Beet Kvass is an essential ingredient in the preparation of traditional Polish beetroot soups - Barszcz Czerwony. You can also consume it as a sour tonic that acts as a medicine, boosting your gut microbiome, alkalizing the blood, and cleansing the liver.
It is super delicious and easy to prepare, once made up it can be stored in the fridge for a few weeks, aiding your health when needed.
What water to use for fermentation?
Microbes are very close to humans even when it comes to water. They thrive when it is clean and full of minerals. I recommend using a carbon water filter at home to clean your drinking water from chlorine, heavy metals, chemicals, and microplastics. This will be beneficial for your health and your fermenting microbes. Fermentation is still possible when using unfiltered tap water, to remove chlorine and some impurities, boil the water and let it cool down to room temperature.
What salt is the best for fermenting foods?
I have successfully fermented many things with cheap table salt but for the best quality of your products, I recommend using unrefined sea salt. This type of salt has all the beneficial minerals that microbes and humans need to thrive.
“As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.”
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Fermentation time: 7-10 days (depends on the temperature)
Ingredients:
500g of peeled, sliced beetroot
4 garlic cloves, sliced
2 bay leaves
4 allspice berries
5 peppercorns
400ml of lukewarm water
20g of salt (for any fermentation process I recommend unrefined sea salt)
Equipment:
1L glass jar, cleaned with boiling water.
Instructions:
Prepare 3% brine by mixing 400ml lukewarm water with 12g of salt.
Place all ingredients in the jar.
Pour enough brine to cover all ingredients with liquid.
Close the jar and place it away from the direct sunlight at room temperature.
The fermentation process will take 7-10 days, open the jar every few days to check the aroma and flavour.
Once ready, remove the beets from the liquid and place them in the fridge until needed (it will hold for a few weeks)
Subscribe here for new weekly recipes to your mailbox.
Insight:
For any fermentation try to use at least one organic vegetable in the recipe. Organic products have a lot more beneficial microbes. This helps to kick start the fermentation process.
