Beet kvass, a delicious tangy probiotic beverage

Beet kvass is made by lactofermenting beets. It's one of the easiest fermentation experiment you can make, it takes literally less than 5 minutes to prepare, after which it ferments on its own in a few days.

It is a traditional beverage of Russia. A beetless version also exists, made by fermenting rye.

The recipe for beet kvass is thus:

• Cut beets in small layers of more than 0.5 cm of width (if it's smaller, the fermentation processes may be too efficient, which may create a significant amount of alcohol rather than the lactic acid we want).

• Put the beets in a bottle or other glass container. About a quarter of the bottle should be filled with the beets.

• Sprinkle about one teaspoon of salt.

• Fill container with water.

• Close the bottle or lid, but not completely: thr idea is to keep bugs out but allow the lid to lift itself a tiny amount on its own in case pressure builds up inside.

• After three days (more if you live in a cold place, less if you live in a warm place), store in the fridge.

• After one or two days in the fridge, it's ready to drink.

• If it tastes salty, leave it one more day in the fridge, this way the probiotic bacteria will absorb the salt so you won't be able to taste it.

^{It should look like this after a few days}