Beet Kvass is a natural fermented beverage that is full of nutrients. It’s known for its cleansing and healing qualities and also aids in digestion.
A few years ago I gave my mother the book Nourishing Traditions. My hope was that my mother would open up this book and read it.
It took her over a year and a half to open up the book and look at it. She called me to ask me about a tonic called Beet Kvass. I told her the recipe was in the book I gave her :). She was interesting in beet kvass because a friend had told her about it. My mother and her friend made a batch of beek kvass and began to drink the kvass daily. My mother started to feel healthier and experienced better energy.
A Healing Testimony
After just a few weeks of drinking beet kvass, a wart my mother had for over 30 years vanished! The wart was on her foot and was something she always worried might be cancerous. The only thing that she had changed in her diet was drinking the beet kvass. Obviously no one can know for sure if beet kvass made the difference, but I like to think it did.
Beet Kvass: A Cleansing Tonic
Beet kvass is a tonic that cleanses the blood and helps detoxify the liver. As a fermented drink, it also aids in digestion. It is rich in B-complex vitamins such as niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine and minerals such as iron, manganese, copper, potassium and magnesium. If you’re looking for other healthy drinks, I’d recommend turmeric shots or apple cider vinegar drinks.
Beet Kvass Ingredients
In addition to beet kvass’ health benefits, it’s also simple to make – comprising just four ingredients (one of which is filtered water):
- 1 Vegetable Culture Packet or 1/4 Cup Whey
- 4 organic beets
- 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
- filtered water
And that’s it!
How to Make Beet Kvass
Like I said, simple to make. You need to start by washing the beets to ensure you get all the dirt off. (No need to peel them.) Then:
- Cut the beets into large chunks.
- Place them in a mason jar.
- Add the starter culture (or whey if using) and salt.
- Fill the jar with filtered water. Make sure to leave an inch of space between the top of the water and the lid. Use an airlock for best results.
- Cover tightly with lid and place in a warm spot in your home.
- Allow the beet kvass to ferment for 1 week.
And then – drink up! It’s good for you.
You may also like:
- Coconut Water Kefir Recipe
- How To Ferment Apple Sauce
- Coconut Milk Kefir – A Healing Probiotic Food Everyone Needs!
Beet Kvass – A Healing Tonic!
Ingredients
Equipment
- knife
- cutting board
- gallon mason jar
- Airlock (optional but useful)
- gloves (optional).
Ingredients
- 1 Vegetable Culture Packet or 1/4 Cup Whey
- 4 organic beets
- 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
- filtered water
Instructions
- Gently wash any dirt from beets. Cut the beets into large chunks. There is no need to peel the beets.
- Place beets in mason jar.
- Add the starter culture (or whey if using) and salt.
- Fill the jar with filtered water. Make sure to leave an inch of space between the top of the water and the lid. Use an airlock for best results.
- Cover tightly with lid and place in a warm spot in your home.
- Allow the beet kvass to ferment for 1 week.
Notes
Some people are turned off by the taste of beet kvass. It has a very earthy and salty taste.
yummy recipe
Have you ever heard of beet kvass without salt. I do not use salt in my diet so I would love to find a recipe without salt.
Thanks!
yes , look at the bread drink lab brewery in the uk , they have the Brod kvas Ruby ( beetroot turmeric ginger ) and no salt is use in the process
Can I use spring water or alkalized water? What kind of salt?
Some recipes seem to require aerobic fermentation (using cheese cloth). Others want to keep oxygen out (use of tight lid with burping or an airlock).
So far the ones with sugar seem to need oxygen; those with salt like the airlock. But no book I have read actually says that. I am new to fermentation (except a few experiments with sauerkraut a decade or so ago.
All of the recipes I’ve seen say to ferment 2 days. Do you find one week is better?
I think the kvaas is richer when fermented longer. I usually go 5-7 days.
I’ve been trying to find out if you can drink to much beet kvass at one time and if anyone ever got watery diarrhea from doing so. Thanks
Hi. I was interested in the beet kvass. My question is, what keeps the beets from getting botulism in that 1 to 2 weeks time? I want to make it but Im leary of drinking it. I know if I had canned beets and one was unsealed after a week, I would toss it because of spoilage.
Thank you….
Colleen, I believe the salt preserves the beet.
Botulism only occurs in an absence of oxygen such as in canned foods not processed long enough to kill the botulism spores. The salt helps slow the growth of the bad bacteria until the ferment can get going to create lactic acid to stop the growth of the bad bacteria. By adding a starter in the form of Kefir whey or a commercial starter you just seeded it with millions of the right types of fermentation bacteria and yeasts rather than wait for the naturally occurring ones to grow in numbers to do the job. and it’s only going to take several days to produce rather than 2 weeks.
Hi Tiffany aka Coconut Mama,
I really love your post here, How to Make Beet Kvass.
And I would love it if I could feature it in our website Greenthickies, with your permission of course. Would it be okay if I use one of your images for it. I won’t post the actual content of your post in my website, but only an image and title and then link directly back to your post page.
Thanks a lot
Can beet kvass be given to my 10 Mon old in very small amounts, such as a tsp or so?
Sure!
Why do not say how much drink per day??
Personal preference.
How do you take it though?
Orally. Strain the liquid to drink. The leftover beets are good for salads or snacking.
I let my kvass stay out for 2 weeks but it looks moldy, the beets have white spots. Is it no good?
If I use a starter culture, can I use less salt?
do you have to sanitizie the jar or not
Yes.
thank you i was looking for a recipe without a starter and now i found it. yay!!! thanks!
If you do not use an air lock, do you need to unscrew enough to release the pressure once a day or anything?
How do you know when it’s fully fermented? Thanks for the simple recipe!
This is great! I had no idea making kvass was so simple. I only have one gallon jar and I use it for my kombucha, but math wise I should be able to achieve the same results in quart size jars with one beet per jar and just a pinch over a teaspoon of salt. Thank you!
Can I put ginger in with the beets? I’m trying this today! So excited I found your site!!!!
Yes! Ginger will give it a nice flavor. 🙂
In the Nourishing Traditions cook book it says to peel the beets. Does it matter if we peel them? Are we peeling away the good bacteria? Also, do we wash them with soap or with a vegetable wash? There are so many different recipes that I am wondering what is best to do? What is your opinion?
Thank you
Don’t peel the beets, gently wash them, very gently! Use organic beets if possible or home grown.
Please confirm what size “mason Jar” you mean. I immediately thought you meant a quart jar. But someone in the comments said “gallon” and you didn’t correct that.
In the directions “Equipment: knife, cutting board, gallon mason jar, airlock (optional but useful) and gloves (optional).”
So glad I found your recipe! I saw a different one that called for whey and garlic, but this is much simpler. Can’t wait to try it 🙂
Can you use spring water?
Thank you for sharing this recipe, I’m going to try it, but I need to make sure that I’m understanding correctly. I’ll only need 4 beets for a gallon sized mason jar, correct? Also, once the fermentation occurs, am I supposed to leave the beets in the Kvass while they refrigerate or do I place the liquid in a pitcher minus the beets?
Yes, only 4 beets and you can leave them in the jar if you like. 🙂
Thank you 🙂
Sounds wonderful! Could you possibly juice the beets after the 2nd use? or first use maybe? That could help them go a little further, or do you think they’d be spent and only good for compost after the Kvass?
Hi Jayme, I was about to ask the same question. Did you get an answer?
Just finished my first ferment of Beet Kvass – Organic Beets and Sea Salt only. Tastes…”deep” Some “earthiness” and a bit of saltiness on the finish. Don’t know what all the fuss is on the taste. I really think I like this. I will definitely ferment this again, and I will not modify the ingredients list… “A Keeper”
Yay! Thanks for sharing 🙂
I’ve seen recipes where, once the liquid is gone the beets are re-used and the process is started again. But I’d like to know what Tiffani does with the beets?
I reuse the beets once. The second batch isn’t as strong, but its good!
I’m intrigued…and will make this for sure to find out its benefits for myself. Do you continue to store it out of the fridge and in a dark place, and, how much should you drink daily? Once it is emptied, you throw it all away and start over or do you reuse the beets? (I can’t imagine that you would reuse the beets, but hey, I have to know).
You store it in the fridge after it has finished fermenting. In Nourishing Traditions, Sally Fallon says to drink 4 ounces every morning and every night. You can use the beets again for a second batch.
How much do you drink per day?
I’m not a fan of beets, but I feel the need to try this!!
I only nave quart jars. How much salt should I use in each one? Thanks.
I will definitely have to try this – I have an airlock o it should work well! I have a friend who loves beet kavos and keeps getting me to try it – even her children like it.
Yet another beverage I need to add to my arsenal. My hubby would love this!
Can you also use a small amount of kombucha to speed up the process? Thanks, love your site.
Not a great idea, the results are yeasty
Me too!!! I’ve fermented veggies without an airlock and they’ve done well. I love beets so hopefully you can do this without an airlock!
Sharon » You can! I only suggest it for those who want to use it. A lot of people like to use them!
Can you use the Golden Beets, also?
Laila » Yes! Golden beets make a beautiful beet kvass! 🙂
^^^ I’d like to know the answer, too.
Why do you use an airlock and what can you do if you don’t have one/don’t get one?
kristenk » You do not have to use an airlock. The airlock helps with fermentation, but it is not necessary! Just make sure the lid is tightly closed. I didn’t use an airlock to make this batch of Beet Kvass and it turned out just fine :). Some people prefer to use the airlock though.
When I google “airlock” I get several different models. What device do you suggest we use?
Thank you for this simple way to make beet kvass.. My friend has been telling me about it for a long time and I thought it would be complicated to make. I could do this! thanks..
Gluten Free A-Z » Your welcome 🙂
I just got that book and cannot put it down!
will it help get rid of gall stones