Simple Homemade Beet Kvass
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Ingredients
- 2–3 medium organic beets
- 1 quart filtered water
- About 1 tablespoon good sea salt
Directions
- 1) Wash the beets well and cut into roughly ½–1-inch chunks. Peeling isn't necessary with clean organic beets.
- 2) Place the beet pieces in a clean quart glass jar, filling it roughly ⅓ full.
- 3) Dissolve the salt in the filtered water and pour over the beets, leaving about an inch of headspace.
- Keep the beets submerged beneath the brine.
- 4) Cover loosely and leave at room temperature for approximately 2–5 days.
- 5) Taste it as it ferments. When pleasantly tart and slightly effervescent, strain and refrigerate.
- 6) Start with a small serving—perhaps 2–4 ounces—rather than thinking of it as a full glass of juice.
- Optional shortcut: A little brine from a previous successful ferment can be used as a starter, although it isn't necessary.
Notes
- Beet Kvass — What Is It?
- Beet kvass is a traditional lacto-fermented beverage made from beets, water, and salt. During fermentation, naturally occurring lactic-acid bacteria metabolize sugars in the beets, producing lactic acid and other fermentation products.
- The result is a tangy, earthy, slightly salty drink—not the sweet beverage you'd get from beet juice.
