Recipe

Fermented Beets and Beet Kvass

by Sasha Marx

In the “We Can Pickle That” hierarchy of preserving, beets are pretty low on the totem pole. Most people associate pickled beets with the cloyingly sweet, soft, and syrupy product sold in grocery stores. In my mind, those descriptors don’t jibe with the things I value in a good pickle—crispiness, crunch, salt, acidity, and refreshment. I wanted to give beets a chance to redeem themselves, with the help of a preserving process called lacto-fermentation.

All pickled things rely on acidity to halt spoilage and impart flavor and texture. There are two basic categories of pickles: vinegar and fermented. Vinegar pickles (cornichons, for example) are soaked in a flavorful vinegar-based liquid to give them their trademark acidity and stave off harmful bacteria. Fermented pickles (such as sauerkraut and kimchi) spend days or weeks in a salt brine, which encourages fermentation and the growth of good bacteria. Submerged in brine, in the absence of oxygen, the vegetable’s natural beneficial bacteria, which include Lactobacillus, convert its sugars into the lactic acid that “pickles” the vegetable.

All of that jargon belies the simplicity of the process—cut up some vegetables, submerge them in salt brine (we like a 2 percent salt concentration for this application), store them at room temperature (we found 65 degrees F/18 degrees C to be the sweet spot, but anywhere between 50 degrees F/10 degrees C and 70 degrees F/21 degrees C works), and wait. The reward? Crispy, crunchy, sour pickles with almost zero work. Giving beets this treatment produced the sweet and sour crunchy pickle I was looking for.

As a bonus, the brine is imparted with sweetness from the sugar in the beets, making it a delicious product on its own, known in Eastern Europe as kvass. Two for the price of one! You can’t beet that . . .  

Photography by Steve Klise

Yield
Makes about 3 cups (420 grams) fermented beets and 2½ cups (600 grams) beet kvass
Ingredients
450 g red beets (2 large beets), rinsed and peeled
1125 g water
22.5 g Diamond Crystal kosher salt
1 pound red beets (2 large beets), rinsed and peeled
5 cups water
7½ teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
Essential Equipment
Instructions
    • 450 g red beets (2 large beets), rinsed and peeled 
    • 1125 g water 
    • 22.5 g Diamond Crystal kosher salt
    Using mandoline, slice beets 1/16-inch thick. Whisk water and salt in clean 3-quart (or larger) container until salt is dissolved. Transfer 450 grams (2 cups) brine to 1-quart zipper-lock bag; squeeze out air and seal bag well. Add beets to remaining brine in 3-quart container and press down to submerge. Cut piece of parchment paper to match surface area of beets; press parchment flush against surface of beets. Place bag of brine on top of parchment and gently press down. Cover container tightly with 3 layers of cheesecloth. Secure cheesecloth in place with rubber bands and place container in 50 to 70 degree F/10 to 21 degree C location away from direct sunlight. 
  2. Let beets ferment for 7 days; check container daily, skimming residue from surface and pressing to keep beets submerged. After 7 days, taste beets daily until they have reached desired flavor. They should be sweet, sour, and crisp. 
  3. Discard bag of brine and parchment and skim off any residue. Drain beets, reserving pickling liquid (kvass). Serve. (Leftover beets and kvass can be combined in clean airtight container and refrigerated for up to 1 month; once refrigerated, flavor of beets will continue to mature.) 
Instructions
    • 1 pound red beets (2 large beets), rinsed and peeled 
    • 5 cups water 
    • 7½ teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
    Using mandoline, slice beets 1/16-inch thick. Whisk water and salt in clean 3-quart (or larger) container until salt is dissolved. Transfer 2 cups brine to 1-quart zipper-lock bag; squeeze out air and seal bag well. Add beets to remaining brine in 3-quart container and press down to submerge. Cut piece of parchment paper to match surface area of beets; press parchment flush against surface of beets. Place bag of brine on top of parchment and gently press down. Cover container tightly with 3 layers of cheesecloth. Secure cheesecloth in place with rubber bands and place container in 50 to 70 degree F/10 to 21 degree C location away from direct sunlight. 
  2. Let beets ferment for 7 days; check container daily, skimming residue from surface and pressing to keep beets submerged. After 7 days, taste beets daily until they have reached desired flavor. They should be sweet, sour, and crisp. 
  3. Discard bag of brine and parchment and skim off any residue. Drain beets, reserving pickling liquid (kvass). Serve. (Leftover beets and kvass can be combined in clean airtight container and refrigerated for up to 1 month; once refrigerated, flavor of beets will continue to mature.) 
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