a truly magic pink drink: beet kvass

it has been too long since i’ve made this stuff and i forgot about the WONDERS it does for me.

just in KVASS HEAVEN.

i’ve posted the recipe + how to for this magical & beautiful gut healing, energizing drink before but since it’s been a while and it’s that time of year we all desperately need some GUT LOVE, i thought i'd post it again.

let me teach you a little bit about the pink magic...

what is it?

a traditional tonic that is a little sweet and a lotta salty. because it is lacto-fermented, it’s rich in minerals, B Vitamins, antioxidants, and probiotics.
folk medicine values beets and beet kvass for their liver cleansing properties and beet kvass is widely used in cancer therapy in Europe. anecdotal reports indicate that beet kvass is an excellent therapy for chronic fatigue, chemical sensitivities, allergies and digestive problems. valuable for its medicinal qualities and as a digestive aid.

beets are loaded with nutrients. one glass morning and night is an excellent blood tonic helping your body create healthy blood cells, promotes regularity, aids digestion, alkalizes the blood, cleanses the liver (& in turn, the skin!), and is a good treatment for kidney stones and other ailments. it's also GREAT for women with hormone imbalances.

along with drinking it plain on an empty stomach each morning, you could also add it to soups, salad dressings, smoothies, sauces, etc., and it will give you a beautiful, bright color!

this batch i tried one with a vegetable starter and one with a kefir starter. they each contain different strains of bacteria that can aid with different bodies/guts. experiment!! the kefir is a bit sweeter and veg a bit more salty. both delicious!

bottoms up!

here’s how you do it:

•2-4 large washed organic beets (local is best!) chopped into 1-2" cubes (or enough to nearly fill jar)

•1/2 gallon glass jar with plastic lid

•1 packet of vegetable or kefir starter (depending on the strains of bacteria that work best with your body. my absolute favorite brand for starters is body ecology. best out there! you can also make kvass with no starter but you’ll need an extra tablespoon of salt & let it ferment a few extra days.)

•1 T fine high quality sea salt or himalayan salt (see photos for my absolute favorite brand + info)

•filtered water

-fill your jar up with chopped beets. add starter & salt & cover with filtered water to the top (make sure beets are submerged). put on a plastic lid tightly & shake very well to mix it up. leave out on your counter for 2-6 days to ferment, shaking the jar once or twice daily. after it is done (will smell and taste sour like pickles but not rancid & may have little bubbles-some say once you see foam starting to form on the top of the brine it is time to transfer the beet kvass to the fridge.) store in your fridge & consume daily: 

1/4-1/2 cup morning & night (on an empty stomach is best).

-when you have only about a cup left at the bottom, you can refill with 1 T sea salt & water to the top without having to use more starter. shake it well & let it sit out 2-6 days again, shaking once or twice a day and you have a new batch! you can do this once but the next time you'll want more starter + new beets.

(we made tacos with thinly sliced beets & radishes, avocado, wild baked salmon + homemade beet kvass ranch dressing! look how pretty!)