Hi, this question came in from a non-AHA member, “Laurie”; thought it might be of interest to Forum members.
Laurie writes, “Regarding the Beet Kvass recipe in the May/June 2021 issue, could you tell me if this fermented recipe is supposed to be strained off and just the liquid used as a drink? Are we supposed to eat the vegetables also? Or just enjoy the liquid? The directions were not clear. Thanks!”
Hi Laurie, sorry if my directions were not clear, but when I wrote “strain the liquid into another container and enjoy” post-fermentation, I intended that the liquid only be consumed. The leftover solids, as the article states a bit later, can be used for a subsequent batch of kvass or two, but the color and flavor of the resulting liquid will be less each time. While the uncooked beet root solids can certainly also be eaten and will provide some gut-friendly lactic bacteria of their own, my experience has been that by themselves they tend to lose much of their flavor after a kvass fermentation. Of course, reinvigorating that tangy taste with a light vinaigrette and tossing them into a salad would certainly make best use of their probiotic goodness.