I have spoken in previous posts about the extremely necessary benefits of fermented foods to repopulate our mostly depleted gut flora. There are many fermented foods that can deliver these valuable probiotics to us but some say that Beet Kvass is the mightiest of the tonics. Beet Kvass is one of the oldest fermented beverages and it has long been valued for it’s powerful medicinal qualities. It is also a fantastic digestive aid. To quote Sally Fallon “One 4 – ounce glass, morning and night, is an excellent blood tonic, promotes regularity, aids digestion, alkalizes the blood, cleanses the liver and is a good treatment for kidney stones and other ailments”. I think the best thing about Beet Kvass is that it is super easy to make AND tastes delicious so I thought I would share her recipe here.
Beet Kvass
3 medium or 2 large organic beetroots – peeled and chopped up coarsely
1/4 cup whey
1 tablespoon sea salt
filtered water
Place beetroot, whey and salt in a 1 litre glass container (mason jars are perfect). Add filtered water to fill the container. Stir well and cover securely (I like to cover mine with a muslin cloth or a light tea towel until it is finished fermenting). Keep at room temperature for 2 days before transferring to a refrigerator.
When most of the liquid has been consumed, you can fill it up again with water and keep at room temperature for another 2 days. This brew will be slightly weaker than the last. After this you will have to throw the beetroot away and start a new batch.
Beet Kvass is meant to be taken in small doses daily. Approximately 30ml is sufficient.
12 Comments
Jane
So I just made this, am a bit excited but also nervous about it! I made the whey yesterday, and now have an interesting looking batch of yoghurty cheese… any ideas what to do with this? Am a bit scared of it! 🙂
Shopkins
Oh well done! You will love it, it’s so good for your digestive health. There are a few things you can do with the cheese, personally I like to eat it with some cinnamon and stevia as a healthy sweet treat. Nourishing Traditions (amazing cook book referenced on this blog) has a great recipe for a cheese cake to make with this too. Enjoy. x
Jane
OK, so, is it supposed to be so INCREDIBLY salty? I did just kinda estimate a tablespoon but I actually think it was less than a tablespoon really… but it’s like drinking seawater..
Shopkins
Hi Jane, did you use whey? I find if you just use salt it is very very salty but if you use whey it’s much nicer and more palatable. Let me know how you get on.
Jane
Hello! Thanks for the reply. Ja, I used whey (hence the cheese above..) but after a bit of googling think maybe it’s possible I didn’t leave it to ferment long enough? Given the weather’s been a bit chilly..? So have popped it back out of the fridge, although maybe I’ll have to start again on the weekend. However, the big problem is it gave me a massive upset tummy last night (well I assume it was this..) I was horribly nauseous, luckily had some activated charcoal handy to calm things down, but still feel a bit rotten today. I don’t want to put anyone else off (if you’re reading this don’t be put off, it’s probably just me!!) but I’m not sure what that’s all about…? Any thoughts? Googling isn’t turning up a lot of answers. I’ll give it one more shot but maybe when I’m definitely not planning on going out anywhere…. not sure why I felt SO ill..
Shopkins
Fermentation definitely takes a LOT longer in the cool weather. It should be fine to pop out to ferment later but definitely google it. A great resource is this site –
She has videos on all sorts of fermentation processes. I have certainly never heard of any adverse effects from it, is it possible you ate something else that didn’t agree with you? Good luck!
Jane
Thanks! There’s no link to any website though?
I just went out and had a bunch of fermented grape juice and I feel heaps better 🙂 Maybe I should just stick to that?!
I don’t think I ate anything out of the ordinary but shall try this again and let you know.. if you can link to the videos you mentioned that would be handy, I’ll have a watch. Cheers 🙂
Shopkins
Hi Jane, I tried to link to the video at the back of my site but it didn’t work. I’ll try again here – http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/videos/fermented-foods/ this might not link through but you can copy and paste the url. Otherwise google The Healthy Home Economist and look under fermented foods. Good luck!
Mandy
Where to buy whey? Any substitutes? X
Shopkins
Hey Mandy,
You can add in a tablespoon (or ever so slightly less) of salt instead but it’s much better with whey. You can also make whey with yoghurt but I find it does not work as well as it is pasteurised. Google it if you are interested in making it. Let me know how you go. xx
Jill
Hi Sarah. Do you think beet kvass is better than kefir?
Sarah Hopkins
Hi Jill, that question really depends…there are a few varieties of kefir, dairy kefir and water kefir. Beet Kvass is definitely my preference over both of these ferments because I don’t tolerate dairy well and prefer a ferment that doesn’t rely on added sugar. It’s all subjective really but Beet Kvass is my personal favourite.