Kvass

Kvass is a Slavic fermented beverage which is both simple to make and rich in flavour.

• ⏲️ Prep time: ~30 min
• ⌛ Fermentation time: ~1 week

Ingredients

• 100 g of raisins
• 100 g of sugar
• 3 slices of black bread (e.g. pumpernickel bread, rye bread)
• 1-2 lemons
• 1 pkg (7 g) of active dry yeast
• Optional:
  • A handful of coffee beans
  • Non-citrus fruits (e.g. plums, apples, kiwi)

Directions

1. Bring 1 L of water in a pot to a boil.
2. Burn black bread in a toaster or in an oven until it is thoroughly scorched to blackness on the outside.
3. Once the water has come to boil, remove off heat. Add burned black bread, a handful of raisins, a few slices of lemon, and coffee beans to the pot.
4. Leave contents of the pot to cool down to room temperature.
5. Filter out everything from the pot through a strainer, and pour contents into a separate, sterilized container. Add sugar and yeast into the container, and stir until sugar is dissolved. This starts the fermentation process. The amount of sugar in this recipe should yield 1.0%-2.5% alcohol by total volume at the end of the fermentation process.
6. Add rest of raisins, and non-citrus fruits of your choice. The fruits will positively impact flavour of the final product.
7. If mixture is not already in a mason jar, pour the mixture into a sterile mason jar, and seal the lid. Place the jar in a warm place (26-30°C; 79-86°F), and let it ferment for a week, or until it stops bubbling.
8. Remove all raisins and fruits from the jar.
9. Squeeze lemon juice from lemons into the mixture. You may drink the now-complete kvass right away, or refrigerate it before drinking.