You might be wondering what exactly beet kvass is and why you should make it—even if, like me, you’re not a fan of beets (though especially if you are!). Our family is on a natural health journey focused on healing, and discovered that the gut-healing goodness of drinking beet kvass daily is simply too good to pass up. With just three ingredients and a little bit of time to allow lacto-fermentation to work its magic, you will have a probiotic rich, effervescent drink that will transform your family’s health.
What Is Beet Kvass?
Beet Kvass is a fermented beet drink made using beets, water, and salt. The saltwater brine helps draw out nutrients from the beets and fermentation increases the beneficial nutrients. This process helps to allow for easier absorption of nutrients for the body to utilize. Traditionally kvass is a drink from Eastern Europe. It is believed to have taken root in Russia and is often made from flour, malt, or rye bread.
The Health Benefits Of Fermented Foods
One thing I have realized is that here in the states our palates are not as well adapted to eating more “sour” foods. Sure we love pickles, but ferments such as sauerkraut, kefir, miso, kimchi, and kanji are not as commonplace. When you ferment foods you get the benefits of lactic-acid bacteria or live microorganisms, that we often call probiotics.
When foods are fermented you create peak conditions for bacteria that was already present to “wake-up” and grow by feeding on the natural sugars available in the food, the byproduct is lactic acid. Lactic-acid bacteria improves the colony of good bacteria in your microbiome. This is because lactic-acid bacteria are resilient and survive the transition from the stomach to the small intestine and some even to the large intestine. Therefore, they can have a reinforcing power to your gut-barrier by patching or strengthening leaky gut. When someone has leaky gut, the lining of their intestines becomes more permeable than it should be, allowing toxic compounds to escape into the bloodstream. This escape can activate the immune system and contribute to ongoing inflammation, which we know leads to many auto-immune diseases.
What Are The Health Benefits of Beet Kvass?
The benefits of Beet Kvass include:
- Rich in Vitamin C
- Reduces Inflammation
- Contains Probiotics
- Enhances Mental Clarity
- Full of antioxidants
- Mitigates Oxidative Stress
- Improves the Neuroplasticity of the brain due to nitrates
- contains phytochemical compounds
One amazing benefit of this health tonic is that it provides your body with nitrates, a building block needed to make nitric oxide, which is a chemical messenger in the body. Nictric acid protects your mitochondria, relaxes blood vessels, lowers blood pressure, and improves nuerotransmission. You can discover even more health benefits in this article from Weston A. Price or this article by Dr. Mercola.
Common Questions about Beet Kvass
How long does Beet Kvass stay good?
For peak health benefits Beet Kvass should be consumed within 1-2 weeks. It will last in the fridge for up to 1 month, and some store their kvass for up to 3 months. Always check for mold and use your best judgement.
What does beet kvass taste like?
If you like beets, you will love the earthy, salty, effervescent taste of beet kvass! I have found this to be an acquired taste, because I do not like beets. I take a daily shot for the amazing health benefits.
How long does my beet kvass need to ferment?
1-4 weeks is the fermentation period recommended for beet kvass. You can taste it along the way to decide where you best like it. My personal preference is about 10 days.
How much beet kvass can I drink at first?
Beet Kvass is very detoxifying. For this reason I would start with just 1 tablespoon and work your way up to a small shot glass and so on. If you over do it, you may feel those side effects from detoxing.
Can I just take a commercial probiotic and get the same benefits as beet kvass?
Commercial probiotics (all though not all bad) can only offer a few strands of bacteria. However, due to the lactic-acid bacteria (explained above) you are getting a greater variety of healthy bacteria and typically at a much cheaper price with fermentation.
This article further explains ““When I do recommend live microbes, it’s often in the context of fermented foods,” said Chris Damman, a gastroenterologist at the Digestive Health Center at the University of Washington Medical Center. “Fermented foods are like nature’s probiotics.”
One of the benefits of fermented foods is that they typically contain not just probiotics (the live microbes) but also prebiotics (the fiber the microbes eat) and postbiotics (the vitamins and other nutrients they produce). In a study published in the journal Cell, Sonnenburg and her colleagues at Stanford found that assigning people to eat fermented foods every day over a 10-week period lowered their levels of inflammation and increased their gut microbiome diversity.“
How To Make Beet Kvass: Probiotic Packed Drink
Course: fermented food, fermentsCuisine: beet kvassDifficulty: Easy10
minutes1-4
weeksBeet Kvass is a liver cleansing, effervescent fermented drink. This nourishing elixir originated from Russia and is rich in Vitamin C and probiotics that support healing the gut. Our family has found that a shot of beet kvass a day keeps the doctor away. This recipe for beet kvass is arguable the easiest ferment any beginner should try.
Ingredients
- Equipment:
1 Half Gallon mason jar. (I use these ones.)
- Ingredients
2 large beets or 3 medium sized
1.5 – 2 tablespoons sea salt or celtic salt
6 cups of filtered water (do not use tap water)
Directions
- Clean and Peel
Clean your beets and peel the skin off using a pairing knife. (see video below)
- Dice
Dice your beets into larger 1 inch square chunks and add them into your glass jar so that the beets fill the jar about halfway or a little less. Alternatively you can split them into two 1 quart jars.
- Add salt
Dissolve your salt into your water and mix. - Cover with Water & Lid
Pour your saltwater brine over your beets. Cover your jar with a fermentation lid, or cheescloth and rubber band. Or use your metal lid and simply burp everyday for four days. (see note 4 for burping) - Ferment & Strain
Place jar out of the sunlight on the counter to ferment for at least 5 days or up to 1 month. My sweet spot tends to be about 10 days. You may try it along the way to find your desired taste. Once fermented, strain out the kvass and store in another glass jar with a lid in the fridge for up to one month. Ours never lasts that long since we take it daily, but many have kept their kvass for up to 6 months.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Use organic beets
- Try making two batches by reusing your fermented beets for a second round (all though this will have less nutrients)
- Use the fermented beets in salads after straining out the kvass.
- During the fermentation process gases are building up in your jar that need to be released. This is why it is important to burp the lid daily for 3-4 days. All you need to do it twist the lid enough to release the air and then shut it again just finger tight. You may hear a small pop as the gases are released. There are also fermentation lids you can buy for this
- Beet Kvass is very detoxifying. For this reason I would start with just 1 tablespoon and work your way up to a small shot glass and so on. If you over do it, you may feel those side effects from detoxing.
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I hope you enjoy this Homemade Beet Kvass Recipe!
If you try the recipe please rate it below and leave any tips or tricks you have learned along the way to share with others in the comments.
Other homemade healing recipes you may enjoy:
Cough Syrup
Elderberry Syrup
