Making Beet Kvass with the last of the Bull's Blood Beets

I harvested the last of the Bull’s Blood Beets and we roasted them in the oven.  Tricia reserved 3 of the fattest beets to make a beverage that we hadn’t made in a while – Beet Kvass.  Kvass is a word that means “leaven” or “fermented” and has been around since the Middle Ages. THIS ARTICLE talks a bit more about the history of kvass, where it originated, and how it is made.

Kvass is a very popular drink in Russia and Eastern European countries.  I found it interesting that when western soft drinks reduced the consumption of kvass in Russia, they began marketing it as a patriotic alternative to colas and cola sales fell dramatically.  In response to this loss of market share, Coca-Cola introduced its own brand of kvass.

With the last of the Bull’s Blood Beets, we decided to make beet kvass.  It is a very healthy lacto-fermented drink and we use the recipe from Sally Fallon in the Nourishing Traditions cook book.  Here’s what the cookbook says about the nutritive benefits of beet kvass:

“This drink is valuable for its medicinal qualities and as a digestive aid.  Beets are just loaded with nutrients.  One 4-ounce glass, morning and night, is an excellent blood tonic, cleanses the liver and is a good treatment for kidney stones and other ailments.”  This beverage is non-alcoholic, but the directions in the recipe state that you should chop and not grate the beets as grated beets release too much liquid and will cause it to ferment too quickly.  That will produce alcohol rather than lactic acid.

To make Beet Kvass, you’ll need some fresh picked beets – 3 of them to be exact.

Fresh Beets

We peel them with a potato peeler...

Beet Pulp

And then chop up into pieces of peeled beets.  The beet pulp can be composted or fed to the cows or chickens.

Chop in half and then just cut up into smaller pieces

The beautiful red color stains your fingers and cutting board!

Caught 'red-handed'

Then you simply place your chopped up beets, ¼ cup whey* and 2 teaspoons kosher salt into a half gallon mason jar and add filtered water to fill the container.

*Whey is a by-product when making yogurt or kefir when the milk separates into curds and whey after standing at room temperature for 1-2 days.  Whey is a good preservative.

Back to the recipe, stir the ingredients well and screw the lid on tightly and then keep out at room temperature for 2 days and then transfer to the refrigerator.  The beets immediately turn the liquid bright red and bubbles cover the neck of the jar, letting you know that it is fermenting.

Half-Gallon of Beet Kvass

When you are finished drinking the half gallon of beet kvass, you can make another batch by refilling the jar with water and sitting at room temperature for 2 more days.  How does it taste, you ask?  Well, it is salty, tangy and bubbly, with a hint of sweetness from the beets.  I won’t say it is delicious, although Tricia really likes it, but it is good and knowing that it is healthy for you makes it easy to drink 4 ounces in the morning and 4 ounces at night until it is gone.