Re: beet kvass

The following recipe comes from the cookbook called "Nourishing Traditions" By Sally Fallon with Mary Enig Ph. D. The whey that is called for here can be gotten by draining LIVE cultured yogurt through a very clean and tightly woven dish towel into some sort of a container. You will want to drain it overnight, and it is the clear yellowish stuff that will drain out by morning. You might want to do the draining in your refrigerator, but it I think it will drain out better at room temp. The solid white stuff left over is yogurt cheese, which you can use like you would cream cheese.

"Beet Kvass
Makes 2 quarts

3 medium or 2 large organic beets, peeled and chopped coarsely
¼ cup whey
1 Tbsp Sea Salt
filtered water

Beet kvass is an invaluable lacto-fermented tonic. It promotes regularity, aids digestion, alkalizes the blood, cleanses the liver and is a good treatment for kidney stones.

Place the 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 two days before transferring to the refrigerator.

When most of the liquid has been drunk, you may fill up the container with water and keep at room temperature for another two days. The resulting brew will be slightly less strong than the first. After the second brew, discard the beets 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 a too rapid fermentation that favors the production of alcohol rather than lactic acid. " Tweet