Beet Kvass

Beet Kvass is a delicious, sweet, salty, earthy fermented tonic with live cultures, plus vitamins and minerals naturally found in beets. Traditionally enjoyed as a digestive tonic, this vibrant drink is also a great way to add fermented foods to your diet. Beets are naturally rich in dietary nitrates, which the body can convert to nitric oxide to support healthy blood flow.

Beets for Blood flow

Beets may be beautifully purple, but it isn’t their color that makes them particularly interesting for blood flow. Beets are naturally rich in dietary nitrates, which the body converts into nitric oxide, helping support healthy blood flow and blood pressure. For this reason, my son drinks Beet Kvass before his workouts, and my husband drinks his daily dose of purple too…for obvious reasons. My doctor jokingly calls beets “Nature’s Viagra.”

We all need healthy blood flow, and while I’m certainly not prescribing Beet Kvass as medicine, I love knowing that something so simple and nourishing can support the body naturally. Eating a wide variety of colorful fruits and vegetables is one of the simplest ways we can nourish our bodies with the nutrients and plant compounds they need.

Using a Starter Culture

Beet Kvass is a naturally fermented beverage that develops live cultures during fermentation. Fortunately, you don’t need a starter culture to make it—beets, water, and salt are enough to get the fermentation going naturally. A starter culture can jump-start the process by introducing beneficial microorganisms from the beginning, and different starters can also influence the flavor of the finished kvass. Here are a few options:

• Whey
• Ginger Bug
• Vegetable Starter Culture
• Raw Kraut or Pickle Brine (I use Bubbies brand in the refrigerator section of the grocery store)

Whey Starter Culture

Whey is a quick culture and easily accessible. Actually, It is the liquid remaining after milk is curdled and cultured. You have probably seen this liquid form at the top of your yogurt after scooping some out. To separate the whey from yogurt, I use a Greek yogurt maker. This is the super easy cheaters method. Sorry, I love useful kitchen gadgets that multiply my time. I also prefer to eat a thicker yogurt.

To prepare, I purchase regular plain yogurt, dump it in my Greek yogurt maker filter basket, and let gravity work for me in only a few hours. One quart of plain grass-fed yogurt produces about 1/2 cup of whey. You can watch a YouTube video from The Healthy Home Economist on how to separate whey from store-bought yogurt here if you don’t have a Greek yogurt maker.

Ginger Bug

Ginger Bug is a wonderful starter culture if you happen to have some fermenting in your refrigerator. It is a wild fermented culture made from ginger, sugar, and water. It takes about a week and a little daily care to establish, so this isn’t your quickest option. Once established, however, you can use a Ginger Bug to make all kinds of naturally fermented, bubbly sodas and tonics.

I especially love the extra kick of flavor Ginger Bug gives my Beet Kvass. Ginger has a long history of traditional use as a warming herb and has been studied for its potential effects on circulation. Combined with the naturally occurring dietary nitrates in beets, it makes a flavorful addition to our pre-workout Beet Kvass. I also use Ginger Bug in recipes such as fermented root beer and ginger-lime soda during the summer, so I usually have a jar in my refrigerator. Find the recipe from Nourished Kitchen for Ginger Bug here.

Vegetable Starter Culture

These are packets of dehydrated probiotic cultures that you can purchase through Cultures for Health. When you purchase a box, they can be used to make sauerkraut and other fermented veggies as well.

Raw Kraut or Pickle Brine

Using raw sauerkraut or pickle brine is a quick and easy starter option if you already have a jar in your refrigerator. The brine should come from naturally fermented, unpasteurized sauerkraut or pickles with live cultures—not shelf-stable pickles made only with vinegar. You can use brine from your own ferments or a refrigerated fermented product such as Bubbies.

Beet Kvass has a salty, tangy flavor reminiscent of sauerkraut, with the added sweetness and earthiness of beets. Dill is also a wonderful addition to Beet Kvass, so fermented pickle brine pairs beautifully. Personally, I love using the liquid left over from a jar of sauerkraut to start my Kvass. It’s easy, and it is a great way to use that flavorful, live-culture brine instead of letting it go to waste.

How to Make Beet Kvass

Preparing Beet Kvass literally takes minutes, and once you work it into your routine, it is easy peasy. I use a gallon-sized clamp-lid jar because we drink a lot of it. One batch usually yields about a half gallon of Beet Kvass, along with delicious fermented beets that are perfect for adding to a salad. Think of Beet Kvass much like you would sauerkraut and its brine—you enjoy the fermented vegetables, but the flavorful, fermented liquid is worth saving too.

Salt to Water Ratio Depending on Your Jar Size

It takes several days to prepare, so I don’t want to mess with quart jars all the time. I fill my jar about two-thirds full with chopped beets, then add enough prepared brine to cover them completely. I use Celtic sea salt for my ferments and measure the salt by weight for consistency. For a 5% brine, use 50 grams of salt per liter of water (about 45 grams per quart). Salt plays an important role in fermentation, helping create an environment that favors lactic-acid bacteria while discouraging undesirable microorganisms. A starter culture can help get fermentation underway, but it doesn’t replace the need for the proper salt concentration.

Step-by-Step Process

• Cube or julienne enough clean, well-washed, unpeeled beets to fill your jar about two-thirds full. You can use red or golden beets.
• If desired, add additional flavors such as sliced fresh ginger or turmeric root, garlic, pickling spices, dill, or bay leaf. I especially love adding about a 1-inch knob of sliced fresh ginger when I’m not using a Ginger Bug.
• If using a starter culture, add it according to the directions for that particular culture. I often use sauerkraut brine or Ginger Bug. A starter can help introduce active cultures, but it does not replace the salt needed for proper fermentation.
• Prepare your brine separately so the salt concentration is consistent throughout the jar. Because I use Celtic sea salt, I measure it by weight rather than volume. For large pieces of vegetables, a 5% brine is a conservative fermentation guideline: use 45 grams of salt per quart (4 cups) of water. Prepare enough brine to completely cover the beets.
• Pour the prepared brine over the beets. Use a fermentation weight if necessary to keep all of the beets 1–2 inches beneath the surface of the brine throughout fermentation. Leave adequate headspace at the top of the jar.
• Cover the jar. An airlock fermentation lid is ideal because it allows carbon dioxide to escape while limiting exposure to oxygen. If using a tight-fitting lid instead, release accumulated pressure as necessary.
• Ferment in a cool place, ideally around 68–72°F, for approximately 7–10 days. Begin tasting around day 7. When your Beet Kvass has developed a pleasantly tangy, earthy flavor, it is ready to refrigerate. Keep in mind that fermentation may happen more quickly in a warmer kitchen and take a little longer in a cooler one.
• When fermentation has reached the flavor and acidity you prefer, strain the Kvass into a clean jar and refrigerate. The fermented beets can also be refrigerated and enjoyed in salads or other dishes.
• A thin, flat, non-fuzzy white film may be kahm yeast and can be skimmed away. Do not assume that every white growth is harmless. If you see fuzzy mold, or if the Kvass becomes slimy or develops a spoiled or rotten odor, discard the batch.
• Enjoy chilled on its own, with a meal, or before or after exercise as part of your usual hydration routine.

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Gallon clamp lid jar

Fermenting lids– I have used wide-mouth quart sized jars with these fermenting lids as well as jars with clamp lids. If you use a jar with a clamp lid, you will need to burp them often. Fermenting causes natural gasses to form causing pressure to develop inside the jar. The fermenting lids allow for this pressure to be released while not exposing contents to bad bacteria.

Greek yogurt maker for preparing whey starter culture.

Flour Sack Towels– These are my favorite multi-use towels.

Celtic Sea Salt– Light grey Celtic is my preferred salt for fermenting vegetables or making Beet Kvass. The mineral content is rich and easily assimilated into the body.

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In everything you do -eat, play, and, love- may it always be Seasoned with Joy!