Beetroot Leaven

Beet kvass, also known as beetroot leaven or beet leaven for short, is a fantastic drink and one of the popular fermented food types.

Beet leaven, also known as beet kvass, is an excellent drink for people who care about their health. It has many beautiful properties, including improving immunity, energy, and concentration. You can also prepare delicious Polish borscht soup from it, but that will probably be in another chapter of my blog.

What is Beetroot Leaven?

Beetroot kvass is a valuable fermented food known for generations in Eastern and Central European cultures. It is one form of valuable pickle obtained in the fermentation process. The main ingredient is beetroot.

Beetroot is generally a wonderful vegetable. It is an excellent antioxidant and ideally supports the immune system. It is also known to support the treatment of anemia.

Beet kvass benefits

Beetroot sourdough can be helpful in many different areas of health, including:

• Inhibits the growth of pathogens in the body.

• helps reduce blood pressure;

• increases iron absorption, which helps treat anemia;

• increases the body's ability to fight free radicals;

• beneficially increases the diversity of bacteria in the intestines;

How much to drink Beetroot Leaven

This is not an ordinary drink you can drink at will; it is more of a natural medicine that can also be harmful in excess. It is recommended for adults to consume 50-100 ml per day (about ⅓ cups). After the first year of life, children can drink 1-2 tablespoons of sourdough daily. Later, a safe dose is 30-50 ml, as scientific publications say.

When your beet kvass has gone wrong

Unfortunately, beet kvass is not always successful.  In several cases, kvass could be better and can harm rather than help.

• Beet kvass mold is the most common cause
• If your sourdough is thick, slimy, gelatinous, then throw it away
• If it smells bad and is not clear, then throw it away.

Who should watch out for Beet Leaven?

• People with kidney disease because salt is added to leaven,
• people with advanced peptic ulcer disease,
• in the active phase of peptic ulcer disease with severe reflux,
• with inflammation of the pancreas,
• with hyperthyroidism.

If you take medication regularly and have doubts, consult your doctor first.

How to choose the best ingredients for Beetroot Leaven

Beetroots: the best beets will be 10-12 cm in diameter. Of course, fresh without drying out, i.e. the skin should be firm, not wrinkled.

Garlic: I choose thick and large garlic cloves about 2 cm long, if you have smaller ones, just give more garlic.

Spice: bay leaves, allspice, black pepper

Starter: juice from pickled cucumber (sour polish cucumber) or sauerkraut.  You can also use your previous sourdough starter, store-bought beetroot starter, or crust from sourdough bread. This is necessary for the living bacteria that cause the spice water and beets to ferment and turn into healthy and delicious beet kvass.

Kosher Salt: The best salt will be natural and non-iodized, without unnecessary additives such as anti-caking agents. I recommend rock salt, sea salt, or Himalayan salt. Each of these natural salts will work well with the fermentation that will occur during the process of creating beetroot kvass.

Water: For a successful fermentation process, the best water will be filtered, which removes impurities such as chlorine, microplastics, or heavy metals, as you use tap water. However, my grandmother did not have such an opportunity and always used water boiled and cooled to room temperature.
The best would be boiled water brought to room temperature. If you use carbon filters for water before boiling, this would be the best option. However, if you do not, boiling the water is essential.
I do not recommend bottled water because I do not trust its contents, and we introduce larger amounts of plastic bottles into our lives.

Tips and Tricks for Beet Kvass

• If you wash the beets very well, you don't have to peel them only after that; you can't use them for anything else. I peel them because I make salads from them.
• Beet leaven is always made in glass or stone vessels, never metal.
• The jars must be sterilized so they do not contain any bacteria we do not want. You can do this by washing them in warm water and then pouring boiling water over them (if you pour boiling water, the vessels must be warm so that they do not crack under the influence of hot water.

Beetroot leaven Step-by-Step instructions

Step 1: Wash the beets, peel them thinly, and cut them into thick slices so the water does not flow to the surface after pouring them.

Boil bay leaves, peppercorns, garlic cloves and allspice in water to get rid of bacteria (1-2 minutes after boiling is enough)

Step 2: Place the beets tightly in a stone, glass, or ceramic jar.

* The dish should be scalded beforehand. Pour boiling water over it to ensure its cleanliness.

*Choose a vessel that does not react with the acid. I chose 2-liter jars.

Step 3: Garlic, allspice, pepper, and bay leaves are pressed between the beets.

Step 4: Add salt and a tablespoon of acid to the boiled water and mix everything. Pour the prepared liquid over the beets and spices. There should be enough water to cover the beets completely.

Step 5: The original recipe is to cover it with a clean cloth or gauze and hold a rubber band on the dish. But still, I twist the lid gently so that the beetroot kvass can breathe (remember, please remember if you decide to decide that the lid is not tightly screwed on because air must come to the kvass extract bubbles from the fermentation process.

Step 6: Leave the prepared beets at home temperature for 5-7 days. After that, the beet leaven is good if it has a beautiful dark color after that.

Step 7: As soon as the beet kvass is ready, we pour it into jars or bottles and store it in the refrigerator for up to a few weeks.

How to store Beet Leaven

After the fermentation process is complete, strain the beet kvass and transfer it into clean bottles. It can be stored in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Here are some additional recipe ideas featuring beets as the main ingredient

Beetroot & Goat Cheese Salad

Baked Beetroot Salad

Beetroot Horseradish Puree

References:

• Clifford T., Howatson G., West D., Stevenson E., The Potential Benefits of Red Beetroot Supplementation in Health and Disease, Nutrients, 2015. 
• https://www.ais.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0013/1000552/36194_Sport-supplement-fact-sheets-Beetroot-Juice-Nitrate-v3.pdf 
• Karwowska K., Kaczmarczyk D., Rola i znaczenie produktów fermentowanych w diecie, Medycyna Ogólna i Nauki o Zdrowiu, 2023. 
• Frączek B. i in., Dietetyka sportowa, Warszawa 2020, PZWL. 
• https://journal.pan.olsztyn.pl/Spontaneous-Fermentation-of-Beetroot-Effect-of-Fermentation-Time-and-Temperature,192122,0,2.html#references