Beet Kvass

Lacto-fermented raw beetroot drink with deep mineral sweetness

Origin: Eastern Europe

From the journey of Beetroot.

Beet kvass is one of the oldest fermented preparations in Eastern European cooking: older, in the beet tradition, than vinegar pickling or the modern borscht. The word kvass (kvas in Russian and Ukrainian) simply means 'leaven' or 'soured drink': a category that includes bread kvass, fruit kvasses, and the beet version, all united by the same lacto-fermentation principle. Beet kvass was drunk as a tonic, used as a souring agent in cooking (it provided the original acidity in pre-tomato borscht), and valued in Ashkenazi Jewish households as a Passover preparation, since it contains no grain. The ferment is the simplest imaginable: raw beet, water, and salt are left at room temperature for two to four days until the liquid is pleasantly sour and deeply crimson. The resulting drink is earthy, mineral, faintly sweet, with a sourness that comes entirely from naturally occurring lactobacillus bacteria. It has a strong following in modern health food circles for its probiotic content.

Ingredients

450 g raw beetroot (about 2–3 medium), unpeeled, scrubbed clean and cut into rough 3cm cubes
1 litre filtered or non-chlorinated water (room temperature)
1 tsp fine sea salt (non-iodised)
2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed (optional)

Method

Place the cut beetroot into a clean 1.5-litre glass jar. Add the garlic if using.
Dissolve the salt in the water by stirring. Pour over the beetroot, ensuring it is submerged. Leave 3–4cm of headspace at the top of the jar.
Cover the jar with a piece of muslin or a loose lid: not an airtight seal, as the fermentation produces carbon dioxide that must escape. Leave at room temperature (18–22°C) for 3–4 days.
After 2 days, taste the liquid. It should be pleasantly sour, earthy, and mineral: not putrid. A white foam forming on the surface is normal and can be skimmed off. If the beet smells unpleasant or grows visible mould (as opposed to white surface foam), discard and start again.
When sufficiently sour to your taste, strain out the beet (which can be eaten or composted) and pour the kvass into a clean bottle. Refrigerate. Drink chilled in small glasses, or use as a souring agent in borscht in place of vinegar.

Notes

Beet kvass keeps refrigerated for up to 2 weeks, continuing to sour slowly. It can be used in cooking wherever a mild, earthy acidity is wanted: as a deglaze for roasting pans, stirred into salad dressings, or added to soups in place of vinegar. The leftover fermented beet cubes can be eaten as a condiment, dressed with a little oil and dill.

The Gastrographer

Name: Beet Kvass
Prep time: 10 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Eastern Europe
Ingredients: 450 g raw beetroot (about 2–3 medium), unpeeled, scrubbed clean and cut into rough 3cm cubes; 1 litre filtered or non-chlorinated water (room temperature); 1 tsp fine sea salt (non-iodised); 2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed (optional)

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control