Kvass. "Kv" is a sound most of our mouths don't know how to make, which is no excuse not to be putting the stuff that the word represents in your mouth, you know what I mean? Beet kvass is the liquid that results from fermenting beets in a salt brine, which is the way that you ferment all the other fermentable vegetables. The process, called lacto-fermentation, is the way they preserved food before the invention of refrigeration. It basically allows the bacteria already present on the vegetable to proliferate, preserving the vegetable and creating helpful enzymes and antibiotic substances. It also enhances the digestibility of the vegetable and increases its vitamin levels! It infuses the intestine with friendly bacteria that contribute to a healthier immune system and decreases digestive-related problems. I know someone who, when experiencing heartburn, takes a swig of some fermented vegetable brine, and it goes away immediately! (It's me.) Oh, and I forgot to mention that the "pickles" that result are delicious!
The method is so simple, and the preparation takes hardly any time at all. It is the WAITING that is the hard part, as these can take between 1 and two weeks depending on how warm it is.
Well, we're not getting any younger so let's get started!
First, make your brine by combining:
1 tablespoon salt (this salt is really great) and
2 cups filtered water (or water that has been sitting out for 12 or more hours, so the chlorine evaporates)
Heat the water and the salt until the salt completely dissolves. I make an 8-times batch (so it's 8 Tbsp of salt to 16 cups water) and keep a big jug of it on hand so that it is even easier next time I want to preserve some veggies.
Prepare your vegetables (please use organic, they have more nutrients) by cutting them free of their stems and cutting them into bite-size chunks. I left the radishes whole as they are already bite-sized.
Place them in their jars. Notice I used a much larger jar for the beets, so I could have plenty of the liquid to drink once they're done fermenting.
Some recipes for fermented vegetables call for the addition of whey. You can choose to use whey that you have made yourself (commercial stuff isn't quite the same), or you can leave it out. It acts as an innoculent by supplying lactobacilli and getting the fermentation process started a bit faster, but I have found that the process has worked for me just fine without it.
It's important that the vegetables are totally submerged, as exposure to oxygen will allow bad stuff to grow (MOLD). So you can put a clean glass on the top of the jars for that purpose. Cover the jars with a coffee filter or paper towel and a rubber band, and put them in a cabinet that usually stays closed, since the process works best in the dark.
Aaaand nine days later, here we are.
Take off the coffee filter, and see if there is any mold on the beets themselves. Often it will grow on whatever you were using to keep the veggies submerged, which is fine. If it looks a bit grey, even if it's on some of the top vegetables, you are probably fine just throwing away the pieces that have mold.
If there is blue or green mold, chances are your batch went bad. Just to confirm, give your beets a little sniff. If you are sickened by the idea of eating them because it just smells WRONG, trust your nose!! If you smell it and you think "hm, that smells kind of different but I'm not repulsed" then your "pickles" are most likely fine. Another warning sign that you should toss them and give it another go is if your veggies are soft and soggy. Ones that have been fermented properly will have a nice crispiness to them, that gets even crispier when they are cold. Again, trust your instincts. Don't eat them if the smell makes you gag. This mold is fine:
Your veggies and kvass will have a slightly salty, slightly tangy flavor to them, one that if unfamiliar might make the reptile part of your brain that just knows that something is healthy go, "MM!"
Strain the liquid from the beets, and put them in a jar that is the right size to hold them. Cover with enough liquid so they are submerged (they should be stored this way to stay fresh). Once you've eaten all the beets, you'll have that much more kvass to drink. Put the rest of your kvass in its own jar. Have a shot with every meal, and you will notice it working almost right away! Next time you have a bout of indigestion, have a little swig, or a couple chunks of beets, and they will work wonders. Use the kvass as the "vinegar" in salad dressings. Add some sparkling water for a refreshing spritzer (or some champagne?).
Cost-wise, this is a no-brainer. I used 3 organic beets ($2.50), 2 quarts water (free), and 4 Tbsp (aka 1/4 cup) of salt (maybe $1) and got 2 quarts (ish) of kvass + the fermented vegetables themselves. That makes my kvass approximately 1/2 a cent per ounce. If you see it sold in the stores, you'll pay somewhere in the ballpark of $4.99 for a 12-oz bottle, which for us only cost $0.66!
Oh, and let's not forget our radishes. They look different from when we started, as all their color leeched into the water. Not to worry! They are crispy and delicious too! What a great garnish for a salad!
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