This Ain’t No Kool-aid

I can't even pronounce the word, and I have no idea what it will taste like, but I'm game. I'm always up for trying something new in the kitchen. Especially something that comes with so much "good press" and favorable research about it's healthful properties.

And just like any other kitchen experiment at our house: if it flops, at least the chickens will eat well.

       

We pulled these out of our Square Foot Garden this morning. Can you say, "Nearly free organic vegetables"? (I love gardening!)

Certain miscellaneous facts about our family life led us to a unique conclusion.  We don't drink soda, Kool-Aid or juice. We had a smidge of free time this morning. The beets were coming up well in our garden. Lastly, my hands had not been colorfully stained in a while. So,  like other normal families we decided to make lacto-fermented beet kvass.

Beet what?

There are several pronunciations going around our house. We have no idea which is correct. The good news is, your family won't either should you drop the term on them.

Back to what it is. It is a drink (I use that term loosely) made from chopped beets, whey, water and salt that ferments because of the naturally occuring lactic acid in the plant. It comes out kinda like a salty beet vinegar.  Anyway, if you want more info, check out this article from the Weston A. Price site. It has a small amount of information, but mostly what I learned came from

Nourishing Traditions.

We marveled at the beauty of God's creation looking at the beets. Don't the stalks look just like peppermint sticks?

This is Stage One. It will sit on the counter a few days while it ferments, then we will use it as a tonic (only drink a smidge) or as vinegar (like for salad dressings).

Many questions come to mind at this point. Did we ferment it enough? What will it taste like? Will we be able to sneak it into salad dressing without Mr. Visionary noticing (or at least minding)? Time and sampling will tell.

And if my kids get a little dopey after testing it, we'll know we let it ferment a wee bit too long.