Dig That Beet!

I recently became quite obsessed with a fermented beverage called beet kvass. It is a popular health tonic in parts of Russia and Eastern Europe. It is said to have many health benefits, such as a blood purifier and liver cleanser. I picked up a bottle one day at a local market because it looked oddly compelling -- a deep purple drink with a slight tang and a whole lot of beet goodness. I was hooked and started to spend $20 a week on this damn beverage! It was also only available at a couple local markets so I would I find myself biking there several times a week for this beet tonic. While Zukay makes some freakin' good beet kvass, I started looking around online about this drink. It turns out that it is quite simple to make and much cheaper to do so. I was a bit worried about the outcome of a fermented drink after a major failure with making pickles several years ago, but I decided to give it a go. It was a great success, and I am now on my 3rd batch! Here is all you need for 2 quarts of kvass:

I started this most recent batch with three medium-sized organic beets. I would have liked to have four, but I had one left over from the last kvass that had sadly turned soft, so I ditched it. Cut them up into decent sized pieces, not too small or big.

Next, get a teaspoon of Celtic sea salt and a packet of kefir, and dissolve both in a little tepid water at the bottom of your 2-quart jar. Make sure the jar has been cleaned really well. I poured some boiling water in the jar to rinse it after washing it.  There are other recipes online that say if you can't find the kefir packets, you can use whey -- which can easily be strained off of yogurt. For a vegan version, just use a pinch more salt and omit the kefir or whey. The whey and the kefir just help along the fermenting process.

Add the beets to the jar (I also added a few slivers of fresh ginger) and fill it up with filtered water. I placed a towel and a rubber band over the lid and put it in a dark corner on the countertop. Some recipes say to leave it for 2 or 3 days, then put in the fridge for a few more, but some say to leave it fermenting on the counter for a week. I tasted it after a couple days, and it did not taste right, so I ended up leaving it out for 5 days. It turned out awesome! You can let it continue to ferment in the fridge for a long time, if you can wait to drink it. Supposedly, it will get a little more sour and delicious with prolonged time in the fridge.










Strain the beets, and you will have a super nutritious and crazy purple drink that the kool-aid man would envy. I saved several bottles of the Zukay Kvass so I could bottle my own version, and now I have an extra $20 in my pocket this week.

You can re-use the beets for one more batch with a half cup of the kvass, a pinch of salt, and more filtered water. It will be a little weaker than the first round but will still beat your ass! I recommend watching this groovy beatnik classic while you are waiting for your bucket of blood to ferment. Dig it!