Beet kvass

[Metasequoia]

How do you make beet kvass? I have the recipe in NT & WF, but I'm wondering what tastes best. Can I make it without whey?

Have you noticed any better health from it? I've read that it helps detoxify the liver & get it working well, thereby allowing it to rid the body of toxins.

[tanyalynn]

I've made the recipe from NT w/o whey several times. Um, it doesn't taste great, my DH says it tastes like swamp water in fact, but at times I have found it oddly appealing, in a strange way.

It's supposed to be supportive of liver health, I can say it doesn't seem to mobilize toxins, I'm assuming it just helps the liver function better. I (with my liver issues and toxic load issues) didn't feel weird, didn't feel anything, while drinking it. Which isn't to say I don't think it's helpful, it probably is, but more along the lines of milk thistle or, I think dandelion greens, which are supportive, but in a slower way.

[PaulaJoAnne]

Well, I just made my fist batch, and am trying to drink a bit now.
Even telling myself that "this is a tonic, its not supposed to taste good" is not helping.
I plan to mix it with some apple juice to get it down.
The reason I am drinking it, is because I discovered I am gluten intolerent, and I want to flush my liver.

One thing that my mother tried, and has had success at, is making a batch of kombucha, and then when it is ready, adding beet chunks to it, and letting it set for several more days.
The reason she is doing this, is because we are working on healing my dads liver, but he cannot tolerate whey right now.

[Cupressa]

I love beet kvass! I make it all the time. The trick is to let it ferment long enough, which is usually longer than Sally Fallon says in NT (where I am, at least). I never use whey anymore.

You can use salt or not, but I don't recommend using as much as she says. I use about 1 teaspoon for 1.5-2 quarts.

For starters I have used just salt, just lemon juice, salt and lemon juice, S. boulardii from a capsule, other probiotics, etc. I usually save about 1/2 cup of the fresh previous batch as starter for the new batch, but it needs to be at it's prime in order for the new batch to have the right microbial balance to ferment properly and taste good. If I let it go too long before starting a new batch I just use a different starter.

I haven't made the recipe in WF but I did make the pickled beets, and used the liquid from that as a starter beet kvass, and it turned out very well.

I usually stir it once a day while it's fermenting. It's done when it's not translucent anymore. It should be a very dark, brilliant magenta-purple. Slightly acidic and a hint of effervescence. It shouldn't taste like swamp water, or salty beet water.

I use it with meals to help digestion (HCl production/replacement). Sometimes I put a bit of ACV in it for an extra kick and to enhance the acidity.

[PeggyinNC]

I love beet kvass, too. And I only use half the salt Mama Fallon calls for, but use a bit more whey. I find it gets better with age, generally, although my last batch got strangely snotty feeling, and I had to throw it out. It had come close to freezing, but I dunno why it did that, but it was gross, maybe the type of beets. I need to make some more, but that experience kinda left me cold on the whole thing. But I really do like beet kvass! Maybe depends on if you like beets generally, which I do.

You probably could make it without whey, but I don't know if you would have to use more salt or if maybe another kind of innoculant? I have found beet kvass to be very good not just for detox, but also for my chronic anemia.

[Magelet]

Maybe it does depend on if you like beets or on something else. I am not a fan of the taste (though I haven't tried it enough to let it grow on me) and the beet kvass that I tried was rated by kvass drinkers as very very good, exactly ready. so clearly that wasn't the problem. I'm thinking I may try making some though, and just think this is a tonic this is a tonic, and chase it with juice or something flavorfull. We'll see if that works.

[PaulaJoAnne]

So, as I mentioned before, the 2 days of fermenting was, well...:Puke
But, after 3 days, :, I found it to be rather tasty!
Funny how that works!