Kvass w/ Beets, Carrots & Ginger – Supertonic & Super Beverage

Kvass w/ Beets, Carrots & Ginger – Supertonic & Super Beverage

Beet/Carrot/Ginger Kvass – Supertonic & Super BeverageCultured Kvass – A Taste Worth Acquiring

“Fermentation January” continues. Today I’m adding the cultured beverage known as kvass to our repertoire of health-supporting, fermented and unheated foods. Perhaps you’re already familiar with this gorgeous violet-hued superfood and supertonic. Eastern Europeans have long revered this earthy, rich and slightly salty beverage for its blood and liver-cleansing properties.

Kvass w/ Beets, Carrots & Ginger – Supertonic & Super Beverage“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.”            Sally Fallon, Nourishing Traditions

  • Make Fermentation Even Easier
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Take it slowly
I’ll admit that my relationship with kvass continues to be a journey. Kvass seems to be an acquired taste. From my first rather unpleasant sip of Beet Kvass to this morning’s quarter of a glass of Beet/Carrot/Ginger Kvass I’ve come a long way. It’s been a taste worth acquiring. I now look forward to both my morning “elixir” and my evening nightcap.

The process of refining this recipe continues. I replaced almost half the beets with diced carrots for a lighter taste. I’ve got the right proportion now of beets to carrots in the recipe. However, I’m still seeking the spicy taste of raw ginger. The flavor of the kvass will definitely benefit from its pungency. I’ve tried slicing the ginger. I’ve tried finely mincing the ginger. And I’ve doubled and tripled the quantity. Yet, for me, the ginger still seems too subtle. I’ll keep at it and update the recipe.

If you decide to experiment a bit also, won’t you share what quantity of ginger works best for you?

Update  Just tried 1/2 cup minced ginger and I can taste it 😉

Superfood and supertonic
Beet/Carrot/Ginger Kvass – Supertonic & Super BeverageCarrots, beets and ginger are all superfoods in their own right. The combination of these three root vegetables makes Beet/Carrot/Ginger Kvass even more nutrient rich. Adding a few days of lacto-fermentation boosts the nutrition even more by producing probiotic organisms and increasing the vitamins and enzymes.

Try it; you just may like Beet/Carrot/Ginger Kvass as much as I do.

Kvass w/ Beets, Carrots & Ginger – Supertonic & Super Beverage

Kvass w/ Beets, Carrots & Ginger

Easy, raw, lacto-fermented, probiotic, 100% gluten-free beverage with no added sugar.
Inspired by and adapted from a recipe in Nourishing Traditions.
Three batches of kvass can be made from the same vegetables before adding them to your compost pile or discarding them.

Batches One and Two make 1 quart each. Batch three makes about 1½ quarts
Active time: 5-10 minutes per batch
Total time: 2 days fermentation for each batch

2 cups organic beets, washed, trimmed and cut into ½-inch piecesKvass w/ Beets, Carrots & Ginger – Supertonic & Super Beverage
1½ cups organic carrots, washed, trimmed and cut into ½-inch pieces
¼ cup fresh ginger, peeled, finely minced
1½ tablespoons high-quality sea salt
¼ cup whey
Water

Batch Number One

  1. Kvass w/ Beets, Carrots & Ginger – Supertonic & Super BeveragePlace the beets, carrots, ginger, salt and whey into a half-gallon canning jar.
  2. Fill the jar with water, leaving at least 1-inch air space from the top of the jar. Cover the jar tightly with a lid.
  3. Place the jar in a dark cupboard to ferment at room temperature for 2 days.
  4. Pour a quart of the kvass into a quart jar, leaving the vegetables behind. The kvass is now ready to drink.
  5. Cover the quart jar and transfer it to the refrigerator where it will keep for many weeks.

Batch Number Two

  1. Add 2 teaspoons of salt to the vegetables in the jar. Add a quart of water, leaving at least 1-inch air space from the top of the jar. Cover the jar tightly with a lid.
  2. Place the jar in a dark cupboard to ferment at room temperature for 2 days.
  3. Remove any foam from the top of the kvass. Pour a quart of the kvass into a quart jar, leaving the vegetables behind. The kvass is now ready to drink.
  4. Cover the quart jar and transfer it to the refrigerator where it will keep for many weeks.

Batch Number Three

  • Repeat steps 1 through 4 of Batch Number Two.
  • Discard the vegetables.

For Future Batches

  • Begin with fresh beets, carrots and ginger following the instructions for Batch Number One.

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10 thoughts on “Kvass w/ Beets, Carrots & Ginger – Supertonic & Super Beverage”

  1. Hi Janice,
    I am totally hooked on the beet kvass, love the kimchee-hubby can’t stand the smell of it. I can’t wait to make the mustard. It looks fabulous.
    Thank you for your great recipes and education.

    1. Mitzi, thank you for your comments, you are so welcome. So glad you love the kvass and kimchi. Will your husband drink the kvass? Have you tried the fig jam? no unusual smells, just sweet and tasty. Perhaps the easiest way to get him to enjoy probiotic-rich foods.

      1. He actually likes the kvass. Something about the odor thar turns him off for the kimchee. He thinks it smells like gas. I will try the fig jam soon and let you know.
        You have a beautiful grandson-must have been fun to spend some time with him.

  2. thanks for the reminder. I used to always have a batch of this going. And I just made some yesterday,,,, the ginger is a great idea!

    1. You are most welcome, Nancy. Have you always replaced the amount of beets with carrots as well? I’m interested in how much ginger you used and if you could taste it 😉

  3. Janice, my liver could certainly use some cleansing at times! But beets? Not a fan, is there something else that can be used in place of them?

    1. Rhonda, change the proportions. Use maybe half a cup of beets and the rest carrots. . .and add a Serrano or jalapeno pepper (cut in quarters, keeping the seeds) to disguise the beet taste even more, yet retain its benefits.

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