Beet Kvass (Zakwas) - Fermented Beet Juice (for Red Borscht)

This portion of Fermented Beet Zakwas / Kvass is enough to make Red Borscht soup for a family of four. I encourage you to double, triple or quadruple this recipe and drink this sour beverage as often as possible.

📝 Ingredients

• 1-1.1 lb (500 g) beetroots, red
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 3 black peppercorns
• 3 all-spice berries
• 2 cups (500 ml) water, spring water or boiled, then cooled
• 1 tsp common salt (non-iodized!), optional

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Sterilise both the jar and the lid. Use...: Sterilise both the jar and the lid. Use a dishwasher (on the highest setting), or alternatively - wash them in warm, soapy water, then rinse thoroughly with boiling water.
2. 2Give the beets a scrub. If you’re using...: Give the beets a scrub. If you’re using conventionally grown beetroots, it’s best to peel them.
3. 3Slice the beets into chunks or rounds -...: Slice the beets into chunks or rounds - the exact size and shape doesn’t matter. Place the pieces tightly in a jar, squeezing garlic cloves and all the spices between the beets.
4. 4Finally, pour the water in, enough to cover...: Finally, pour the water in, enough to cover the beets fully. If you’re using salt, add a teaspoon of it, close the jar and shake it a few times.
5. 5Take a one more look at the jar....: Take a one more look at the jar. Are the beets fully submerged? If they stick out or float, they’ll get mouldy. If you have trouble with keeping them down, it might be worth investing in fermentation weights.
6. 6Screw the lid on loosely and leave the...: Screw the lid on loosely and leave the jar in a cupboard or on your worktop, at room temperature. It’s worth opening the jar every day to inspect and to release the gasses - we don’t want for the jar to explode.
7. 7After 4 days grab a clean spoon and...: After 4 days grab a clean spoon and have a little taste. Depending on how sour it is (and how sour you would like it to be), leave it for another 1 to 3 days (or more). I usually wait 2 weeks or even longer, but that’s me - a ferment-loving loony ????.
8. 8Beet kvass / zakwas is good when it...: Beet kvass / zakwas is good when it has a deep, slightly sour aroma and a dark color. That’s when it’s ready to be used in the Christmas borscht.