A truly traditional drink of Slavic cuisine is kvass. Currently, it can be purchased in the store both in bottles and on tap. Most of all, it will be useful if you cook kvass at home. It will not contain preservatives. Moreover, there are a lot of recipes, everyone will choose the best one.
Content:
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Deep into history
The origins of kvass go back 8,000 years into history. Then he represented something between kvass and beer. It is mentioned in the writings of Herodotus and Hippocrates. In Russia, the first documentary evidence of kvass is written in The Tale of Bygone Years.
The record dates back to 988, this is the period of the baptism of Russia. Prince Vladimir ordered "Distribute food, honey and kvass to the people" in honor of this event. The name "kvass" means - sour drink, it was invented by the Russians.
Previously, absolutely all representatives of the estates prepared kvass: nobles, peasants
They drank it instead of water at any time of the day. Food was prepared on its basis, for example, the well-known okroshka. Kvass was made from grains such as rye, barley, oats, and millet.
Added fruits and berries. Already at that time there were more than 1000 recipes. Kvas testified to the well-being of a person, his home, family. Russians highly valued kvass.
There are mentions of him in folk epic and literature. For example, in his work "Anna Snegina" Sergei Yesenin writes: "Everyone has painted shutters, meat and kvass on holidays." The people made proverbs and sayings about this wonderful drink: “Russian kvass saved a lot of people”, “And thin kvass is better than good water.”
Despite the fact that kvass was a favorite drink, it was considered intoxicating. Kutil was called "kvass". From this came the verb "sour", which colloquially means "to drink alcohol."
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It was used in all ceremonies, rituals, treatment. It was prepared for funeral dinners, for the christening of a child, for weddings and for other holidays.
There was a custom of washing the bride before the wedding. In the bath, the girlfriends always watered the stones with kvass. After the wedding of the newlyweds, mother and father met bread and kvass. Salt in this rite began to be used much later.
In Smolensk land there was a custom before the wedding. The bride and groom had to pour kvass from one tub to another. After the friends spent them 3 times around the poured kvass. After that, they were ready to go to church.
For Russians, kvass is not an easy drink. It symbolizes life itself.
It was believed that only kvass and milk could cope with a fire. To stop the spread of fire, they threw a hoop from a kvass barrel at him.
Kvass was used to treat colds, facilitate childbirth, remove damage and evil eye. There were days when it was forbidden to cook kvass. For example, Thursday after Easter, because then the undead will come out of the water to swim in it. Or they didn’t do it on Monday, because on this day the demon in it will wash the children.
Kvass is loved by many to this day. Although he lost many magical properties and quivering reverence.What is it useful for, how to prepare it will be described below.
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The nutritional value
The composition of kvass is complex. It contains a large number of elements
To appreciate its benefits, you need to know it.
- Kvass absorbs the benefits of cereals: polysaccharides, minerals, proteins, vitamins PP, E, H, group B.
- Amino acids – 11 pcs
- Melanoidins - they are formed through the reaction of amino acids with sugar
- Enzymes
- Lactic acid
- Alcohol
- carbonic acid
- It contains many chemical elements: calcium, potassium, iron, phosphorus, sulfur, zinc, iodine, copper, manganese, molybdenum, boron, silicon, colbat
These elements play a huge role in maintaining health. They help in proper metabolism in the body.
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Kvass is considered a healthy drink because it contains natural ingredients.
Healing and preventive properties have been attributed to him since ancient times. How is it really useful?
- Quenches thirst
- Favorably affects the process of digestion
- Increases immunity
- Heals wounds
- Strengthens tooth enamel
- Increases potency in men
- Increases human performance
- Energizes
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Contraindications
Kvass prepared in accordance with all the rules will not harm a healthy body
For it, quality products must be used.
Despite all the positive qualities, it is not recommended to use it for certain diseases:
- Gastritis
- Ulcer
- Allergy to its constituent products
- Oncology
- Hypertension
- Liver disease
- Stones in the gallbladder
- Colitis
Kvass - This is a product of fermentation, so it can turn sour. Such kvass cannot be consumed. It can cause poisoning, intestinal upset.
This drink contains a small amount of alcohol. It is not recommended to use it while driving. Otherwise, problems with the traffic police are possible.
For the same reason, pregnant and lactating women should avoid kvass. The alcohol content can adversely affect the development of the baby. Mom's body needs to recover after childbirth, alcohol can slow down this process.
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Kvass has a lot of types
You can cook it at home from bread, malt, grain, berries, with and without yeast.
There are 6 main types:
- Khlebny
- Okroshechny
- Berry
- Fruity
- Honey
- Lactic
Each region has its own recipes and cooking habits. For example, Ukrainians prefer it on prunes, northerners on juniper, and Belarusians on birch sap. Some kvass brewers add mint to rye kvass, leave it to ferment for a couple of days, and only after that they use it.
From various additives, the taste of the drink changes, even if it is prepared according to one recipe. For example, you can add zest orange and kvass will have aroma and flavor citrus.
In modern cookbooks there are quite unusual recipes. They suggest making it with rice, hemp, seaweed, and other foods. Fans of experiments can try to cook them.
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homemade
There are many recipes for kvass, but there are a number of rules that must be followed:
- Yeast must be fresh
- Bread is better to choose rye
- Water must be boiled and cooled
- Shelf life of kvass, about 3 days
- You can not cook it in aluminum containers, it is best to choose glass containers
- Use only whole berries and fruits
- By adding spices and honey to the drink, you can diversify the flavor range
After cooking, kvass is cooled. To do this, clean in the cellar or refrigerator. They do this because the cold stops the fermentation process. A fermented drink will not be tasty, and there is less benefit in it.
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The main thing in kvass is sourdough. It is a mixture of products that, through the fermentation process, activate amino acids and useful materialsuch as vitamins and trace elements.
She makes the drink healthy
If it is of high quality, prepared according to the rules, it will make the drink tasty. Therefore, its preparation must be approached responsibly. Sourdough can be prepared on any bread on both white and black. It can be without yeast and with them.
Types of sourdough
- yeast sourdough made from dry black bread. put it in 3 liter jar and fill with boiling water. Pour sugar into it. Mix everything until the sugar dissolves. Cover with a towel. When the mixture cools down, add the yeast. She needs to be allowed to stand. From half a liter of sourdough, eight liters of kvass will be obtained.
- Sourdough without yeast similar to the first, with the exception of yeast, respectively. Instead, raisins are added. It is left to wander in a warm place for 2 days.
- Sourdough can be made from rye flour. For her, flour, 3 tablespoons of sugar and a handful of raisins are mixed. The mixture is poured with boiling water and left to settle for 3 days.
- It turns out good sourdough on hop cones. Ptry nand 0.5 liters of water need 2 tablespoons of hops. Boil it for 15 minutes. After cooling, add 1 tablespoon of honey and 2 tablespoons of flour. The sourdough must be infused for 24 hours.
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When you really want to cook kvass yourself, but you don’t have experience, it’s better to start with simple recipes
- Crackers - 700 gr
- Water - 7 l
- Sugar - 350 gr
- Yeast - 40 gr
- Bring water to a boil and cool.
- Pour water into a container where kvass will ferment.
- Add crackers, tie the neck with gauze. Remove to a dark place. Soak for 2 days at room temperature.
- Prepare yeast following package instructions.
- Strain the must. Rusks are no longer needed.
- Mix wort, yeast and 300 gr. Sahara.
- Cover with a lid, but loosely. The resulting gas must escape. Insist 16 hours in a dark place. The temperature should not exceed 25 degrees.
- Add the remaining sugar.
- Pour into a container for storage. Close it hermetically. Keep for another 3 hours in a dark place.
- Cool down in the refrigerator. This will stop the fermentation process. After 4 hours, the finished drink can be tasted.
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From rye bread
- Rye bread -1 loaf
- Water - 5 l
- Sugar - 1 cup
- Yeast - 40 gr
- Bread cut into slices about 1 cm thick
- Arrange on a baking sheet, put in the oven for half an hour at a temperature of 160 - 180 degrees
- Be sure to keep the bread from burning. For kvass, it must brown and dry.
- Fill a pot with water, put on a boil
- After boiling, add sugar and dissolve
- Add toasted bread
- Leave to cool to room temperature
- Add yeast, mix. They must dissolve
- Cover the pan with gauze, a towel or a piece of cotton fabric
- insist 24 hours
- Strain and refrigerate to cool
- Kvass is ready. It can be tasted and bottled
Yeast free
It is easy to prepare at home. The yeast-free wort can be reused to make a second batch of the drink. To make kvass tasty, you need to choose high-quality natural bread.
Kvass prepared without yeast is distinguished by the absence of a characteristic sour smell.
Success depends on it by 90%. If it contains impurities of chemicals. The drink will ferment badly. At best, it will vaguely resemble kvass in taste, at worst, the product will be spoiled and unsuitable for consumption.
- Rye bread - 300 gr.
- Water - 3 l
- Raisins - 25 gr
- Sugar - 200 gr
- The bread is cut into small pieces. It is recommended to dry it in the oven for 10 minutes at a temperature of 160 degrees. It should not be burnt, it will spoil the whole taste.
- Crackers and half a serving of sugar pour boiling water. Sugar should dissolve completely, so you need to mix the mixture well.
- Add the raisins after the mixture has cooled down.
- Raisins in this case replace yeast. It promotes the fermentation process. It is not recommended to wash it, because the microorganisms on the shell are responsible for this process.
- Next, the container is covered with a cloth. It cannot be closed tightly. The released gas must be able to escape
- Fermentation will not begin immediately, only after 10 hours. Sometimes you have to wait longer. It depends on the raisins. Keep the container in a dark, warm place
- After the fermentation process is started, leave for 3 days. Then strain
- The remaining pomace can be reused. For a new portion of a refreshing drink
- Add the remaining half of the sugar to the finished kvass
- Incubate for another 4 hours at room temperature
- Pour into storage bottles and refrigerate
- You can use the finished drink after 3 hours
from yeast
In the preparation of kvass, it is not necessary to use bread. You can make it with yeast at home.
Its advantage is that it is prepared without sourdough, so this type of drink is prepared quickly.
- Fresh yeast - 10 gr
- Water - 3 l
- Sugar - 1 cup
- Citric acid - 10 gr
- Pour half a glass of sugar into the pan. Bake it until you get a brown caramel. Add 1 cup boiling water. Do not remove from fire. Stir until smooth
- Pour boiled and cooled to 37 degrees water into a saucepan
- Add remaining sugar and citric acid
- Next, pour in the calcined sugar mass and mix well
- Add yeast
- Cover the pot with a lid. And leave to ferment for 24 hours in a warm place
- Kvass must be used within the next three days
Beetroot
Beet
Kvass from beets was prepared in Kievan Rus. The recipe passed from mother to daughter, by word of mouth. Unfortunately, modern housewives do it infrequently, it does not have its former popularity.
It has many useful properties:
- Lowers blood pressure
- Expands blood vessels
- Restores metabolism
- Shouts with constipation
- Useful for atherosclerosis
- Heals the liver and kidneys
Recipe #1
In addition to all of the above, it is low in calories.
- Beet - 1 kg
- Sugar - 100 gr.
- Water - 3 l
- Wash the beetroot, peel it, chop it into strips
- Pour beets with boiled or bottled water
- Add sugar, close the container with a lid, but loosely. It must be remembered that the gas released during the fermentation process must exit
- The drink ferments until fully ready for a week
- Until then, you can use it. Until the beet color of the drink starts to change
Recipe #2
- Beets - 2 kg
- Milk whey - 0.5 l
- Sour cream - 1 teaspoon
- Sugar - 4 tablespoons
- If desired, you can add mint - 3 - 5 leaves
- Peel beets, chop
- Mix all ingredients
- Leave to ferment at room temperature for a week and a half. The process can take 10-12 days. You have to try it to get the taste you want.
- It must be consumed within 7 days.
From flour
Rye has long been the main grain for making flour in Russia. They not only baked bread from it, but also prepared kvass. This culture is rich in vitamins, minerals and trace elements.
It contains elements such as lysine and threonine. They are not produced by the human body. This fact adds to its value.
- Water - 10 l
- Flour - 1 kg
- Sugar - 250 gr.
- Raisins -50 gr
Leaven:
- Mix 0.5 kg of flour, a little sugar, raisins. Dilute with 0.5 liters of water. The mixture should be as thick as sour cream.
- Put in heat, leave until acid appears in the taste. Approximately 2 days.
Cooking kvass:
- Water must be boiled.
- Pour 0.5 kg of flour into a bucket, add the remaining sugar. Gradually dilute with water. To avoid lumps, add the liquid gradually: first warm, then boiling water.
- Close with a towel, leave to cool for 5 hours.
- Then pour in the sourdough, mix. Close the bucket with a lid, wrap with a towel.
- Put in heat for 7 hours. It cannot be opened during fermentation. Readiness is indicated by the foam formed on the surface.
- Pour the finished drink into bottles, cool to 7 - 10 degrees.
- Store in refrigerator for 5 days.
The sourdough can be used multiple times. To do this, when filtering the finished drink, place it in a jar and put it in the refrigerator. When reused, it requires updating. To do this, add 2 tablespoons of rye flour and 3 tablespoons of sugar.
Mix well, put in heat for several hours.
From oats
The body absorbs oats well. It improves digestion and metabolism.
A drink based on it gives a vitamin charge
The benefits of oatmeal:
- Strengthens bones and teeth
- Beneficial effect on the condition of nails and hair
- Lowers blood cholesterol
- Removes toxins
- Normalizes the nervous system
- Reduces pressure
- Improves the functioning of the cardiovascular system
- Regulates bowel function
- Helps in the process of losing weight
Recipe #1
At home, you can cook it according to several recipes.
- Oats - 0.5 kg
- Water - 1 liter
- Sugar - 125 gr
- Sort the oats, rinse well. Repeat rinsing until the water runs clear.
- Put it in a container, pour sugar on top
- Pour cooled boiled water
- Leave to ferment for 3 days. The place should be chosen bright and warm
- Strain the finished drink. The first batch will have bitterness. If you don't like the taste, you can discard it. Make a second batch on the grain. Its taste will be richer and tastier
- Shelf life 2 days
Recipe #2
- Oats - 300 gr
- Sugar - 150 gr
- Water - 3 l
- Raisins - 100 gr
- Prepare oats: sort, rinse. Put in a jar
- Scald raisins with boiling water, add it to oats
- Pour sugar, pour the mixture with boiled water
- Insist in a bright, warm place for three days. Reuse leftover pulp
- Store, like the first option, no more than two days
It is not recommended to drink it for people suffering from the following diseases:
- Gastritis
- Ulcer
- Stones in the kidneys
- Acidity
- Allergy
- Liver disease
During the remission of diseases, 1 glass of the drink will not bring harm. For more certainty, you can consult with your doctor.
From dry kvass
Dry kvass drink
- Dry mix for kvass - 5 tablespoons
- Water - 3 l
- Dry yeast - 6 gr.
- Sugar - 0.5 cups
- Raisins -30 gr
- To boil water
- Dissolve the dry mixture in one and a half liters of boiling water. Let it brew for 3 hours
- Add the rest of the liquid
- Separately dissolve the yeast
- Mix all ingredients
- Cover with cloth or gauze. Infuse drink for 3 days
- Shelf life three days
Kvass with coffee
Kvass with instant coffee - This is another option for making kvass at home without the use of bread and cereals. It has an unusual taste. Perfectly refreshing in hot weather.
It only takes 6 hours to prepare.
- Water - 3 liters
- Sugar - 1 cup
- Dry yeast - 10 gr.
- Citric acid - 10 gr.
- Instant coffee - 15 gr
- Dissolve sugar in hot water
- Then add citric acid and coffee
- Add yeast after the liquid has cooled down.
- Infuse for 6 hours in a bright place, a window sill is perfect
- Stir the drink every 2 hours
- Consume chilled
- Shelf life 2 - 3 days
White kvass
White kvass is made from several types of flour. It used to be used to make cold soup. It has a second name - okroshochny.
This type of drink is a good diuretic.
- Malt - 1 cup
- Wheat flour - 500 gr
- Buckwheat flour - 300 gr
- Raisins - 30 gr
- Mint - 40 gr
- Kvass sourdough - 0.5 l
- Water - 6 l
- Wash mint. Crush in a mortar, pour boiling water
- Flour is brewed with boiling water. From it you need to knead the dough. Its consistency should be homogeneous, without lumps.
- Pour hot liquid over the dough, add mint, malt, raisins and sourdough. Leave to wander for a day
- Strain, cool the drink
- Kvass is ready. It must be consumed within 5 days.
From the must
Wort It is a viscous liquid similar to honey. Consists of malt and rye flour. The concentrates sold in the store consist of natural products.
It is made from several types of malt: barley, corn, rye
- Wort - 3 tablespoons
- Sugar - 1 cup
- Raisins - 20 gr.
- Dry yeast - 5 gr.
- Water - 3 l
- Mix the wort with half a liter of warm water
- Combine the mixture with the rest of the liquid and yeast. To stir thoroughly
- Leave to ferment for a day, you can’t cover it tightly, the gas should come out
- A day later, add raisins
- Pour into bottles. You can use plastic ones. Close them tightly. This is done to carbonate the drink.
- When the bottles become dense from gas, put them in a cold place.
- Consume within a week
From black bread and dry yeast
Dark kvass from black bread and dry yeast
- Black bread - 200 gr.
- Water - 2 l
- Sugar - 50 gr.
- Dry yeast - 0.5 teaspoon
- The bread needs to be dry. This can be done in the oven or use breadcrumbs.
- Pour crackers with hot water. Leave to infuse for 6 hours
- Add yeast and sugar
- insist day
- Used chilled
- Expiration date 3 days
According to this recipe, the drink will have a pronounced pungent taste.
From chicory
Based on chicory, an original drink is obtained. It contains vitamins, trace elements, organic acids and beneficial bacteria. It is useful to drink it with dysbacteriosis, gastritis.
Moreover, it increases the potency of the strong half of humanity.
- Chicory - 30 gr.
- Water - 5 l
- Pressed yeast - 50 gr.
- Sugar - 1 cup
- 0.5 lemon
- Pour yeast, chicory, sugar with warm water and mix thoroughly.
- Scald the lemon with boiling water, cut. Add it to the mixture.
- This drink ferments for 4 hours in the sun.
- Consume chilled within 3 days.
Lemon can be replaced with citric acid. The quantity can be changed to taste. This type of drink is rich in vitamin C. It improves immunity. People who are allergic to it should stop using it.
Sweet kvass
In addition to bread kvass, they used to prepare a sweet drink. Berries, fruits, herbs and tea were taken as the basis. Fruits can be used fresh, dry, frozen.
Strawberry kvass
The fruit drink is prepared with or without yeast. If a recipe without yeast is selected, it will ferment longer.The cooking time is affected by the room temperature. The warmer the kvass, the faster it will be ready for consumption.
Strawberry
- Strawberries - 400 gr.
- Juice of half a lemon
- Sugar - 100 gr
- Honey - 50 gr
- Water - 2l
- Raisins - 30 - 50 gr
- Boil strawberries for 5 minutes. Let cool down to 40 degrees
- Strain through a colander
- Add sugar, honey and lemon juice. stir
- Pour the resulting strawberry water into bottles, add 5 raisins to each
- Leave to ferment warm for 4 days
- Consume cold. Shelf life of the drink 5 days
From apples and coffee
- Apple juice - 1 l
- Water - 3 l
- Sugar - 200 gr.
- Dry yeast - 10 gr.
- Instant coffee - 15 gr
- Mix all ingredients. Water should be boiled, cooled to room temperature
- Leave to ferment in heat for 12 hours
- Strain and refrigerate
- Start tasting after 3 hours
- Keep no more than three days
On herbs
Kvass on herbs
- Herbs 2 tablespoons each
- Water 5 l
- Honey or sugar - 50 gr
- Raisins to taste
- Pour hot water over the herbs. Leave for 12 hours to infuse
- Add remaining ingredients. The drink ferments in the warmth until ready for 3 days
- Cool down and drink
- Keeps cold for 3 days
You can use any herbs for this recipe: thyme, mint, sage, oregano, tea rose leaves, currant leaves, leaf green tea. For spice, it is recommended to add a little thyme.
Raisins are placed about 9 berries per liter. The more it is, the faster the fermentation process will take place.
VIDEO: Choosing the best kvass. kvass test
Home kvass | TOP-20 Recipes how to make at home (classic, from bread, rye, without yeast, beetroot, etc.)
I can give you a couple of recipes:
1. Borodinsky
2. Ginger
3. An old recipe for kvass on honey