut Shot
• 20+ Easy Delicious Beet Recipes
• Beet and Cabbage Sauerkraut
• How to make WATER KEFIR | an easy Guide!
• 25 Immune System-Boosting Recipes!
• How to Make Kimchi! A Quick Easy Authentic Kimchi Recipe
• How to make Sauerkraut (Simple Cultured Cabbage)
• Ginger Turmeric Shots
• 50+ Drink Recipes

Beet Kvass Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.8 from 26 reviews

• Author: Sylvia Fountaine
• Prep Time: 15
• Fermenting Time: 3-5 days
• Total Time: 0 hours
• Yield: 2 quarts 1x
• Category: fermented
• Method: fermented
• Cuisine: Russian, Ukrainian
• Diet: Gluten-Free, Vegan

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Description

How to Make Beet Kvass! An Eastern European probiotic drink made with beets, sea salt and water. Full of healthy probiotics from the Lacto-fermentation, Beet Kvass is believed to help boost immunity.  It tastes slightly sweet, tangy, earthy and salty- but in a good way! With just 10 minutes of hands-on time,it is so simple- just let Mother Nature take its course.  (Allow 1-2 weeks for fermentation- see notes for speeding up this process.)

 

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1/2x1x2x

• 2 medium-large beets, organic (2 cups diced, with skin on)
• filtered water (tap water may have too much chlorine & inhibit fermentation)
• 1 scant tablespoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 cup whey (the liquid from strained yogurt) or use a previous batch of kvass; *see notes.
• 2-quart mason jar (or divide everything among two 1-quart jars)

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Instructions

1. Prep: Wash hands and jar well.
2. Rinse and slice the beets into ½-inch-thick rounds, then dice them, leaving the skin on.
3. Place beets in a clean, 2-quart mason jar. *See notes if adding other spices-you’ll need to place these in the jar first.
4. Brine.  Mix 3 cups of water with 1 tablespoon of fine sea salt.
5. Combine. Pour this into the jar along with the whey. Then fill the jar with more water, leaving 1 inch of headroom. Remove any floating seeds or herbs with a slotted spoon- anything that rises above the brine can mold.
6. Cover with a loose-fitting lid. Place in a shallow bowl or baking dish (to collect any overflow).
7. Ferment: Place the jar in a cool, dark place; 60°F-70°F  (basement or lower cupboard is ideal). Check every couple of days for cloudiness, bubbles, or overflow- all signs of fermentation- roughly 3-5 days. The longer it ferments, the more tangy it will taste, so you can ferment “to taste.” For an even tangier flavor, continue fermenting for 1-2 more weeks. Once happy with the flavor, refrigerate.
8. Refrigerate and store. Either strain or leave beets in; I leave mine in- yes, you can eat them. It will continue to ferment in the fridge, but at a much slower rate, developing more depth of flavor. The sugar from the beets will continue to feed the healthy bacteria. Beet Kvass will keep indefinitely in the fridge.   If you notice any white foam on top of your kvass, it is most likely kahm yeast and harmless. Skim it off with a spoon and toss. If you see mold, I would discard the batch.

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Notes

Beets. Grating the beets or cutting them smaller will release too much of the sugars, too quickly. A ½ inch dice is perfect. Do not peel!

Salt and Whey. When using whey, you’ll need less salt. If making kvass without whey, I would use more salt. Add 1 scant teaspoon per 1 cup of water. (2% ratio).

Optional Additions: Add these to the jar first – fresh dill (or fennel fronds), bay leaves, or other herbs, Pickling spices (fennel seed, coriander seed, dill seed, peppercorns, celery seeds, caraway, etc.), sliced onions, shallots, garlic, or turmeric root. Be sure to remove any that float to the top.

Storage: Store this in the fridge, strain into a cup, and drink a few ounces daily. Yes, you can eat the beets!

Tip: to prevent any seeds from floating to the top (which can mold), either add them to the jar first, place beets over the top of them, or place them a small mesh bag. Remove any that float to the surface.

This will last indefinitely in the fridge. I highly recommend making a double batch of this because of the longer fermentation time.

Flavor this up!!! I love adding onion, garlic and pickling whole spices. You can get small mesh cotton bags to put your spices in if you like, then no worries about “floaters.”

Fermentation slows down in cooler places and speeds up in warmer places.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: ½ cup
• Calories: 20
• Sugar: 3.1 g
• Sodium: 1202.8 mg
• Fat: 0.1 g
• Saturated Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 4.3 g
• Fiber: 1.3 g
• Protein: 0.7 g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg