New life of an old drink - beet kvass
The process of lactic acid fermentation, which is the basis of fermentation, has been used by people since ancient times to prepare refreshing drinks and prepare vegetables. The first kvass was obtained in Babylon, but such drinks were most widespread, probably, in Russia.
Due to the availability, ease of manufacture and storage, kvass based on vegetable, grain and berry raw materials has not left the diet of representatives of all segments of the population for centuries. In addition, the popularity of drinks was facilitated by the benefits that kvass brought to human health.
To this day, many recipes for ancient drinks have already become a thing of the past, but beet kvass, which has pronounced healing properties, is not only not forgotten, but also gains new adherents.
In recent years, interest in the drink has been shown in Western Europe and the USA.
Read also the article: beet juice its benefits and harms!
The composition of beet kvass
As a result, regardless of the recipe used, beet kvass contains a lot of B vitamins, ascorbic acid, vitamin PP and K. The drink is rich in potassium, iron and calcium, copper, magnesium and manganese, as well as other trace elements involved in the work of those or other systems and human organs. Flavonoids and phytoncides, acids and sugars, natural antioxidants and anthocyanins pass from beets to kvass.
In the process of fermentation, the product is saturated with bacteria that support fermentation and at the same time prevent the development of pathogenic flora, putrefactive processes and microorganisms harmful to humans.
Therefore, a glass of beet kvass will not only perfectly quench your thirst, but also replenish the body's vitamin reserves, fill you with energy and become a strong defense against all kinds of infections.
The benefits and harms of beet kvass
In Russia, beet kvass is rightfully considered a traditional, but slightly forgotten drink, which can often be heard about in the provinces or from adherents of a healthy lifestyle. Yes, and we cook beet kvass at home. But in the USA and European countries this drink, called "beet kvass", is actively gaining popularity and is produced not only in home kitchens, but also at processing plants as a powerful probiotic agent of natural origin.
Indeed, the beneficial effect of the drink on the digestion processes and the health of the entire gastrointestinal tract has long been confirmed by both traditional and official medicine.
The beneficial and bioactive substances contained in beet kvass can become a good help to the body with regular intake of the drink.
If you drink beet kvass in just a glass in the morning and evening:
- well-being improves;
- digestion and metabolism are activated;
- pressure is normalized;
- the processes of cleansing the liver, kidneys and intestines begin;
- the composition of the blood changes for the better;
- blood vessels are strengthened;
- there is a natural stimulation of immunity.
The benefits of beet kvass will be felt by people suffering from hypertension, disorders of digestive processes and metabolism, iron deficiency anemia.
Today, beetroot and beet products are being actively researched in relation to the treatment of a number of oncological diseases and immunodeficiency conditions.
The drink helps to cleanse the body of toxins and toxins. This important quality of kvass is used in the treatment of atherosclerosis, dysbacteriosis, accompanied by constipation and excessive gas formation, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and liver dysfunction.
Older people are well aware of how effective beet kvass is under pressure.
To reduce the risk of its increase and deterioration in health, hypertensive patients can introduce the drink into their daily menu. Kvass literally in half an hour can bring the pressure back to normal, but you should not rely too much on the healing properties of the drink, since you cannot do without medicines and the help of medical specialists to consolidate the result and recover.
Beet kvass can play an important role in the fight against excess weight and obesity. With the correct inclusion of beetroot drink in the diet, you can achieve quick noticeable results, and not only lose a few kilograms, but also improve the body as a whole, improve tone and performance, get rid of anemia and normalize blood pressure.
However, with pronounced benefits, harm from beet kvass is also possible if you do not take into account the individual characteristics of the organism, existing diseases and predispositions.
Serious contraindications for taking beet kvass exist if a person has:
- urolithiasis and inflammatory processes of the urogenital organs;
- peptic ulcer and gastritis in the acute stage;
- gout and arthritis;
- low pressure;
- cholelithiasis.
Beet kvass should be drunk with caution if there is a predisposition to food allergies.
Making beet kvass at home
The content of nutrients in the finished kvass directly depends on the beet selected for making the drink. The largest amount of active substances is contained in dark-colored roots without light streaks, cracks and traces of spoilage.
Before making beet kvass at home, the root crops are thoroughly washed, cleaned from the roots and the apices with the remains of the tops are removed:
- Beets are cut into strips or cubes.
- Raw materials are placed in a glass container and vegetables are poured to the top with boiled water.
- The container with the semi-finished product is placed in a cool place, where the process of lactic acid fermentation will take place. It is optimal that the temperature does not exceed 20 ° C. In this case, the risk of developing some pathogenic flora in beet kvass and the beginning of yeast fermentation is minimal.
- Fermentation lasts from 3 to 7 days. At this time, it is advisable to remove the foam formed on the surface and protect the jar from dust.
- The finished drink is filtered, poured into clean dry bottles and sent to storage in the refrigerator, where the beneficial properties of beet kvass remain unchanged for about a month.
Pieces of sauerkraut from kvass should not be thrown away. Vegetables contain a lot of useful substances, so they can be used as an independent snack, added to salads and borscht, which will only enrich the taste of these dishes.
Since beets contain a lot of sugars, no additional sweetening is required.
If sugar is added, you need to take into account that fermentation will be more intense, and as a result, beet kvass will contain a certain amount of ethyl alcohol.
Some recipes for beet kvass indicate that 3 to 5% of table salt is added to the water for the drink.On the one hand, this substance, usual for the kitchen, will give the drink a special taste, on the other hand, salt has a preservative effect and does not allow harmful microorganisms to develop in a warm drink.
Apart from this, there is one more important function of salt. It promotes the extraction of natural sugars from the beets and the fermentation process. As a result, even without added sugar, you can get beet kvass of the highest quality and taste at home.
Also, to intensify fermentation, much whey from sour milk can be added to the drink during production.
If desired, you can add a couple of rye bread crusts, a few raisins and other ingredients to the components of beet kvass, which will add spicy notes to the drink, enrich its taste and aroma. It can be chopped ginger, all kinds of berries and herbs, vegetables and herbs.