This brightly coloured probiotic drink is slightly sour, salty, earthy, and delicious! Beets not only provide the colour, but also a source of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, folate, manganese, copper, and potassium.
Beet Kvass
2 oz (340g, or 2.5 C) beets, tops and tails trimmed off, skin on, scrubbed, cut into ½ in cubes
4 C filtered water (or unchlorinated)
1 to 2t salt
Optional add ins: 1 inch fresh ginger, 1 cinnamon stick, 3 to 4 whole cloves,lemon or orange slices
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Place beets into a clean 1 quart jar. Boil water, stir in salt. Add flavourings now if desired. Allow brine to cool before pouring over beets, leaving 1 inch of headspace at the top of the jar.
Cover the jar with loose material or an airlock and let stand at room temperature. It may bubble, keep a plate below it to catch brine drips. Let it ferment for 7-14 days.
When it tastes strong enough for your liking, strain out the beets and transfer the kvass to the fridge. You can drink it right away but it will benefit from a few days in the fridge. It will last in your fridge for about a month
Farm Fresh tip: Don't just discard the beets - they are now tasty fermented beet pickles!
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From: Fermenting Everything - Andy Hamilton