With holiday gatherings and events at every turn, it seems sweets, savory foods and boozy cocktails are almost always available. If you’re anything like me, you may find yourself indulging a bit more often this time of year. That being said, it’s important to keep your gut health in mind.  

I personally try to eat or drink something fermented every day. Having kvass on hand is an easy way to keep up with good behavior. Aside from the healthy belly bacteria that kvass offers, beets and turmeric are known for reducing inflammation, which I feel everyone can benefit from (especially this time of year). 

Yield: 1 quart jar 

Ingredients 

• 3 to 4 small tender organic golden beets, cut into 2-inch chunks (skin on) 
• 4 inches or so of fresh organic turmeric (skin on), coined 
• 1 tsp. coarse kosher salt 
• Water, as needed 

Instructions 

Wash beets, scrub well, trim off ends and greens, and cut into uniform chunks, about 2-inch squares. Scrub turmeric well, cut into coins about 1/2-inch thick. Fill a clean quart jar with beets, ginger and salt (the jar should be at least half full). Fill with cold water, leaving 1 to 2 inches of headspace (top of the water level to the rim of the jar). Stir well.  

If you have a small fermentation jar weight, add it to the jar to keep the ingredients completely submerged under the brine. Remove any small pieces of produce that float up to the top of the brine, as produce above the brine will increase the risk of the ferment spoiling. Wipe off the rim of the jar with a clean dampened towel. Add the canning jar lid and tightly screw on the ring. 

Fermentation 

This is a four- to-six-day ferment. Ferment at room temperature, ideally between 60 and 75 degrees F (15 to 23 degrees C) and keep out of direct sunlight.  

Check on the ferment daily to make sure that the brine is covering all the produce. If the produce has floated above the brine level, use a clean utensil to push it back below the brine or scoop it out. 

Burp the jar daily. Just unscrew the lid briefly and tighten it back on to allow any built-up gas to release (and avoid possible jar breakage or the ferment from overflowing). 

This is an active ferment. Foam-like bubbling after a day or two of fermentation is totally normal and a sign that things are fermenting along just as they should be. 

Ferment until the beet kvass liquid turns to a golden color. Taste test to determine completion (the flavor should be tangy and earthy). Once done to your liking, transfer to the refrigerator and enjoy within  three weeks.  

To Serve 

Beet kvass is best chilled. Drink a small glass between meals to aid in digestion.  

Side Notes 

If you do not have a glass jar weight, you can improvise by using an easily removable small food-grade glass dish that fits inside the jar. Or, if you have a smaller glass canning jar that can fit into the mouth of the jar you are fermenting with, you can use that to keep the produce pushed under the beet kvass brine.