Skip to main content

Beet Kvass - more fermented beverages!

I've been wanting to try making beet kvass for ages, not that I knew what it tastes like, but I like beetroot and I like fermented beverages, so I thought it would be nice.  I finally managed to get some organic beetroot to make it with, unfortunately mine don't seem to be growing very quickly, but the local organic store at the market had lots this week. 


I followed the recipe in Nourishing Traditions, peeled and chopped the beets, put them in a jug with about a quarter cup of whey, some sea salt and topped it up to 2 L with rainwater.  This sat on the bench for 3 days, then I strained the juice into a bottle and topped up the water again for another batch.  The kvass turns a beautiful dark red after a few days, it tastes like beetroot juice with a slight sourness and fizzyness from the fermentation.  Very refreshing!  Now I just need to grow some beetroot.....


I also made some more ginger ale at the same time because we've been drinking so much of it (it goes pleasantly fizzy in the Grolsh bottles if you add a little extra sugar before bottling, I can hardly keep up with demand!).


Have you tried making beet kvass?  Or any other fermented drinks?
Labels:

Comments

  1. Sunnybrook FarmJuly 13, 2012 at 8:21 AM

    That is interesting, I have never seen beets done that way. We are planning on making pickled beets and canning them in pints. That drink sound good if I have some extras.

    ReplyDelete
  2. africanaussieJuly 13, 2012 at 11:58 AM

    this is on a long list of things I want to try sometime...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Fiona from Arbordale FarmJuly 13, 2012 at 9:41 PM

    I recently purchased nourishing traditions and it is such a huge and information packed that i am a bit overwhelmed. Plus since we do not have a house cow I need to wait for some milk from the local dairy before I can get some whey. Is yours just left over from cheese making?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sally_OhJuly 14, 2012 at 5:03 AM

    Just made my first beet kvass, too. A little too salty for my taste so I cut back to 1/2 T. Fermenting on the counter now... Just found this recipe, too:

    In a 2qt jar: use a little more beets than recipe calls for, only use a generous pinch of salt, double the whey, add a 1/2 chopped apple (first put in container and sprinkle with cinnamon, shake to coat), and fill jar with clean water. Close jar tight and leave out to ferment for 5 days. Swirl the jar daily. Put in the fridge. The longer it ferments in the fridge, the better it tastes!

    This sounds delish!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Mindy @ Too Many Jars in My KitchenJuly 14, 2012 at 10:08 AM

    I've really enjoyed the beet kvass I've tasted from various friends. I haven't made it yet since I've unfortunately had issues with eating beets. Hopefully one of these days I'll be able to give it a try!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Lrong LimJuly 14, 2012 at 10:03 PM

    Hmmm, would love to try tasting this... it does sound good...

    ReplyDelete
  7. UnknownJuly 26, 2012 at 9:08 AM

    hi everyone, yes the whey I use is from making cream cheese, but you can also use kefir whey or yoghurt whey (I wonder if you could even just add some mesophilic cheese making bacteria if you had no whey at all, worth a try...).

    I would like to try a few alternative recipes, as Sally suggested, apple sounds like a nice addition, and I think people also add ginger.

    So far I've managed to keep it going by just adding fresh beets every 3rd brew (and cooking the old beets to add to casserole). Good luck!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks, I appreciate all your comments, suggestions and questions, but I don't always get time to reply right away. If you need me to reply personally to a question, please leave your email address in the comment or in your profile, or email me directly on eight.acres.liz at gmail.com

Popular posts from this blog

Farm update - August 2017

Its been cold this month, and very nice to have the fire going every night.  Here's a photo of my boy in his cape, great for late night woofing at things.  Most of July we were either preparing for the butcher to come or putting meat away.  Its always a big job, but its only once a year, and its all done now.  My lovely neighbour came over to help, so it was fun to have the company and work together.  Taz was a champion once again as she helped us to move cattle in the yards ready to load for the market.  Gus is not at that level yet and had to stay home (he cries when he gets left behind, but he just gets in the way and scatters the cattle).  We have had a few sprinkles of rain here and there, but also plenty of cold nights, so the grass is mostly dead and dry, waiting for the warmer weather to revive our summer-active pasture. Gus in his cape Taz after she helped to move cattle Food and cooking It was all about beef in July and we are v...
2 comments
Read more

Cooking and eating beans

When I was growing up, my family never ate many dried beans, they just weren't something that was used much in NZ cuisine.  If I did eat beans, it was always from a can (and most likely baked beans).  And until recently I was still using beans from a can, but it can be difficult to get organic beans, and to find cans not lined with BPA.  Then I had an opportunity to buy some organic dry goods in bulk, so I bought 5kg of kidney beans, 5kg of adzuki beans and 5kg of chickpea (garbanzo beans).  I know, that is a lot of beans.  And then I didn't really know what to do with them!  Not just what dishes to put them in, but how to prepare them, I just didn't know what method to use. So I decided it was time to learn how to use all these beans that I bought, here's what I found out. I started with an excellent ebook called The Everything Beans Book , from Katie at Kitchen Stewardship, which has lots of bean recipes, but more importantly, an explanation of h...
12 comments
Read more

Guest post: Is there a place for power tools in the garden?

One of my regular readers and commenters offered to write a guest post about a horticulture course, its quite a funny read, with some serious insights into our technology obsession.  If you'd like to submit a guest post, email me at eight.acres.liz {at} gmail.com.  While I am always happy to share links back to your blog or website, this contributor preferred to remain anonymous.  I hope you enjoy their story.... -**-  -**-  -**-  -**-  -**-  -**-  -**-  -**-  -**-  -**-  -**-  -**-  -**-  -**- Just a few days ago our daily horticulture classes were interrupted by an invitation to review some new gardening gadgets. The idea was to open half a dozen of electric hand trimmers , test them and fill in some review about their goods and bads. As nothing is more dear to a student – even a “hort “ one - to escape routine and mess around till lunchtime, we opened the boxes and got down to business. What did we...
8 comments
Read more