• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Fermenting for Foodies

Health, Taste and Tradition

  • Fermentation
    • General Information
    • Beans, Nuts & Seeds
    • Beer, Wine, & Cider
    • Dairy & Cheese
    • Fermented Fruit
    • GF Sourdough
    • Trad Sourdough
    • Probiotic Beverages
    • Vegetables
    • Supplies
  • Everyday Meals
    • Appetizers
    • Baked Goods
    • Breakfasts
    • Condiments
    • Main Dishes
    • Sides & Salads
    • Soups & Stews
    • Desserts
    • Gluten-Free
    • Vegan
  • Fruit-Sweetened Treats
  • Cookbook

Immune Boosting Kvass – A Fermented Health Tonic

Immune boosting kvass - a fermented tonic with turmeric, ginger and lemon
Immune boosting kvass - a fermented tonic with turmeric, ginger and lemon
Immune boosting kvass - a fermented tonic with turmeric, ginger and lemon
Boost your immune system with this probiotic drink

Immune boosting kvass is a savory and flavorful probiotic beverage that is full of ingredients to supercharge your health. While kvass won’t help you fly or leap over tall buildings… it is packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Perfect for giving your immune system a huge boost. 

Immune boosting kvass - a fermented tonic with turmeric, ginger and lemon

How to enjoy Immune Boosting Kvass

This savory fermented tonic is quite strong. It is salty and packed full of vitamins, minerals, and probiotics. Depending on your choice of starter, it can also be sugar-free! Regardless, I usually serve this kvass diluted 2:1 with water.

Here are a few different ways to enjoy kvass:

  • Sports Drink: Immune boosting kvass is the perfect base for a healthy and sugar-free alternative to a sports drink. Sea salt and lemons are natural sources of electrolytes. To make your own sports drink, dilute this kvass 50/50 with juice and add 1/8 tsp powdered calcium magnesium.
  • Immune Support: Take 1/4 cup daily (either straight or diluted) to help support your immune system.
  • Anti-Nausea Support: Ginger is a safe and natural way to soothe an upset stomach. Naturally, fermented ginger bug is a sweet option. For a low-sugar option, use the ginger bug to culture this tonic, then add a double dose of ginger to the recipe.
  • Refreshing Beverage: Mix 1 part immune-boosting kvass with 4 parts sparkling water for a refreshing beverage. It makes a unique and delicious alternative to sweetened drinks.
Print

Immune Boosting Kvass

Immune boosting kvass is made from fermented turmeric, ginger, lemon and beets
Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

Immune boosting kvass is a savory drink full of vitamins, minerals, probiotics, and antioxidants. It’s perfect for fighting off a cold or flu. It also is a delicious, sugar-free alternative to a sports drink. See the section above for several ways to enjoy this fermented health tonic.

  • Author: Emillie
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 3 cups 1x
  • Category: Beverage
  • Method: Fermented
  • Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 lemon cut into quarters
  • 2 small beets, washed and diced into cubes
  • 1 inch of ginger washed and sliced in half
  • 1 inch of turmeric washed and sliced in half
  • 1/4 cup of starter culture (see notes)
  • 2 tsp sea salt (depending on culture, see notes)
  • 3 cups filtered water to cover (chlorine-free)

Instructions

  1. Wash and slice the beets, ginger, and turmeric. Don’t peel the skin off as the skin will help with the fermentation.
  2. Add in the starter culture along with the beets, ginger, and turmeric. If you are using a yeast-based starter don’t add the salt. If you are using a vegetable-based starter (like brine from a different ferment) add 2 tsp salt.
  3. Squeeze lemon wedges into the jar, then add them to the jar as well.
  4. Add enough water to fill the jar, leaving 1 inch of headroom at the top. Stir to dissolve the salt.
  5. Use a weight to keep the everything submerged.
  6. Cap with a loose-fitting lid or use a fido jar or a pickle-pipe, and leave the jar to ferment somewhere dark for 3-7 days.
  7. Store in the fridge and consume within 1 month.

Notes

  • I usually use the ginger bug as my starter for this ferment, but you could use kombucha, leftover brine, or a purchased vegetable starter.
  • If you are using leftover brine or vegetable starter for this ferment, then add the salt prior to fermentation. However, salt slows down yeast in a ferment, so don’t add it if you are using ginger bug or kombucha.
  • If you can’t find fresh turmeric, just add a teaspoon of turmeric powder.
  • The kvass is quite strong, so dilute it with water. See the section above for serving options.

Keywords: healthy, probiotic, keto, paleo, whole 30, winter, fall, spring, flu, cold, vegan, gluten free, dairy free, sugar free, sports drink, electrolyte, COVID-19

Filed Under: Probiotic BeveragesTagged With: Beets, Elixir, Ginger, Immunity, Kvass, Lemon, Probiotic, turmeric

Previous Post: « How to Make Apple Cider Vinegar from Scraps
Next Post: What To Do When There Is No Fermentation »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Billy

    July 15, 2018 at 8:39 pm

    This Kvass looks delicious! Cannot wait to homebrew my own the next time I head to the store to grab the ingredients for it. Thank you so much for sharing!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Emillie

      July 22, 2018 at 1:59 pm

      Thanks! We love it.

      Reply
  2. cat

    July 7, 2019 at 11:12 am

    can you make this without the salt? it should ferment fine if I just use kombucha? thanks for any suggestions—watching my sodium intake 🙂

    Reply
    • Emillie

      July 7, 2019 at 12:15 pm

      Yes! You could use it as a kombucha flavour, or make a sweet kvass with raw honey. Here’s my sweet kvass recipe: https://www.fermentingforfoodies.com/sweet-beet-kvass/

      Reply
  3. Alana

    August 26, 2020 at 6:08 pm

    Is it possible to use kefir water for the starter?

    Reply
    • Emillie

      August 27, 2020 at 7:50 am

      Yes! The sugar in the beets should be enough to feed it. I always find water kefir takes a little extra long to ferment, so maybe give it an additional day or two. Cheers!

      Reply
  4. Veronica Nessler

    June 21, 2021 at 12:59 pm

    Can you ferment with 1/4 cup yogurt whey and
    No salt? I am watching my salt intake.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Emillie

      June 21, 2021 at 8:30 pm

      Sure! I’ve done it with various fermented beverages. I just haven’t got them all posted on the blog quite yet. Yogurt is a good option if you’re also trying to avoid sugar. Otherwise, I recommend making fermented turmeric with ginger and lemon: https://www.fermentingforfoodies.com/turmeric-bug-soda-a-healthy-and-probiotic-drink/ 🙂

      Reply
  5. Cindy

    March 18, 2022 at 4:21 pm

    Is salted Kvass supposed to be slimy and bubbly? Like slipping off the spoon? I scooped the bubbles off but this doesn’t seem right.

    Reply
    • Emillie Parrish

      March 25, 2022 at 8:33 am

      Hi Cindy, for some reason this comment ended up in the spam folder, so I only got it today, when I started cleaning out my spam folder! The kvass definitely doesn’t sound right. It is supposed to be bubbly, but not slimy. What did you end up doing with it?

      Reply
  6. Katie

    January 18, 2023 at 7:46 pm

    Thank you for the recipe! I’m enjoying my first batch. Do you strain out the solids before storing in the fridge?

    Reply
    • Emillie Parrish

      January 19, 2023 at 4:29 pm

      Great! I usually strain it as I serve it. However, it’s fine to strain it into a bottle before popping it into the fridge. Cheers!

      Reply
      • Anonymous

        January 23, 2023 at 8:47 pm

        Great, thank you!

        Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I'm Emillie, an island-dwelling fermentation enthusiast. Fermenting For Foodies features healthy recipes designed to feed your microbiome.
Read More →

Check Out My Cookbook!

Fermenting Made Simple Cookbook

Want healthy recipes right to your inbox? Subscribe to our mid-month newsletter!

Thank you!

Please check your inbox to confirm your subscription.

Affiliate Disclosure

In order to run this site, Fermenting For Foodies sometimes earns an affiliate commission on the sales of products we link to. We only feature items we genuinely want to share, and this is an arrangement between the retailer and Fermenting For Foodies. Readers never pay more for products. Thank you for reading!

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Affiliate Disclosure
  • Sponsored Content
  • Contact

Copyright © 2023 · Fermenting for Foodies