Ahhhhhh… the thirst quenching satisfaction of Beet Kvass! Nothin’ quenches my thirst quite like Beet Kvass does. So what is this drink? And how have you lived so long without it?

Beet Kvass is a newcomer in my life (a very welcome newcomer.) I’ve had my favorite cookbook ‘Nourishing Traditions’ by Sally Fallon for over a year now and have been experimenting with recipe after recipe from this incredible selection. I came across the recipe for Beet Kvass one day and I was curious so I tried it out. De-lic-cious! So I made it again and again.. and again… how many times have I made it by now? Who knows? But Beets are now at the top of my list every time I go to town for groceries. I use beets for making batches of Beet Kvass and putting in soups. I bake beets (makes them so sweet and yummy) and boil beets (and cover them in butter and salt.)

(Don’t be alarmed if your urine is slightly pink the next day after eating beets, this is perfectly natural!)

I make Beet Kvass in 2 quart jugs. They don’t last that long. I could keep drinking and drinking…

This lacto-fermented drink is great for the digestion- “taken with meals it promotes thorough and easy digestion of food.”

Now everyone may not love the taste as much as I do. If you are one of these people, perhaps try it as a salad dressing or an addition to a sauce?

This recipe does call for whey. If you do not milk any animals at your house (there’s a good chance that’s the case) then scout out local sources. Whey is the by product of making cheese and it also forms naturally when you leave raw milk to it’s own devices. Find recipes for making whey in ‘Nourishing Traditions.’ (Whey needs to be raw and alive to work in the fermentation process.) Do you have any cheesemaker friends? Know a local farm that makes cheese or sells raw milk? Ask around. Where there is a will there is a whey!

And finally, I present to you- Beet Kvass!

(Page 610, ‘Nourishing Traditions’)

**BEET KVASS**

3 medium or 2 large organic beets (peeled and chopped up coarsely)

1/4 cup whey

1 tablespoon sea salt (I use himalayan crystal salt)

filtered water

“Directions: Place beets, whey and salt in a 2-quart glass container. Add filtered water to fill the container. Stir well and cover securely. Keep at room temperature for 2 days before tranferring to refrigerator.

When most of liquid has been drunk, you may fill up the container with water and keep at room temperature another 2 days. The resulting brew will be slightly less strong than the first. After the second brew, discard the beets (I feed them to the chickens) and start again. You may, however, reserve some of the liquid and use this as your inoculant instead of the whey. 

Note: Do not use grated beets in the preparation of beet tonic. When grated, beets exude too much juice resulting in too rapid fermentation that favors the production of alcohol rather than lactic acid. 

This drink is  valuable for its medicinal qualities and as a digestive aid. Beets are just loaded with nutrients. One 4-ounce glass morning and night, is an excellent blood tonic, promotes regularity, aids digestion, alkalizes the blood, cleanses the liver and is a good treatment  for kidney stones and other ailments. Beet Kvass may also be used in place of vinegar in salad dressings and as an addition to soups.”

Here are some quotes about beets from ‘Nourishing Traditions’ by Sally Fallon:

“No Ukrainian home was ever without its “beet kvass.” The kvass was always ready and handy when a pleasing, sour flavor had to be added to soups and vinaigrettes.”

“….Of particular value are lacto-fermented beets, which have a very favorable effect on disturbed cellular function. Many scientific studies have demonstrated that beets have a regenerating effect on the body.”

“Beets were developed by German gardeners in the Middle Ages. Long valued as a blood tonic, they are rich in calcium, iron, magnesium and phosphorus, as well as carotene, B complex and vitamin C.

Beets are so concentrated, nutritionally speaking, that many natural vitamins are derived from them. Dr. Bruce West recommends eating a few spoonfuls of beets per day- either raw, fermented or cooked- as a sure method of ingesting adequate vitamins and minerals on a regular basis and as a way of detoxifying the body as well. Beets and their tops contain special substances that protect the liver and stimulate the flow of bile. Beets and beet juice have been used successfully in cancer therapies.

Beets tops contain the same nutrients as the root with the added bonus of an exceptionally high carotenoid content. Always buy beets untrimmed as the leaves are a good indication of freshness, and make a habit of eating beet roots with their tops. The combination is excellent, nutritionally speaking, and the sweet beets are a good complement to their bitter greens.”

“Among the many minerals contained in the beet one must cite first of all iron and copper, important trace minerals, and also calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and sodium. Under certain types of agriculture, the amount of sugar in the red beet can be more than five percent. These natural sugars and the minerals that the beet contains are in balanced proportions and make of the beet an especially precious food. Beets help re-establish numerous functions of the body and a diet based on beets has an incontestable curative effect. Beets are permitted to diabetics and are used in cancer therapies. Because of it’s dark red color, the beet for a long time has been considered a blood restorative and a food that strengthens the entire organism. The beet should appear often on our tables.”

So there you have it!

Cheers!