Useful properties and ways of cooking kvass with horseradish

Kvass is a delicious refreshing drink with a rich history dating back centuries. Already in the tenth century it was widely distributed and enjoyed great popularity throughout Russia. It was considered the main drink, which was served daily, and also prepared various dishes on its basis. There were a lot of kvass recipes, in addition to the main ingredients, honey, various fruits, spices and spices added to it, imparting unique taste tones. Among them, mint, lemon, raisins, apples, cumin, beets, pears, horseradish. In certain localities he was made his favorite way. For example, kvass with horseradish was especially popular among residents of the Urals and Siberia. Now in supermarkets already sold ready-made, prepackaged in plastic bottles of kvass, or rather a kvass drink. But this product is very inferior in taste and useful properties to that which can be prepared independently at home by the old recipes.

Kinds of

Depending on the constituents and the preparation method, several types of domestic kvass are distinguished:

• bread( on rye breadcrumbs);
• crockery( white);
• malt;
• fruit( with fruit);
• berry;
• honey;
• milk.

Kvass can be cooked by leavening or without yeast. In the latter case, use a hop ferment or add more sugar for more intensive fermentation. Preparation of a yeast-free variant takes longer than with yeast, since fermentation occurs more slowly.

Kvass has long been added to okroshka, botvinyu and other dishes. To make okroshechny kvass with horseradish is very simple, for this you need at the very end of the cooking to add in it the grated root of the plant and insist. Kvass suitable for okroshki is still white, it tastes not sweet, but sour or sour-salty and has a pronounced bread flavor. It is made with the addition of wheat, buckwheat or flour based on barley or rye malt. There are also recipes for okroshechnogo kvass on rye or wheaten breadcrumbs. It is good for okroshki white kvass with horseradish, which can be bought in the store or cooked by yourself.

Tip: To satisfy thirst in summer, dark kvass varieties are ideal, and white ones are more suitable for adding to traditional Russian cold soups.

Useful properties

Home made kvass not only quenches thirst well and has excellent taste, but it is also a healthy drink. It contains vitamins( groups B, E, C), enzymes, organic acids, proteins, microelements, amino acids and has a beneficial effect on the body:

• promotes metabolism improvement;
• improves tone and performance;
• supports immunity;
• facilitates digestion;
• interferes with the development and growth of pathogenic microflora;
• has a positive effect on the heart and blood vessels.

Kvass with horseradish and other additives improves appetite, activates the digestive glands. It helps in the fight against alcohol dependence, to some extent replacing alcoholic beverages. In this case, it itself contains low concentrations of ethyl alcohol, even less than in low-alcohol beer.

Interestingly: In ancient times people appreciated kvass not only as a drink, but also as a charm. Girls during the ritual of washing on the eve of the wedding poured them shelves in the bath, and men extinguished fires, arising from lightning strikes.

The benefits of kvass are directly dependent on its composition, so it is obvious that the valuable properties of a home-made beverage made from natural ingredients that do not contain artificial colors, preservatives and flavor enhancers will be significantly higher than the store one.

In addition to useful properties of kvass has contraindications. These include cirrhosis of the liver, arterial hypertension, gastritis and other acute inflammatory processes in the digestive tract.

How to prepare

To get delicious kvass with horseradish at home it is important not only to choose the right recipe, but also to adhere to some general recommendations. These include the following:

• for preparing a quality product, it is not worth taking water from the tap, it is better to take spring water or melt water, in the worst case filtered or boiled;
• to have the best taste it needs to be made on the basis of black rye bread without any additives( dill, seeds, cumin and other spices);
• for the preparation of kvass it is necessary to use only glass, ceramic or enameled dishes;
• , when closing the wort with lids, it is necessary to periodically monitor the level of the released carbon dioxide, since a high pressure of carbon dioxide can lead to a disruption of the integrity of the bottle or can;
• when fermented in an open dish will not get too fizzy drink, and in a closed, on the contrary, very fizzy kvass;
• before putting yeast in the future kvass, you need to check their quality, otherwise there is a chance to spoil everything.

Recipes for cooking kvass with horseradish

At home, it is not difficult to make kvass with horseradish, however this procedure is quite long and will take several days. To use the whole prepared by itself drink while storing it in the refrigerator should be for three days, since later it becomes too acidic.

Kvass on yeast

Rye bread( 2 loaves) cut into pieces and bake in the oven. As an alternative, if desired, you can fry them until a crust is formed in a frying pan. The resulting biscuits are placed in a large container, pour 6 liters of boiling water and insist about 4 hours. Then, the liquid is filtered, the temperature is checked, it should not be above 40 ° C, 25 g of yeast and 250 g of sugar are added. When the wort starts to foam, add 250 g of crushed horseradish roots, 50 g of honey, mix and leave for 3 hours. After the specified time, the kvass is filtered and bottled, in which a little raisins are placed. Put in a cool place for several days to ripen, and then transferred to a refrigerator and used for the intended purpose.

Tip: You can check the readiness of kvass by putting a rubber glove on the jar, if it is quickly inflated, it means that you can consume the drink.

Simple recipe of kvass

If there is no time for self-preparation of kvass with horseradish, you can save it a little, taking as a basis a store product. To do this, rub on a fine grater horseradish( 2 tbsp.), Mix it with 1.5 tbsp.l.liquid honey, pour 1 liter of purchased kvass and put it for a day in a cool place. After this time, the drink will be completely ready for use.

No-bake kvass

According to the opinion of many fans the most delicious kvass with horseradish is obtained by recipe without the use of yeast, pure wort and sourdough. Prepare it in the following order:

1. Black rye bread( Borodinsky) in the amount of 500 g cut into pieces, dried in the oven until crunch, then cool.
2. Half of the biscuits are placed in a glass jar, add 20 g of sugar and pour boiled water at room temperature. Cover the container on top with gauze and put in a warm place for two days. After the end of the period of infusion, a turbid liquid with a rather sharp odor and sour taste is obtained.
3. The leaven is poured into a three-liter bottle or other glass container of the same volume, add the remaining half of the breadcrumbs, 40 grams of sugar and pour boiled water at room temperature so that about 6 to 7 cm of unfilled space remains to the top of the bottle. Close gauze and leave in a warm place for two days. As a result, the drink should acquire a characteristic acidity and a leavened aroma.
4. Add 20 g of sugar, 5 tbsp.l.buckwheat honey, 10 - 20 g fresh mint leaves and 150 g grated horseradish root. The more horseradish added, the more vigorous and acute, there will be a ready-made drink. The resulting mixture is insisted for another half a day, then filtered and poured into plastic bottles, filling them up to the throat.
5. In each bottle add a little white raisins, cover with a lid and put in heat. Insist until the carbon dioxide begins to be released, then put in the refrigerator. Such a drink is already ready for use.

Preparation of okroshka on kvass with horseradish: