Today’s video shows you how to make beet kvass. Beets are chock full of nutrients and fermenting them as shown in the video is extremely beneficial to those with any sort of digestive complaints. Beets are highly cleansing to the liver, so those with liver issues benefit from consuming beet kvass on a regular basis.
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!
I’m sipping a morning glass of beet kvass as I type this! What a great way to start the day and rev up your digestion each morning!
Beet Kvass (from Nourishing Traditions Cookbook)
1 large or 2 medium organic beets, tops removed
filtered water
1/8 cup liquid whey
1/2 TBL sea salt
Wash and peel beets and slice into chunks no smaller than about 1/2 inch across.
Put beet chunks into a clean, 1 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 lid and leave on the counter for 1-2 days. Refrigerate.
When all but an inch or so of 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 and use.
When all the liquid is used up from the second batch, discard the beets and start again.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
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{ 73 comments… read them below or add one }
Good morning Sarah, don't you ever sleep? Recovery is going well. Speaking of the liver–would this be a good tonic for my husband? They're putting him on a 3 month dose of rat poison as a "preventative" measure. I know that wrecks havoc on the liver. So far, I've managed (with some difficulty) to remain politically correct. On the other hand, they are allowing me to bring food in.
Hi Paula, yes – beet kvass would be wonderful for him! So glad to hear recovery is on track. That is good that you can bring him food too; that will help the recovery go much more quickly.
I have made this and its in the fridge. But it is so salty! The only thing you forgot to mention is that the taste takes a little getting used to. In fact I throw it down as fast as I can and try not to get it on my tongue! Ewww.
Hi Holly, everyone has such different taste buds! I've always found it to be enjoyable and I sip it like a cup of tea! LOL
I was wondering….. if like Holly, one doesn't really like the taste that much, will adding it to fresh squeezed fruit juice or carrot juice negate the benefits at all? When I juice, I add other things like carrot and apple etc to make the beets more enjoyable so wondered if this was an option for the Kvass………. not for making it, but for drinking it?
Interesting. I believe I saw someone with beets at the farmer's market last week. If they have them this time I'll pick some up and give this a try. God bless my husband for putting up with the number of "science experiments" I have in the fridge right now!
Hi Sarah, Wouldn't juicing beets provide the same benefits?
Thanks for the great video. I'm going to try to make beet kvass soon.
I would love to hear from people that have already incorporated beet kvass into their diets. Did you see an improvement in your health? What changed?
Thanks!
wouldn't it be more beneficial if beets are consumed in a salad?
Actually, fermenting the beets makes them even more nutritious and digestible than raw!
Hi Sarah,
I was wondering if beet kvass would be OK for women who try to conceive or who are pregnant or breastfeeding. I know that you are not supposed to detoxify while participating in the above mentioned three activities but beet kvass is maybe more of a tonic which maybe is OK? Would you mind Sarah to elaborate a little about which of the Nourishing Traditions “concoctions” are OK and which ones are not for women in one of the above three situations?
I am looking forward to your new blog posting every day. Thank you for sharing all this wonderful info with us!
Would it be Ok to eat the beets after the second ferment instead of discarding them?
Thank you.
Hi Alina,
Yes, beet kvass would be a very nutritious drink during pregnancy. It is more of a nutritious tonic than a detoxifier. I drank it myself while pregnant and found it to be helpful to digestion which can get a bit uncomfortable in those later months. There was nothing in NT that I really shied away from when I was pregnant. There are no contraindications for pregnancy for any recipes in that book, unless otherwise noted by Sally Fallon Morell.
I would pitch the beets after the second ferment. They are pretty tasteless by that point anyway.
Sarah,
We have severe dairy allergies in our family. How would you make this without using whey? I have made saurkraut without whey and it turned out ok, using a non-diary probiotic capsule as a starter… think that would work?
Thanks!
What a creative idea – using a non dairy probiotic capsule as a starter! That would probably work nicely here too. You could also just use 1 TBL sea salt (celtic gives the best flavor, I think) instead of 1/2 TBL. It may turn out a bit too salty, so perhaps you want to try the probiotic capsule first.
Thank you!! I've been waiting for this post so I could watch you make kvass. I think I may have left it too long on the counter last time. I can't wait to try again…
This is one lactofermented drink that you really need to watch closely so it doesn't go a moment too long. The beet kvass I made in the video was ready and tasted perfect in only 24 hours on the counter .. but then my house is a warm 77F during the day right now so it didn't take long at all. Make sure to adjust fermentation time for the temperature/time of year/humidity levels.
Couple of questions:
My house is closer to 80's and 90's in temp (no air cond) so that may be why my kvass molded, even though my chunks were more like 2" pieces (NT doesn't specify size, just not to grate them. It's helpful to know what size works here. So … if I'm watching closely so it "doesn't go a moment too long", what should I look for to be sure it doesn't mold again? Maybe mine shouldn't go even a full 24 hours.
I use Redmond RealSalt for all my ferments. I keep reading that the salt should be fully dissolved, but my salt NEVER fully dissolves! I noticed you stirred your mixture just a very short time, but one time I determined I was going to wait until my salt dissolved, so I stirred and stirred and stirred, even eventually heated the water a little, it still didn't dissolve. I assumed it was some of the minerals in there that were never going to … you know, the d word. Since this is the recommended salt, do you ever hear of anyone else experiencing this?
Oh, and another thing: do your beets turn whitish after fermenting? If they're that color, the second ferment wouldn't be red like the first. Is that an issue of concern?
Thank you! I've really been looking forward to your beet kvass video.
Naomi
It is me again. Thank you for your responses to my previous questions.
With all these wonderful fermented drinks and tonics from Nourishing Traditions: kombucha, beet kvass etc. is there such a thing as an optimal or minimal time for them to ferment in order to achieve the most health benefits from them?
Same recommended dose for kids? Thanks!
Hi Naomi, I look for a little line of white bubbles on the top and when this goes on for about 24 hours its done. With mine kvass in the video, the bubbles started right away, so it only took about 24 hours before it was fermented enough. I might have been able to leave it longer, but didn't want to risk mold as warm as the house is right now.
I doubt the salt in my kvass was completely dissolved. I stir it, but don't worry if not completely dissolved. I haven't had a problem there as the kvass tastes quite salty so enough must be dissolved to ferment at least. I would use Celtic salt as there are more minerals than RealSalt and I think the resulting flavor is better with celtic.
Yes, the beets lose some color and the second ferment is not as beet red as the first. It also won't taste quite as strong. This is normal and not a problem.
Hi Alina, it's hard to judge what exactly is optimal. I think the idea is to ferment it adequately so that the nutritional benefits are achieved. There is so much variation by location, time of year etc .. you will find your fermentation time is all over the board after you do this for awhile. It really is an art! Just try to get it fermented adequately based on what I show you in the videos and then adjust to your tastes and preferences for the strength of the flavor over time as you gain experience for how things brew in your particular home.
For children, only 1-2 oz of beet kvass are needed. You may have a little trouble getting it into them. Stirring it into a soup (not too hot) might be a good option for them instead of drinking straight from a glass.
Hi, Sarah. This is anonymous of June 17, 2010 9:35 AM again (Ruth, actually).
You say that beet kvass is a good liver tonic among other things. I did a thorough search of the internet, looking for comments on blogs, forums, whatever, of people reporting improvements in their health after taking beet kvass. I didn't really find any.
Let me just say that I'm totally in favour of traditional foods, Weston Price etc., but I'm going to play devil's advocate for a sec.
It seems to me that Sally Fallon made certain statements about the kvass, and others repeated them, and so it goes around the WAP blogs. I don't expect to find a scientific study on the topic (who would fund it?) but a bunch of people writing in to say they felt better after adding it their diet would go a long way to convince me that it's as good as they say.
I don't have nourishing traditions, so I don't know if Sally Fallon offers any evidence.
So, can anyone report of feeling healthier by adding this tonic to their diet? Thoughts Sarah or anyone else?
On the flip side, I don't see how it could hurt. Beets=healthy. Fermenting=good.
Hi Ruth, thanks for commenting! My copy of the book "Juicing for Life" contains a recipe where the juice of beets is considered a liver tonic. Fermenting them could only be more beneficial then as lactofermenting adds probiotics and increases nutrient value (example: saurkraut has substantial vitamin C but regular cabbage does not).
Hi Sarah,
What are you thoughts on feeding the beets to my laying hens after the second batch? I don't even know if they'd eat them but they like other vegetables.
Hi Lisa, I don't see why it would be a problem to feed the beets to the chickens. Please check back and let us know if they eat them or not!
I also have found the taste of beet kvass hard to 'swallow'. But I LOVE beets! Here's what I did with my kvass:
http://tntkell.typepad.com/keepitreal/2009/11/beet-kvass-kefir-smoothie.html
I made the kvass and tried some last night and this morning. I don't find the flavor or scent very strong at all (salty, yes!). But people saying they found it hard to swallow makes me wonder if I did something wrong. Is it supposed to be strong-flavored?
Great Videos, thank you for sharing.
Can I use white, golden or striped beets or must they be RED BEETS?
Cathy
Any beets are fine, Cathy.
Hi Sarah,
I'm glad I've found your blog. I'm originaly from Poland and beet kvass is quite popular over there ( it's a base for a traditional red borscht soup)- my family has been doing it for a long time. I usually add fresh garlic to mine ( it's a little spicy this way) and i know of people who add a piece of fresh horseradish root to it. My family drinks a glass every day – even my son likes it. I've never made it with whey before but will try it as soon as i get some raw milk -( found a supplier here in Chicago).
How critical are the measurements in the recipe? For the one quart version, you say to add 1/8 cup of the liquid whey, which would be 1 ounce. But in the video, you add a vessel containing what appears to be at least four times that amount (half a cup or more). Will I get the same results using an exact 1-ounce measurement of liquid whey and a half tablespoon of salt?
Sarah, I don't have any whey at this time, so can I use yogurt (made from raw milk) as a substitute, and if so, how much should I use? Thanks.
Joan
Hi Joan, yogurt won't work here. You can double the salt and leave out the whey but the kjvass will be quite salty.
Sarah,
I am wondering how long the beet kvass lasts. I made a batch about 5 months ago and I haven’t drank much yet. Will it still be good? There is no mold and I keep it in the refrigerator. Also my daughter(10 yrs old) and I enjoy your videos very much and made our first batch of Hindu lemonade tonight. Thank you for a great healthy resource!
Hi Ann and Isabel, the beet kvass will probably be just fine. Fermentation plus refrigeration leads to quite a long shelf life in most cases. Glad you are enjoying the videos!!
Hi Sarah,
My beets and kvass have lost ALL the red color after being refrigerated for a couple of months. Is this normal? It still smells o.k. and no mold has developed. Thanks for sharing your wisdom!
It’s fine! Drink up!
To help with the mold issue, do not cover the jar with a tight lid – just use a coffee filter or cheesecloth and secure with an elastic band. When I first tried to cover my kefir jar while fermenting, it developed mold (I usually don’t cover).
Hi Sarah, I’ve been making the NT Beet Kvass for about 8 months now. I hadn’t seen your video when I began and think I cut them way too small. I didn’t get much mold, but some batches poured literally like slime! Was that also from cutting them small, or fermenting too long in a warm kitchen? I hope to get an answer as I have been asked to demonstrate how to make this wonderful tonic for our local WAPF chapter in two weeks. I also use whey made from my homemade yogurt made with raw milk. Is this fine? I’m too lazy to make the one from just raw milk and because I make, then drain my own yogurt, like it this way. Thanks! Mikki
Someone above asked about the taste, but I didn’t see a reply…
Is this supposed to taste fermented? Mine has been out for about 36 hours now, but still just tastes like salty beet water…I was expecting it to be more kombucha like in flavor. Does it need to sit longer, or does it just taste like salty beet water when it’s done?
Would diluting this limit it’s effects? It’s REALLY salty to me and I LOVE salt, but if I could dilute it, I’d be much happier!
For the whey, I took organic yogurt and strained it…I used the whey left over, is that right? I was hoping I didn’t do something wrong and that’s why the flavor isn’t very strong. Thanks!
You did it right Janelle. Yes, it is quite salty. Feel free to dilute it if you like. It does get more bubbly over time in the refrigerator.
I must have left the kvass on the counter too long (and it was covered tightly with a lid) and it developed a few spots of white mold on the top. Is it ruined? Do I have to throw it out, or can I skim off the mold and drink the kvass? Thanks!
Skim it off – I’ve done this before and it is fine.
Sarah,
I’ve been trying to stick to eating local and in-season vegetables and fruits. Do you eat beets year-round? Here in South Texas, they are just out of season, so I was hesitant to buy another bunch of beets for another batch of beet kvass. What do you think?
(Thank you for answering my questions! Your blog has been extremely helpful and informative to me and my family.)
Caitlin
Hi Caitlin, I do make beet kvass year round. Of course, it is ideal to make it when the beets are in season.
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Hi, Sarah. I just love you website, its so informative and has helped me so much. Today I made the beet kvass and I used 1/4 of a cup of whether instead of 1/8 for the quart jar. I was wondering if it mattered? Also about 3 months ago I made the sauerkraut and I was wondering if on the top of the kraut it has a white sort of crust on it is it ok that way or should I remake it?
Please let me know. Thanks Amy
Whey not whether
I made kvass last November. After a few days on the counter (cold New England kitchen) I put the kvass in the basement and didn’t intend to, but completely forgot about the kvass. This morning I saw it and thought “oh boy, it’s gone bad I’m sure”. But, there was no mold on top, no foul smell. I poured out a glass and drank it. It was wonderful. Somewhat salty, and it had a nice zing to it–almost like seltzer water! I had about 3 small glasses already today. I should be moderate though because it is powerful stuff.
Hi Sarah,
I’ve made Kvass for the first time with 1-1/2tsp whey, milk kefir whey, and I’m wondering if it’s OK and makes any difference. It has nice little bubbles around and looks perfectly fine. I’m not going for a second fermentation so I would like to know if we can it the beets?
Thanks.!
To stick with when beets are in season. Would it be ok to make a large batch and freeze it down into cubes? Or would it loose some of the probiotics. (Should I just leave it in the basement like Julie said above)
Hi Sara, you want to use plain yogurt instead of whey. How much yogurt do I use to make 1 quart of this drink? Thank you so much.
Sorry I meant to say “I want to use plain yogurt….” not “you..”
Hi Sarah,
Wonderful video! I made beet kvass once before and I shredded the beets. It fermented way to fast. The next time, I made the large cuts as you suggested. I left it on the counter 2 days. It tastes wonderful! One of the previous comments mentioned that her batch was salty. Do you think this might be because it didn’t ferment long enough? Maybe a continued fermentation in the fridge will help make it more palatable in a week or two.
Thanks so much for all you do.
Love,
Mary
Thanks for this video! I visited my naturopath earlier this week about some digestive issues and he said I have a congested liver. He gave me milk thistle and I’m taking large doses of that for three weeks, but I’ve been looking for foods that I can eat/avoid to help with the detox process. I looked through the Tonics section of “Nourishing Traditions” and saw that beet kvass is highly beneficial for the liver. I then remembered that you had a video of making the kvass. Even though I have access to the recipe, it’s so much more helpful to see it done, so THANKS! I appreciate it!
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I have seen recipes for fruit kvass with honey instead of salt in them, I was wondering if you could combine apples and beets to make kvass just a little bit sweeter without making the really sweet kind?
So I found a rather unconventional way to use the last dregs of beets kvass. I was looking at how bright fuschia it was, and decided to dip my finger tip in it and rub it on my cheek like a cheek stain. Totally worked! It gave just the slightest hint of color to my cheeks and looks like a perfectly natural rosy glow. My husband thinks I’m completely nutso, but I’m excited at having a new natural make-up product! I poured the rest into an empty glass spice container and stuck it back in the fridge. I’m sure since it’s fermented it will keep for a long time.
Sarah, I break out in hives with whey found in processed foods. Is the whey you are using the same thing? Is there something else I could use to replace whey? I really want to make this for me and my mom who right now UC hospital with liver cancer. She has cirrhosis of the live from diabetes type 2. Thanks, Susan
Am about to make my first batch of kvass – someone recommended it to me as I am pregnant with baby 4 (baby 3 will be 1 in December) and this pregnancy I’m having morning sickness and other digestive issues for the first time.
Might someone describe how it ought to look when it’s ready to go from the counter to the fridge? How do I know it’s getting “close” and not to let it sit out too much longer?
Thanks so much!
Pauline
Hi Sarah,
Not sure if you are using cheese or kefir whey or does it matter?
Thanks for the video.
Hi Sarah,
I am making both vegetarian Kimchi and fermented sauerkraut using whey. I usually save liquid portions of both products after they have fermented. Can I use sauerkraut/Kimchi liquid as a starter for beet kvass?
Also You said that you use 1/8th of the cup of whey. That is one ounce, i.e. 29 grams. I think you had much more than that in your jar. Thanks, Safet
I have made two good batches of beet kvass, but my third batch grew mold. The first batch I used some some whey that I strained from store bought yougurt. The second batch was just adding more water to the first. The third batch i used fresh beets, but i bought some local non-homoginized yougurt. I got alot more whey from this,(about 1 cup) and used it all in this batch. I also let it go for 4 days. Do you think it was the whey I used, or the amount, or the time that caused the mold to grow on top. Also the beet chunks were floating as well. Any input would be great. Oh!, i threw out my moldy batch, could I have skimmed it and still used it?
Thanks,
Jason
I skim and use mine.
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Thanks for the quick response. Too bad i threw it out. I just started a new batch today. Its only been a day and a half without it and my blood pressure has already gone up a bit. I will only fermenting this for 24hrs and try to ferment the next batch for 48. Thanks for you awesome site.
Can I use just salt or extra salt instead of whey? I used extra salt and it was VERY salty. Second round was better. Not sure if I’m getting any benefit since I didn’t use the whey. I know in other recipes if we don’t use whey, we can use more salt (good salt). If I use whey, does it have to be from fresh raw milk or can I use raw milk that’s been frozen first?
I am new to all this fermenting stuff and want to know what is the difference nutrition wise between fermented shredded beets and beet kvas. I just tried making fermented beet, after two day I noticed a mold growing on top. I skimmed it off (hate throwing things out) and let it stay a little longer to see if the mold would come back; it didn’t. So I figured, they are good to go. I put them in the fringe to cool off. Just want to make sure they are safe to eat.
Can a person use less salt? If I strain my clabbered milk is that liquid considered whey? Would using an airlock cover make a difference with preventing mold? I saw some neat looking jars for fermenting at pickl-it.com but the price was way more than we could afford for our large family. I did a search for using mason jars and found this site: http://gnowfglins.com/2010/07/16/diy-airlock-fruit-and-veggie-ferments/
I love your site Sarah! I wish the videos were downloadable though. I have dial-up at home and it takes forever. Being able to download them in town with high-speed and then watch them at home would be great.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Cindy
Hi Sarah,
I have been purchasing Beet Kvass from a local farmer and I have been enjoying it greatly, it always tastes very fermented, effervescent, it is not salty because the sour flavor it balance it out. After I saw your video I thought about making it myself, because the one from the farm I think is pretty expensive.
I followed your recipe and left it out for two days, but I don’t think it’s fermented enough, but after reading all the comments seems like that is the norm.
I too, do not enjoy it this way, but I really do when is fermented a little more.
I guess my question is, should I leave it out a little longer next time, or will it continue to ferment in the refrigerator if I wait long enough?
Thanks,
Anita
Hi! Thanks for all of the terrific videos, I am learning so much!
I’d like to ask a quick question about the beet kvass…I made some and drank it, then tried to refill the jar with filtered water and leave it on my counter again. I didn’t add whey or salt the second time (was I supposed to?). After 24 hours, there was a foamy cover on top of the liquid that swelled when I opened the jar. It didn’t smell or taste at all right so I dumped the whole thing. Can you tell me if adding whey and salt the second time is necessary? Or maybe I didn’t leave enough of the original liquid? Thanks so much!
Dear Sarah,
I am delighted to have stumbled upon your website and, having watched your video on making coconut kefir, I made a delicious batch (using freeze-dried kefir starter). I was wondering if the whey from the coconut milk kefir can be used for fermenting other foods–particularly in making kvass–or if it is absolutely necessary to use dairy whey for kvass. I have had issues with sodium and hope not to have to depend on salt for making the kvass.
Thanks! -Abby
My kvass has some kind of white bacteria clusters floating on the top of the liquid, and it smells, funky. Is this safe to drink. I am a little nervous. It has been out for 2 days, but I am in Canada so it is a little warmer here. I used some Redmonds real salt, and a little of the liguid from my lacto fermented kimchi (about 1/8 of a cup)
Can you used mountain rock salt, becuase i lived in Guatemala and there are no sea salt here.
Thanks
Tai
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