BEET KVASS

Fermenting: Room temperature 2-14 days
Storage: Refrigerator 3-4 weeks
Yield: 5-6 cups per batch
      
Kvass is a traditional probiotic drink made by fermenting bread scraps. Beet kvass is made using fresh beetroot, starter, salt and water. Beet kvass is salty, earthy, can be sweet or sour and flavoured by adding extra ingredients.
   
Ingredients:
2-4 beetroot
2-3 garlic cloves (optional)
1/4 cup whey or brine (optional, see tips)
2 teaspoons salt (4 teaspoons if no whey is added)
6-8 cups filtered water
5-6 teaspoons sugar (optional)
   
Method:

1. Wash beetroot and peel. Dice into 1cm (1/2 inch) cubes and place into a 2 litre (half-gallon) Mason jar fitted with an airlock, or use a Fido jar, or a ceramic crock. 
2. Add garlic, whey and salt to the jar. Add filtered (room temperature) water to 2.5cm (1 inch) from the rim. Add airlock to Mason jar.
3. Culture (ferment) at room temperature for 2-7 days, up to 14 days. Refrigerate once desired flavour is achieved.
4. Strain kvass into bottles and refrigerate to enjoy immediately (consume within 3-4 weeks). Beetroot can be re-used for a second, third or fourth batch of beet kvass – skip the whey and add 1/4 cup kvass liquid to ferment the next batch quicker.
5. Carbonate beet kvass by adding 1 teaspoon sugar into 1 cup kvass (placed into airtight bottles) and fermenting for a further 2-3 days before refrigeration.
6. Flavour develops further during refrigeration.
7. Enjoy!

    
TIPS:

• Beetroot get an unpleasant, over-fermented flavour if grated into kvass, so keep them diced or sliced;
• You can use different coloured beets – however only the red beets contain betacyanin (see health benefits);
• Collect whey from yoghurt, milk kefir or clabbered milk;
• Powdered kefir starter can also be used to make beet kvass;
• Or use brine from sauerkraut or kimchi (not water kefir or kombucha because they make a yeasty kvass);
• Fido Jars are hinged jars that will need to be “burped” daily to release excess gases;
• Airlocks (or a solid lid) prevent mould and kahm yeast on the surface of the kvass.

 
FLAVOUR IDEAS:

• Add a diced apple (peeled, cored);
• Add 1 turnip to 3 beets;
• Add 1/2 a shallot (peeled, sliced);
• Add garlic, ginger or horseradish;
• Add seeds i.e. caraway, dill, 
• Add fresh herbs i.e. dill, parsley, tarragon, basil, chives, coriander or mint;
• Add black or white pepper;
• Add spices i.e. cinnamon, allspice or cardamom;
• Honey;
• Citrus juice and/or zest i.e. orange, lemon;
• Add dried fruit;
• Honey Dijon mustard;
• Add sugar (especially if carbonating).

   
SERVING IDEAS:

• Serve beet kvass over ice, topped up with mineral water to taste;
• Mix equal parts beet kvass with ginger beer;
• Mix equal parts beet kvass with pomegranate juice;
• Just like all fermented foods, begin with a few spoons of kvass, increasing amounts every few days as your body adjusts – increase to two servings (2 x 1/4 cup kvass) daily;
• Colour boiled eggs with beet kvass;
• Add kvass to borscht, soups, vinaigrettes and sauces.
• Beet Kvass Dip: blend leftover beetroot with carrot and microwave until cooked, blend with chickpeas and add ground cumin, salt, pepper, Greek-style yoghurt and sour cream to taste. 

   
BEET KVASS HEALTH BENEFITS:
Beet kvass is a probiotic food, supporting immunity by increasing white blood cells and aiding the body’s digestive system by being high in fibre, manganese, potassium and lactobacilli. Beets contain a high level of food enzymes and B vitamins (especially folate) and have been used as a liver cleanser. Beets are a rich source of glutamine, an amino acid that benefits the intestinal tract. Consuming beets may also assist treatment for chronic fatigue, allergies, digestive problems, chemical sensitivities and may reduce blood pressure. 

Canning Inspiration: Beets (Beetroot)

Grown lots of beets, purchased them at a great price or want to try a new canning dish this season? Here is a list of flavours and ideas to inspire your next canning creation!
Please note: all of these dishes must be processed in a canner before storage - some are for boiling water canning (ie chutney, pickles and relish), whilst others MUST be pressure canned (ie beets in water). Ensure you use one of our recipes (or a recipe from a reliable source such as NCHFP).
You can check out our recipe page HERE.
Happy canning!
   
Flavour partner/s:

• apples
• balsamic vinegar
• basil
• black pepper
• brown onions
• brown sugar
• caraway seeds
• chives + tarragon + orange
• cider vinegar
• dill
• garlic
• honey
• honey + tarragon
• horseradish
• lemon
• mint
• mustard
• red onions
• salt
• shallots
• tarragon
• white onions
• white pepper
• white sugar

    
Whole / Quartered / Sliced / Diced:

• Spicy pickled beets
• Sweet pickled beets
• Pickled baby beets, whole
• Pickled baby beets, quartered (great in salads)
• Pickled baby beets, sliced
• Pickled beets, quartered
• Pickled beets, sliced
• Pickled beets, diced

  
Pickles, Relishes & Chutneys

• Beetroot chutney (serve with a salty cheese ie ricotta)
• Beetroot relish
• Caramelised beetroot red onion relish

  
Other:

• Dehydrated beetroot slices
• Pressure canned baby beets
• Pressure canned beets

    
Have another idea for preserving beetroot?
Send them through the contact form in the main menu :)

Beetroot Sweet Pepper Relish

Processing:
Boiling Water Canner

15mins (half-pint)

20 mins (pint)

Storage:

12 months +

Yield: 

7 x cups per batch

             

A delicious relish packed with beetroot, sweet red peppers, red onion, raw sugar and cider vinegar .... enjoy on crackers with ricotta and a spoonful of this yummy relish on top!

     

Ingredients:

2 pounds (900g) fresh beetroot
water

2 cups finely diced red onion

4 cups finely diced sweet red peppers (capsicum)

2 cups apple cider vinegar (5% acidity)

1 cup raw sugar

3 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons lemon juice (bottled or fresh)

   

Prepare beetroot.

Wash beetroot, scrubbing gently to remove dirt. Drain. Place into a pan and cover with fresh water. Bring to a boil then boil for 20-30 minutes (depending on their size) until cooked. While they boil you can prepare the other ingredients. Once cooked, the beetroot will be easy to cut (but still hold their shape). Drain and leave to cool until cool enough to handle. Cut away both ends and cut away skin then finely dice the beetroot.

  

Prepare red onion and sweet peppers.

Finely dice and measure the red onions and sweet red peppers and place into a large saucepan ready for use. Also measure the vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper into the pan.

    

Prepare jars.

Prepare jars by covering in water and boiling for 10 minutes.

      

Add finely diced beetroot into the pot with the other ingredients.

Now all of the ingredients are in the pan (except for the lemon juice), bring to a boil and then simmer uncovered for 20 minutes until the liquid has mostly evaporated, concentrating the flavour of the relish. Taste and add extra salt and pepper if required. Stir in the lemon juice at the end and taste to check flavours.

        

Prepare lids.

While the relish is simmering, place the lids into a pan of previously boiling water. Do not simmer or boil, just let the lids heat through in the few minutes while you make the preserve and then fill the jars, removing the lids from the water when you are ready to place them onto the jars to seal.

       

Ladle hot relish into hot jars.

Immediately spoon hot relish into hot jars, leaving a 1/2 inch (1cm) headspace. Remove bubbles, wipe rims and seal.

       

Boiling water canner processing.

Process in boiling water bath canner for 15 minutes (half-pints) or 20 minutes (pints). Start the timer once the water returns to a full boil. When the time is up, turn the heat off and rest the jars in the water for 5 minutes before placing onto a towel-covered bench overnight to cool.

       

Next day: check for seals.

Check jars have sealed before labelling and storing in a cool, dry and dark place for up to 12 months. Jar lids should not flex up nor down when pressed. If jars have not sealed by the next day, refrigerate and use within 6 weeks - or bring back to a boil and process in hot jars with new lids.

NOTES:

• Vinegar must have an acidity of 5% or higher (check label before use to confirm)
• You can use pickling (or canning) salt instead of kosher salt
• Serve this relish with a salty cheese ie ricotta or camembert
• A half-pint jar is approximately 1-cup capacity, a pint jar is approximately 2-cup capacity

         

For more photos of this recipe, visit HERE

  

 

PICKLED BEETROOT

Whole, sliced, wedges or diced. Pickled beetroot are ready to eat from the jar – and certainly a favourite in our household! Beetroot are very easy to pickle – and perfect for preserving your homegrown produce when they’re all harvested at once. Enjoy pickled beetroot hot or cold: add them to burgers and sandwiches, a salad or made into dip.

  

Ingredients for  PICKLED BEETROOT
	Yield: around 8 cups	Yield: around 16 cups
Beetroot (small to medium size)	1.5kg	3kg
Apple Cider Vinegar (5% acidity)	2 cups	4 cups
Onions (optional)	250g	500g
Water (plus extra for cooking)	1 cup	2 cups
Sugar (optional)	1 cup	2 cups
Salt, finely ground (no additives)	3/4 teaspoon	1 1/2 teaspoons
Cinnamon Sticks	1	2
Cloves, Whole	1/2 teaspoon	1        teaspoon

  

METHOD:

1.  Wash jars in hot soapy water. Pre-heat the clean jars by covering them in water and boiling for 10 minutes in a large pot - or use your dishwasher rinse cycle.

2.  Trim beetroot ends short by leaving a centimetre or two of stems and roots attached to prevent colour loss. Sort into sizes for cooking.

3.  Cover beetroot with some water in a pan and boil until just tender (20-30 minutes depending on size). Drain and discard cooking water. Cool to touch.

4.  Wearing gloves, discard stems, root ends and skins. Slice large and medium sized beetroot into 1cm thick rounds or cut into wedges (or dice) as desired. Baby beetroot can be left whole if you prefer. Peel and thinly slice onions (if using).

5.  Measure cinnamon and cloves into a muslin spice bag. Place vinegar, water, sugar (if using), salt and spice bag into a pan and bring to a boil. Add prepared onions and beetroot. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove spice bag.

6.  Warm the lids in a bowl of boiled water, removing them when you are ready to place them onto the jars to seal.

7.  Tightly pack the cooked beetroot (and onions, if using) into the hot jars, to 1.5cm from the rim of the jars. Ladle hot vinegar mixture into the jars, to 1cm from the rim. Remove bubbles with a non-metal utensil. Check headspace is still 1cm then wipe rims and seal. 

8.  Submerge jars in a pot of boiling water as per the chart below, starting your timer when the water returns to a full boil. When the time is up, turn the heat off and rest jars in water for 5 minutes before placing onto a towel-covered bench overnight to cool.

9.  12-24 hours later: check jars have sealed before wiping down jars, labelling and storing in a cool, dry and dark place for up to 12 months. Pickled beetroot are best enjoyed after   3-6 weeks to allow the vinegar flavour to subside. Best enjoyed chilled.

  

Processing Time for  PICKLED BEETROOT  in a Boiling Water Canner
	Jar Size	Altitude ≤ 1,000 feet	Altitude 1,001 - 3,000 feet	Altitude 3,001 - 6,000 feet	Altitude ≥ 6,000 feet
Hot Pack	≤ 1 Litre (quarts)	30 minutes	35 minutes	40 minutes	45 minutes

 

FLAVOUR IDEAS:

Add a little of one (or more) of these ingredients to add flavour to your pickled beetroot!

o  Use brown, red or white onions in this recipe;

o   Replace 1/4 of the apple cider vinegar with balsamic vinegar;

o  Sugar is optional for this recipe – reduce or remove altogether if desired;

o  Use brown sugar instead of white sugar;

o  Honey can replace all or part of the sugar (to taste, less is required than sugar);

o  Add 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns or dill seed or yellow mustard seeds per 500ml jar (before filling);

o  Add 1/4 teaspoon caraway seeds per 500ml jar (before filling);

o  Add a sprig of fresh dill into each jar;

o  Add a peeled fresh garlic clove into each jar (before filling) – even better, add fresh dill or dill seed with the garlic clove.

 

SERVING IDEAS:

o  Aussie beef burger: beef hamburger with bacon, cheese, barbecue sauce, white onion, tomato, lettuce and pickled beetroot slices;

o  Refrigerator beetroot relish or chutney (chop up, mix with other ingredients & serve, refrigerate leftovers and use within a week or so);

o  Beetroot broccoli & rosemary focaccia;

o  Beetroot dip;

o  Beetroot falafel;

o  Beetroot & feta dip;

o  Beetroot & haloumi salad;

o  Beetroot hommus (delicious with lamb burgers, meatballs or seed crackers);

o  Beetroot & lentil dip;

o  Beetroot & lentil salad;

o  Beetroot, peach and walnut salad;

o  Beetroot tzatkiki;

o  Beetroot, walnut & goat cheese tart;

o  Kale & beetroot salad;

o  Lamb grilled with quinoa and beetroot salad

 

NOTES:

o  Spicy pickled beets = as per main recipe, no (or very small amount of) sugar is added;

o  Sweet pickled beets = as per main recipe, sugar included;

o  Baby beetroot can be pickled whole, quartered, sliced or diced;

o  Medium and large beetroot can be pickled quartered, sliced or diced;

o  If buying beetroot, choose small or medium sized vegetables for best flavour and texture;

o  Once you finish the jar of beetroot, use the pickling liquid to make some refrigerator pickled eggs.

     

Author: Megan Radaich        

Image credit: Megan Radaich        

Publication: Preserve the Harvest: Pickling Guide