Are you looking for more ways to stay healthy, heal your gut, but not have to jump through tons of ‘hoops’ to do it?  I am constantly scouring for different ways to add fermented, probiotic foods into my diet so that what I’m eating does more than just fill my tummy when I’m hungry.  I want it to actually make whatever I eat or drink work to my benefit!  I’ve looked at a lot of recipes for kvass, and decided that an easy beet kvass probiotic drink is something that I could wrap my mind around and get it fixed in no time at all.

I think that there’s a love/hate relationship with beets …. you either love them whatever way they come (pickled, boiled, raw, you name it), or you make that ugly face your kids make when you give them something to eat that they think tastes like feet!  Thankfully, I have always enjoyed beets. Even if I didn’t, I’m the kind of person that will eat anything or gulp it down no matter what it tastes like because it’s ‘good for me’ (just ask my kids … they’ll confirm that statement!)  So when thinking about what kind of probiotic drink I can add to my families ‘repertoire’ of healthy foods, I wanted to check out beet kvass as an option.  My biggest issue was finding an easy beet kvass probiotic drink recipe that didn’t require a lot of ingredients or time to make.

There’s so much information available about beet kvass, and a host of recipes.  Some include adding whey, but we’re dairy free, so that wasn’t going to work for us.  Others doctor it up with other things like cabbage or raisins, but that didn’t necessarily excite me and I knew that would be a harder sell for my family.  I’ve scoured the information, and thought I’d share what I’ve learned so that you understand a little bit of why I am encouraging anyone in my family or anywhere else for that matter, to add an easy beet kvass probiotic drink to their drink options in their refrigerator.

Probiotics were lost as a staple in the American diet with the introduction of refrigeration and modern agriculture, when fermenting/salting foods to keep them from spoiling became no longer necessary.  Sadly, because of this change in our food storage and preparation habits, lack of probiotics in our diets has led to digestive disorders, candida, autoimmune problems and more frequent illnesses in general.

Beet kvass could be an acquired taste for many people, but those who enjoy it (including me) will talk about its health properties and energizing effects as one of its main benefits.  The fermentation process in beet kvass enhances the already strong nutritional profile of raw beets.  It increases the food enzyme levels as well as B vitamins (particularly folate), and is full of iron, selenium, magnesium, potassium and more.  Fermenting the beets uses the beneficial bacteria that support the immune and digestive systems, improves health at the cellular level, and is great for quenching thirst.

The deep cleansing tonic that beet kvass provides comes from the antioxident properties of beets are due to their rich, deep color.  The mechanisms behind the color not only creates red blood cells, but aids in eliminating inflammation in the body which is a known contributor to things like cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and a host of other auto-immune diseases.  Beets kvass aids in digestion, is full of nutrients, alkalizes the blood as an amazing blood tonic, cleans the liver and gallbladder, and has been used as a treatment for kindney stones.

The Russians knew about the benefits of kvass and used it to protect against infectious diseases and actually considered it to be safer than drinking water.  Reports say that most Ukranian homes have beet kvass and that it is used regularly for soups and vinaigrettes in their every day cooking.

Because of all of these reasons, I think it’s a great idea to consider making this easy beet kvass probiotic drink that you can cater to your particular taste and can take just a few days to do it with simple ingredients.

 

Easy Beet Kvass Probiotic Drink

 

Ingredients:

• 1 Quart Mason Jar  (sterilized)
• 2 Medium Size Organic Beets
• 1 – 2 tsp. Celtic Sea Salt
• Distilled Water

 

Instructions:

1. Wash beets gently to remove all dirt.  Leave the skin on to preserve the delicate beneficial bacteria which will aid in fermentation.
2. Cut off greens (enjoy those in a salad!).
3. Dice beets into 1/4″ – 1/2″ size pieces.
4. Fill jar with beets, leaving about 1″ head space from the top.
5. Add sea salt.
6. Fill jar with water until beets are covered.  Make sure you still have some head space from the top to leave room for the fermentation process.
7. Place the lid on the mason jar tightly to allow for proper fermentation.
8. Set jar in an area out of direct sunlight and allow it to ferment for about one week.

 

Once your beet kvass has developed to a flavor that you like, you can drain/funnel the juice into another jar and place it in the refrigerator.  A sip each day to get started and allow your palate to adjust and ‘wake up’ to the new found flavor can still work wonders.  You’ll be surprised how much you come to appreciate the taste as well as how you feel after adding it to your diet!

**NOTE**

I preserve a little bit of the ‘starter’ juice from my first batch of kvass and leave the diced beets in to add another round of water and salt for my second batch.  This allows you to get on a rotation with your beet kvass to always have some available.  After the second batch, you can start all over fresh again if you so desire.

 

If you wish to share this recipe, please provide the link back to this recipe here on my website wherever you may share it. If you make changes to the recipe, I ask that you rewrite the recipe in your own words as well as provide a link back to this recipe giving credit as the original recipe that you adapted from. Thank you for your integrity and support! (Plus, I would love to know what changes you make in your own creativity and flavor palates so that we can all benefit from each other!)