Kvass

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

Ingredients

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.

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