Beet Kvass that Actually Tastes Good!

Have you been making Beet Kvass wrong? Probably I'd bet! You've probably made the salty version that's often used for borscht. Check out this original Eastern European recipe (Свекольный квас), sweet and delicious. Save yourself from the salt and make Sweet Beet Kvass.
Beet Kvass is a Russian lacto-fermented probiotic drink made with beets, which people drink for their health. Full of nutrients and vitamins, and a great detox elixir! It's sweet and delicious, incredibly healthy too.
Click for more fermenting information in recipe: petersfoodadventures.com/beet...
#kvass #beetkvass #квас

[@michaeltres]

I wish I could give this a thousand thumbs up. I have never tasted salt in Russian kvass, but every video on KZbin includes it. I know salt is part of some other traditional cuisines, but not Russian. THANK YOU!!

[@petersfoodadventures]

Wow, thank you! I am convinced that salty beet kvass is used for making borscht - not for drinking. But the salty kvass drinkers would disagree and that's ok. :-) Glad I can add an alternative.

[@hai.1820]

Hey search for "şalgam suyu"... another turkish recipe for a similar drink

[@kerrysly1]

in the former Soviet Union (Tajikistan) Kvass was sold around markets and on street corners and was a sweet drink, never salty. Maybe they added just a bit of salt for punch. I was really confused when I saw on other channels people saying in one breath the words 'Russian, kvass and salty'. Folks, I'm telling you kvass is not really salty. I lived in Tajikistan for many years so I know. Cheers. and there are different types as well made will beets, pears and other fruits. Adding sugar helps to bulk it up with extra water so it goes further but with diminished fruit or beet taste.

[@big1boston]

Thanks for the recipe!!!

[@sandrabennett3757]

Made your recipe , bottle it up today. I’m super happy with the kvass results! Thank you 🥃

[@petersfoodadventures]

Great to hear! Enjoy!! ❤️

[@mariuszwolpiuk]

Try this. You should add additionally: garlic, black pepper and bay leafs. To start the fermentation you should add a tbs of kvas from fermented sauerkraut. You should keep this in the jar for 6-7 days. After that you can consume the juice. This is an advice form an Eastern European. Try it. You will see the difference. Additionally: for 1kg beets use app 1 liter of salty water (1 tbs of salt for 1 liter of water).

[@annakatrina448]

Absolutely add salt. The salt adds depth of flavor and complexity. You'd never cook or eat beets without salt, so why would you make Kvass without it?

[@gracecotton9819]

@@annakatrina448 Would you add some sugar as well?

[@anterpants]

@@annakatrina448 Yep, I made the sugar kvass and I didn't like it much until I added salt.

[@helenagreenpine1496]

Thank you!!!!

[@sudhirchandra9790]

Nice recipe Love you Peter 😘

[@user-wi3uh3mz1t]

I made this and everyone loved it!

[@Lamexicanaentailandia]

This is the original recipe I found along time ago. Love it thanks.

[@Lamexicanaentailandia]

I heard that the rye bread provides the prebiotic or yeast to start the kvass . Thanks for the recipe

[@calamityjane6884]

Mmmmmmm, I love beets. This looks so good

[@petersfoodadventures]

yeah, me too! Can't "beet" a homemade kvass!

[@annakatrina448]

It IS a thing. Part of what's wonderful about Kvass is the salty-sweet and complex tanginess that makes it so UMAMI. Ukranian Kvass absolutely has salt, as does Kvass from other parts of central and Eastern Europe. Glad you have a recipe you love, but many Kvass makers wouldn't think of making it without salt. Something would defintely be missing without the salt.

[@HelenEk7]

Never heard of this, but will try it out. Greetings from Norway. :)

[@mavispowell180]

Hi mr Russian 😅 I made your kvass and I agree the comment before thumbs up to the thousands. I did not put the rye in but it came out very good. I say it's the boom. I am new to making this but I choose this over the salt kvass. Thanks

[@petersfoodadventures]

So happy you enjoyed it, glad it's a hit! 👍

[@drrahilakurdi5943]

Good ❤

[@HulkSmash315]

I'm getting that white yeast formation on top daily. I'm scooping it out as you said. Going to drink it after day 5.

[@gsdbellaoneone9325]

I gently swirl my jars of kvass every day & that seems to stop that white stuff forming on the top.

[@Bruh4reel]

sugar kvas would lean toward yeast creating alcohol, I'd guess. With salt, lactobacillis is what produces the fermentation. These would create 2 very different things. The one with salt would be good for gut bacteria. I'm not sure on the sugar one, but it'd be more like wine I guess.

[@lespaul4890]

Kombucha is made with sugar, no salt. You can ferment with salt like in Sourkraut or with sugar

[@bluewolf4915]

Good video. Could I freeze cubes to use as a starter?

[@rommelangus]

Glad I found a bear that makes beet kvass right 😊😊🐻

[@donnastormer9652]

Thanks for this recipe. I'll give it a try. Have you ever tried doing the second ferment on it to get it to be fizzy?

[@rachelfernandez1949]

I am Indian and we make this too, we call it Beet Kanji tho!!!!

[@miladejong5831]

@Rachel but do you use sugar or salt? Greetings from Amsterdam

[@strawberryhellcat4738]

Wow, this is nearly exactly how I make beet kvass too! Just finished taking another gallon of 2nd go around sweet kvass to the downstairs room where my fermentations live. The first pour is in the freezer for later, because I still have a 5 gallon bucket of beets left to process! Got curious one day: I love beet kvass, and honey on cooked beets. I also make cider, wine, and mead. My first batch of beet kvass mead is nearly a month old, and already tasting amazing. Simply substituted kvass for the water portion of a basic sweet mead. I imagine after a year of fermentation it will be sublime.

[@ermac102]

As a fellow meader i would have to try this!

[@gsdbellaoneone9325]

Can you tell me please, does the beet kvass & sugar mix become alcohol after a few days?

[@sarnijasarnija974]

Strawberry Hellcat@ Hi, Good day to you. Need to know if you see any health benefits by consuming this drink? I'm from Malaysia & I'm anaemic so curious to know if it helps to increase our haemoglobin level. Besides, its new to me. Please share if you have any idea on the health part. Thank you very much😊✌️

[@l.l.2463]

Looks great! Bummer that I'm diabetic and can't do the sugar. The recipe I have used in the past says the salt can be reduced or omitted if whey is used. I've done it both ways and prefer the less salty version, but still prefer some salt. The theory is that all those things - sugar, salt or whey will give the good bacteria a head start on the other kind that you don't want. I don't do bread either, but I'm going to try adding the rye bread and see what that does. I used to LOVE a good, crusty rye bread! And now I'm hungry. And thirsty.😂

[@fredgillis591]

The organisms eat the sugar so in small amounts should not be as harmful as you suggest

[@ziadbaroudi8272]

Hi Peter, Thanks for the recipe. I would like to try it and I was wondering: What's the volume of the jar that you used?

[@petersfoodadventures]

a 3 litre glass jar is what I used

[@letsrelaxwithtexts2114]

If you out a pinch of bread yeast it will ferment in 24 hours right?

[@kagitsune]

We love a king who's making health foods while being wary of the misinformation! Will try this version first!

[@herefobeer]

I buy the prepared bottles in Delhi, and it doesn't have salt. But are we not supposed to add yeast to in the preparation or did I miss something? Also, try this - use Kvass as base for Kashmiri Kahav. Or, add worm salt in a pich. Absolutely refreshing.

[@petersfoodadventures]

no yeast required, this one naturally ferments which gives healthy probiotics, without yeast.

[@TaiganTundra]

It's been 2 days and there's no sign of fermentation, no bubbles, foam or anything. I used dark syrup instead of regular sugar.

[@a.m.215]

Have you tried it without rye bread? would it work? Is it better to peel the beet or leave it?

[@petersfoodadventures]

yes, can totally omit the rye bread, it was just something my grandpa did, but not necessary for the kvass. I always peel the beets.

[@BrennaCorbit]

We tried this recipe and it molded pretty badly. I mean that white fuzzy kind of mold. We have been making bread kvass with much success. We use yeast for that. But I notice beet kvass recipes don't use yeast. We started the beat kvass in the kitchen, but the windows were closed because of the AC running. For five days it seems to have done nothing, so we set it outside covered from light with a towel and in two days it had a lot of that fuzzy mold attached to the surface, so we threw it away. When we make bread kvass with yeast we notice the yeast reacting quite well to the sugar. The beet kvass just sat there. What are we doing wrong? Thank you.

[@MrDroenix]

It's interesting there was no noticeable bubbling, I followed Petey's instructions and had bubbling in less than 24 hours. (I also used some Beet Kvass liquid from another fermenting batch using the salt method). What I did to start my fermentation of the saltier Beet Kvass was using some juice from a Beet/Cabbage/Carrot store-bought sauerkraut that has active probiotics (found it at Walmart). Perhaps that will help start the fermentation process for Petey's method.

[@meiwing12]

Can you please make kholodets

[@petersfoodadventures]

yes, I have a recipe that I hope to share this year 👍🏻

[@retribution999]

Not sure about adding sugar, it sounds unhealthy. Perhaps some honey. I always ferment with salt.

[@skylerswan9030]

Thank you for the recipe...just one question, when do you remove the rye bread? Do you keep it till the end? Thanks

[@petersfoodadventures]

You can skip the rye bread completely, it's just something I saw my grandfather do when he made it. But yes, it stays til the end when you strain it all, or you can remove it at any time (but it can fall apart).

[@chitsevermag301]

Hey Peter, thanks for the video. I would be worried that without bread, which contains yeast, the fermentation would not start. Am I wrong?

[@petersfoodadventures]

the lactofermentation still kicks in, similar to how you ferment sauerkraut. :-)

[@gianlucacavallo5418]

@@petersfoodadventures that's interesting, because usually for vegetables fermentation people use salt. Thanks.

[@caretakerfochr3834]

@@chitsevermag301 Mate, any yeast that the bread contains is rendered dead, dead, dead by baking.

[@getprobed838]

you can find beet sugar made from sugar beets...just an fyi i think its called german amber rock sugar.....

[@rabnesbit8287]

Hello. Couple of questions. (i) Can this be made fizzy by second fermentation, and if so how many days for the second fermentation. (ii) Can the beets be eaten afterwards, or has to be thrown away? Thanks

[@petersfoodadventures]

yes, you can use it again to make a second fermentation and it should be fizzy. With regards to the beets, we just gave them to the chickens afterwards, but you can eat them if you like.

[@rabnesbit8287]

@@petersfoodadventures Many thanks for the reply. What I meant by second fermentation is can you leave the liquid after you have separated from the beets in a bottle/container for a few more days to continue fermenting, like in kombucha or tepache? Thanks

[@petersfoodadventures]

oh right, sorry! 👍🏻 Traditionally, we've never done a second ferment on kvass, as its' ready to go when it's drained and put in the fridge. I don't see why you couldn't though. Please let me know how it went, if you do it!

[@rabnesbit8287]

@@petersfoodadventures Hi. Thanks for your reply. I just tried it, and it does appear to be a good idea. By the second day, some white stuff were forming on top, and there did not appear to be any carbonation.

[@rufia75]

Hi Peter. Typically fermented vegetables are done in a salt water brine because it helps to neutralize pathogens and allow time for our good bacteria (e.g. lactobacillus) to populate the food and liquid, create an acidic environment, and keep it safe from bad bacteria (e.g. botulism, etc). This would very likely be part of the reason why there is salty beet fermentation recipes and why it's common. Because that's how other vegetables are often done. That being said, I've not heard of this before where you're using sugar instead, though it sounds like it has been practiced for many years in Russia and possibly other countries, by many people. Do you happen to have any research or 'official' sources that verify that this food preparation method is safe? I wonder what would be the rate of failure compared with fermenting this way vs fermenting with a salt brine.

[@petersfoodadventures]

Hi Rufia, Thanks so much for your comment. I don't have any official anything about this method. I'm just a home cook. This video is just informational only about how I make Beet Kvass based on my grandfather's recipe, which seems to be totally different from many western recipes. Clearly salty beet kvass does exist, but was a shock to me when I found out about the salt. I understand the salt thing and fermenting, as I ferment cabbage and the like. Salty fermentation allows for extended preservation of foods as I understand it. Sweet fermentation has a much shorter shelf life. It's usually gone within the week for me. As for salt-free cultures and fermented foods, my mind goes to Kefir, cultured yogurts, Kombucha, and various fermented fruit Kvass. There can be risk if anyone ferments food, even with salt, as there are many variables that can make any recipe spoil (temperature or sterilization of containers to name a few). Great questions you're asking, but I don't have any info. Is there any 'official' info that says it's not safe? I suppose anything can be found on the internet these days. However, low salt or no salt fermentation does exist, but must not be for everyone. If in doubt throw it out, but as I mentioned, this is just informational as to how we make Kvass 😊 As to the failure rate? No idea, I've never had it fail, and we've been here for generations but I'm sure it happens. There aren't many salty drinks out there, majority of drinks are sweet (which makes sense for Kvass too). After this long winded reply, in this risk averse culture, my official response is for people not to make this recipe, but to look at it as an informational video only.

[@sheilanc1]

@@petersfoodadventures I have been looking this up most do call for salt. But I do ferments with sugar all the time I still have fermented raspberries in a jar in my fridge that I use for making salad dressing it's been there a year still fine. No mold. thanks for the video.

[@zofiazycki5049]

@@sheilanc1 Hi - how do you ferment the raspberries -something similar to the beets??

[@katlynkang15]

@zofia zycki I am korean and we make ferment with sugar all the time. As you know kimchi is done with salt but we use sugar to make enzyme drinks (probiotic drinks too with fruit and sugar. We make blueberry, raspberry, lemon, and all fruits whatever you like. I use organic cane sugar with fruit 1:1 ratio. I weigh the fruit and sugar separately. Fruits must be dried of all water. And we close off the lid. Must be anaerobic. No oxygen. We start tasting it from few days few weeks but also depends on your tenperature.. can be sooner or later if winter. Then if we like the taste we mix with water and drink or you can take shots. Don't wait till it turns to alcohol or wait too long for it to be vinegar. Raspberry won't get much juice. Pineapple on the other hand can produce a lot of juice. Sugar must cover all fruits is key and once it starts to melt the fruit must be under the juice. White mold isn't harmful but colored ones are bad. Some times if you open too much or not submerged it can cause white mold I usually scape it right off. This is informational purpose. You can look up videos on KZbin. There are quite a few out there but they are mostly in korean. Oh once you like the taste we strain the fruits out then you can store in fridge and make the fruits into jam.. Mix in yogurt etc. Try looking up 과일청 만들기.

[@707AandA]

can i substitue carrots and make carrot kvass?

[@petersfoodadventures]

interesting - have never heard of that before. Unsure, if you try it, please let us know!

[@gracecotton9819]

Thank you for this video. Is this a small tablespoon, or perhaps a dessert spoon? Does the sugar get eaten up during the fermentation, like the milk sugar in kefir does?

[@petersfoodadventures]

just a regular teaspoon. I dont think it does like Kefir, and beets have natural sweetness as well. :-)

[@volveras09]

Followed your recipe and noticed the kvass is thick, like a gel. Any ideas what went wrong? Smells fine and looks good but pouring is odd.

[@petersfoodadventures]

hmm not sure?

[@zuwana]

Same thing with mine... Kept for 7 days and it's become thick mucasy... Taste is nice though, bit sour and refreshing. But a bit scared to drink it 😅

[@FrankDrebin905]

Drink 50-100 ml daily. you will always be healthy

[@ladybugannie1]

Hi Peter, Is the beet kvass supposed to be bubbly? I made some it taste good but no bubbles. Thank you for your videos I enjoy them and learning about Russian food.

[@petersfoodadventures]

no really, it's not fizzy like 7-Up. You will get some foam at the top sometimes, but overall not bubbly

[@ladybugannie1]

Hi Peters, Thank you. Beet Kvass made the way you make has become a favorite drink for me. Thank you for your recipes.🙂@@petersfoodadventures

[@SuperJV4x]

what about raw honey instead of sugar?

[@petersfoodadventures]

yes, that should be fine 👍

[@milochops]

A Tbsp is Dessert Spoon to us Brits, yes?

[@petersfoodadventures]

its 15ml, maybe a pinch more than a dessert spoon

[@bigtastyspb3205]

Я не знаю что это, но точно не квас .

[@chrisfarley6662]

Would the used beats be good, if cooked in a dish? Also, I love that you add the rye bread, I can't wrap my head around Kvass without rye bread.

[@petersfoodadventures]

No, I wouldn't use them again. The color of the beets leeches out into the kvass, so they aren't as bright. I used to give them to the chickens!

[@star1juice]

Бро это не квас, в России такое не готовят.🤔

[@petersfoodadventures]

Кто это сказал? Быстрый поиск свекольного кваса выдал множество рецептов. Есть много видов кваса, не все делаются с хлебом. В России такое готовят, посмотри, www.edimdoma.ru/retsepty/73589-svekolnyy-kvas www.izyskon.com/napitki/kvas/svekolnyj.html www.tvcook.ru/recipes/kvas/svekolnyy-kvas.html chudo-povar.com/svekolnyj-kvas-recept-svekolnogo-kvasa-s-foto.html а я вот так готовлю, petersfoodadventures.com/beet-kvass/

[@JuanMartinez-ie9et]

Polish people use salt all the time to ferment foods. Why drink this healthy drink if you're adding sugar? It defeats the purpose.

[@Jesusisnumberone5740]

The bacteria eats the sugar, after 5 days itll definetly be waaaaaaay less sugar content

[@rrrrrrrrr1774]

Your recipe looks good and I will try it but I don't like that you go on and on about the salt being "made up." My grandmother is Polish and made kvass with salt. I haven't seen many kvass recipes without salt. Your version of Russian kvass may not have salt, but a lot do, so maybe you should specify that you are making your style of Russian kvass that is salt-less, not that kvass with salt is "made up." I mean honestly wtf isn't made up anyways. You can't sit there and say your way of making kvass is THE way of making kvass.

[@petersfoodadventures]

Thanks for the comment - I guess I disagree that salty kvass should be drunk as a drink. Salty Kvass does exist, but it should be used for soups, not as refreshing drinks. When was the last time you went to the store and bought a salty drink in the cooler? They are all sweet. Even tomato juice or V8 isn’t nearly as salty as many kvasses are. A health tonic that is high in sodium doesn’t make sense. It’s incorrect use of Kvass in my opinion, that has been set as the standard. I think sweet Kvass is how it is meant to be enjoyed, not salty. Save that for soups.