Beet Kvass, an Easy-to-Make Probiotic Elixir

It’s the end of February, and the perfect time of the season to slowly start spring cleaning from the stagnate winter. Adding “good bugs” to your gut flora with a probiotic boost from fermented foods is a good, gentle way to cleanse. It also helps boost your immunity - which we could all benefit from during colder months, especially when we get less natural vitamin D from the sun. But have you ever considered beet kvass for a burst of probiotics in the spring cleaning of your gut flora?

I’m sure that you’ve heard how wonderful fermentation is for your health, but you might be wondering, “how do we achieve this peak gut health with foods?” There are some well-made fermented foods that can be purchased at select stores and that is probably the best way to get started, especially if you don’t have the interest or time to make them yourself. However, to truly be beneficial, it does need to be “alive” with probiotics.

Truly “alive” fermented foods are going to be found in the refrigerated section, not the aisles of the store. Think refrigerated sauerkraut in jars or zippered pouches, instead of the canned variety that you might remember from your grandmother’s pantry. Other fermented foods, besides sauerkraut, that are rich in probiotics include kimchi, miso, kombucha, kefir and kvass - with which both fruit and vegetables varieties are easy and inexpensive to DIY.

If you care to venture into the world of making your own fermented goodies, perhaps the

easiest and most time efficient recipe is beet kvass.

If you Google “beet kvass recipes” your search results will be jumping with all kinds of variations. But before you get lost in a world of possibilities, and perhaps overwhelmed to a point of stagnation, let’s start out with an easy recipe -- from there you can have some fun experimenting, if the "bug catches you!”

Beet kvass is multifunctional, you can drink the liquid as a health tonic or use it as a secret

ingredient in salad dressings or in soups. The beets used in the fermentation process can be reused to make another batch of kvass, or they can be eaten in your salad or alongside your next meal.

In the cookbook, Nourishing Traditions, author Sally Fallon says this about beets, “valuable for its medicinal qualities and as a digestive aid. Beets are loaded with nutrients. One glass of beet kvass in the morning and [at] 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 ailment.” Ready to try this powerful, probiotic elixir for yourself?

Ingredients needed:

- 2 ½ beets; med to large cubed (if organic - best not to peel)

- 2 TBS. ginger coarsely sliced or chopped (if organic best not to peel); optional

- 3 tsp. salt (I like to use Real Salt by Redmond)

- Filtered water (distilled bottled water is also OK to use. It is best to not use tap water which may have additional minerals or water additives that can slow the fermentation process, such as chlorine).

To make kvass:

- Lightly rinse the beets and ginger and cube (or slice) them into medium-sized pieces

- Divide them into 2, quart-sized glass jars, adding 1 ½ tsp of salt into each and fill the container

with filtered water up to the indent of the jar, do not overfill

- Next, you can either cover the jar opening with cheesecloth, or lightly twist a cover (or lid) on jar. If you use a cover (or lid) you will need to check the cover everyday - if you cannot push the cover down, untwist the cover to vent the gases out. As with all fermented foods, open with caution as the gasses can cause pressure in the jar.

Some say to leave the fermenting containers on the countertop for a day or two, others say to wait a week or two. The important thing is to taste and stop the fermentation when you like the taste.

Once the flavor is to your liking, transfer your beet kvass into the refrigerator for storage. Doing this will slow the fermentation process, however, fermented foods will continue to ferment over time.

Note that bubbling may occur during any state of the fermentation, which is normal as gasses are released in fermented foods.

Personally, once the beet kvass is to my flavor liking, I like to strain the liquid into a glass bottle with a swing-top (like the one photographed on the right), and eat the beets.

Alternatively, you can start another round of beet kvass using a 1/4 cup of the original kvass (liquid) to the new batch, this will speed the fermentation process a bit faster.

Give this recipe a try, for it's ease and affordability means it can be a staple in your kitchen and in your total-health "toolkit."

Cheers to your health and wellness,

Michelle

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