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Beet kvass is potent, nutrient-rich tonic made by fermenting beets. It is essentially a DIY liquid multivitamin and more effective than taking brands from the store that contain synthetics!
One of the most nutritious and health-boosting fermented beverages you can make in your home is beet kvass. Beets are chock full of vitamins and minerals. Fermenting them supercharges nutrient levels even further and enhances absorption potential.
This ancestral tonic is extremely beneficial to those with any sort of digestive complaints.
In addition, beets are highly cleansing, so those with liver issues benefit from consuming beet kvass on a regular basis.
There isnโt another fermented drink that can improve health as rapidly in my personal experience.
Beet Kvass: DIY Liquid Multivitamin!
As a tonic, beet kvass is recommended first thing in the morning and after your evening meal.
Just 4 ounces or so is all you need to sip.
This highly nutritious superfood is far better than taking a multivitamin loaded with synthetic vitamins like folic acid.
Iโm sipping a morning glass of beet kvass as I type this! ย What a great way to start the day and rev up your digestion each morning!
The recipe below was adapted fromย Nourishing Traditions Cookbook.
Most people make kvass with red beets. For a slightly sweeter and less earthy flavor, try making golden beet kvass.
If you find the results a bit salty, reduce the sea salt in the recipe to your liking.
Beet Kvass Recipe
Traditional beet kvass recipe that is an unbeatable morning and evening tonic for rapidly boosting health.
Ingredients
- 1-2 beets (1 large or 2 medium) preferably organic, tops removed
- filtered water
- 2 Tbl liquid whey
- 1/2 Tbl sea salt
Instructions
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Wash beets thoroughly and slice into chunks no smaller than about 1/2 inch across. Feel free to peel the beets if desired; doing so reduces chances for mold on the ferment.
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Put beet chunks into a clean, one-quart mason jar. Add whey, sea salt, and enough filtered water to fill all but 1 inch from the top of the jar. Stir and mix well. Close the lid and leave on the kitchen counter for 1-2 days. Try to keep it away from the fruit bowl to discourage the growth of mold.
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Drink as desired and refrigerate once the fermentation period is complete. A 4 ounce glass morning and evening is recommended.
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When an inch or so of beet kvass liquid is left in the jar, refill with more filtered water, stir, and close the lid again and leave on the counter for 2 days more. Refrigerate fresh batch of beet kvass and drink as desired.
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When all the liquid is used up from the second batch, discard or compost the beets and start the process again.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
If the beet kvass is too salty for you, feel free to reduce the salt to 1/4 tablespoon for your next batch.ย
White fuzzy bubbles forming on the top of the liquid is normal and fine as the fermentation progresses.
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More Fermented Drink Recipes to Enjoy
How to Make Fermented Lemonade
Orangina Recipe (Fermented Orange Juice)
How to Make Kombucha
When handling beets, the juice stains. So would beet kvass stain your teeth? How would we get around this?
It seems that this question wasn’t answered? can you use the same amount of salt and still get a fermented pro-biotic result by simply leaving it out longer or letting it sit in the fridge for longer?
Hi Sarah, I have made the kvass according to your instructions & am drinking. The only thing I did different was to use 1/2 an adult scoop of Custom Probiotics 11 strain probiotic powder to it instead of the whey (dairy issues). I followed your other instructions. But it doesn’t taste very probiotic-y. It doesn’t have that carbonated or sour feel to it that I get from water kefir, for example. How do I know if it’s truly fermented?
Thanks, Jill
Hi Sarah…Not too many months ago I purchased “Nourishing Traditions” After I got through all the information at the beginning I quickly made SEVERAL fermented drinks and foods. I did BUY Kefir and yogurt however because I’m new and nervous! Well, I’ve eaten A LOT of these foods and my friend the other day asked me about the alcohol content?
I’ve never even thought about it…Is there alcohol content? Is it possible to go overboard with my fermented goodies?! I’m nursing currently so this raised a slight concern. Again, I’m new to this (20 years old, raised on fast food by a single parent) so this could be a silly question, Id also love any more resources I can expand on from my “Nourishing Traditions” knowledge. Thank you so much in advance!
~abbey
Can you use previously frozen beets for this? I have some frozen from my summer CSA. Thanks!
I made my first ever beet kvass. I really want to like it, but I don’t. So I will keep trying b/c I have “liver issues” apparently. My main issue is that it tastes too salty. I made it with 1 1/4 tsp. of Real Salt. How much can I cut the salt and be okay with it? Also, I made it with whey left over from cheesemaking and I read in Katz’s Art of Fermentation book that I just picked up at the library that the whey needs to be from unheated milk to still have the probiotics. So I need to try again. But that leads to another question.
My neighbor has a dairy allergy but wants to try it. Can you ferment it by simply leaving out the whey and letting it sit longer? I only let it sit on the counter 24 hours because I am in a warm and very humid climate.
Thank you for any feedback!
I add some sliced or grated fresh ginger root and I think it improves the flavour.
Love Beet Kvass! Makes a difference to ferment veggies straight from the farm. Even Whole Foods gives them a rinse in very diluted bleach solution and they just don’t ferment as well. We enjoy many fermented veggies (carrots, cucumbers are two favorites) but drinking this is wonderful and refreshing. Our son feels like he is drinking an adult drink (he sees me enjoy an occassional glass of wine) and thinks it is so special when he gets some! A real grown up treat!
I read somewhere that beet juice was not good for people prone to kidney stones. Is this true for the Kvas as well?