has taken me on an interesting gastronomic journey and revelations. I knew fermented food was great but GAPS diet puts fermented foods all the way at the top of the list of good foods for gut health. I've been making and eating fermented veggies for years and I never knew how much it was helping our gut health already!
Take kimchi, for example. It's our ethnic staple side dish and recently, it has become the most talked about fermented foods in the health food scenes. And when I ran out of kimchi, I 'pickled' cabbage for a quick crunchy cabbage fix but it turns out, I was making sauerkraut all these years and I didn't even know it! Also, I always 'pickled' cucumber with just salt and again, I learned, I was 'fermenting' cucumbers. It's just the way we, Koreans, always 'pickled' veggies. Who knew I was making probiotics? And honestly, I love these types of 'pickles' better than the ones with vinegar.
But Beet Kvass is something I NEVER heard of until I started GAPS diet. I never tried fermenting beetroots before. I guess, in theory, it makes sense. You can practically ferment any veggies, really. And since beetroots are loaded with nutrients to begin with, Beet Kvass makes a great detox tonic. According to Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, (affiliate) kvass "promotes regularity, aids digestion, alkalizes the blood, cleanses the liver and is a good treatment for kidney stones and other ailments. Beet kvass may also be used in place of vinegar in salad dressings and as an addition to soups."
I will say, the taste is a bit tart, salty and sour...all the right elements to awaken your palate.
How to Make Beet Kvass
My kvass recipe is a variation of a recipe from the GAPS book(affiliate) since we are allergic to whey. The book also uses garlic and ginger but I thought they would kill any probiotic property so I left them out. I've been adding kvass to our daily juicing and drinking it straight. But you can dilute it with water or carbonated water too. It is really simple to make and you will love the pretty color too!
How to make Beet kvass
Equipment
- ½ gallon glass jar with lid
Instructions
- If beetroot is organic, you don't have to peel the skin. Just spray some vinegar and scrub the dirt off well.
- Cut up beetroots in small squares for faster fermenting. But DO NOT shred or grate it as they will ferment too quickly and turn into alcohol. Well, if that's what you want, I guess you can but for probiotic purpose, you don't want to grate it.
- Add beet to the jar. Fill up the jar with filtered water, leaving about 2 inches at the top.
- Leave the jar on the counter for about 2-5 days. Taste to your liking and keep it refrigerated.
- When you have a little bit of kvass left in the jar, you can make a second ferment...or third...until beetroot looks pale. Then, they are spent and you'll have to start a new batch.
- You can dilute with water or carbonated water or straight up or add it to your juicing or blending. And add some ice and ENJOY!
Rachael says
Do you put he lid on the jar or cover with cloth while it is fermenting?
Dr. Karen says
Rachael,
I put some sort of a cloth or paper towel over it loosely while it's fermenting. You don't want exploding kvass.
sarah says
Is it ok if mold is on top?
Dr. Karen Lee says
miriguwa If you use mineral rich himalayan pink salt, you shouldn't have problems with Kvass. It's the table sale you shouldn't have. Here is one article on the connection between the two. http://www.holistichealthsecrets.com/Himalayan-Crystal-Salt.html
Disclaimer => I'm not your doctor and can't tell you that salt in kvass is fine for your high blood pressure though. 🙂
miriguwa says
I have blood pressure so will this affect my pressure because you say its salty and sour.
[email protected] Talk says
How does it taste? Sweet or sour?