In hot weather, real kvass perfectly quenches thirst, relieves fatigue and quickly restores strength. This delicious natural drink can also be easily prepared at home, following centuries-old technology. I bring to your attention two recipes for kvass from bread: one with yeast, the other without.

General tips:

• You can make kvass from any type of bread, but the best drinks are made from black rye loaves without the addition of caraway seeds, dill, etc.;
• use only glass, plastic or enamel containers;
• prepare breadcrumbs for kvass without oil and spices;
• When fermenting in tightly sealed containers, be sure to monitor the carbon dioxide level to prevent high pressure from bursting the bottles.

Kvass from bread with yeast

A simple classic option.

Ingredients:

• rye bread – 0.5 kg;
• water – 5 liters;
• sugar – 250 grams;
• pressed yeast - 20 grams (or 5 grams of dry).

Lovers of sweet drinks can increase the amount of sugar added at the eighth stage by 2-3 times.

1. Cut the bread into small pieces and fry in the oven until golden brown. The more dried the bread is, the more bitterness is felt in the kvass and the darker the color, but you should not overdry it.

2. Boil water, then cool to room temperature and pour into a fermentation container.

3. Add crackers, cover the neck of the container with gauze and leave for 48 hours in a dark place at room temperature. If you need to make kvass quickly, you can boil the mixture for 20-30 minutes, then cool to 25-30°C.

4. Dilute the yeast according to the instructions on the packet.

5. Filter the kvass wort through cheesecloth, squeezing the crackers well.

6. Pour the filtered wort into a fermentation container, add 200 grams of sugar and diluted yeast, mix well.

7. Cover the container loosely with a lid so that carbon dioxide can escape freely, then place in a dark place at a temperature of 18-25°C for 14-16 hours.

8. Pour the kvass into a storage container, for example, plastic bottles or jars, add the remaining 50 grams of sugar, stir. If you use several bottles, distribute the sugar evenly, it is needed to create carbon dioxide in the drink.

9. Seal the containers hermetically and place them in a dark place at room temperature for 4-5 hours.

10. Cool homemade bread kvass to a temperature of 8-11°C, transferring the bottles to the refrigerator or basement. This is necessary to stop the fermentation process. After 3-4 hours you can start tasting. Shelf life – up to 3 days.

Kvass with dry yeast

Bread kvass without yeast

A natural drink without the smell or taste of yeast. Raisins are used as a starter.

Ingredients:

• black bread – 0.5 kg;
• sugar – 300 grams;
• water – 5 liters;
• unwashed raisins – 50 grams.

1. Cut the bread into pieces and dry it in the oven, the main thing is that the crackers do not burn, otherwise the kvass will turn out bitter.

2. Boil water, add crackers and 250 grams of sugar, stir.

3. Cool the resulting wort to 22-25°C, then pour into a fermentation container, filling a maximum of 90% of the volume.

4. Add raisins, then mix again, cover the neck with gauze and transfer the jar to a dark place with a temperature of 18-25°C.

5. If the raisins are of high quality, fermentation will begin in 1-2 days, the crackers in the jar will move, then foam, hissing and a slight sour smell will appear on the surface.

6. Two days after the start of fermentation, filter homemade kvass through cheesecloth, add 50 grams of sugar, mix, pour into bottles for storage, add 2-3 raisins to each and close tightly with lids.

7. Keep the drink for 8-12 hours in a dark, warm place to gain gas, then transfer it to the refrigerator or basement. After cooling the bread kvass to 8-11°C, you can proceed to tasting. Shelf life up to 4 days.

Kvass with raisins instead of yeast

What could be more refreshing and invigorating than a sip of homemade kvass on a hot summer day?! Perhaps just a whole mug of this divine drink.

This wonderful cold drink has been known for its illuminating properties since ancient times. Until the 12th century, it was considered a strong alcoholic drink. In terms of its intoxicating effects, it was ahead of even fortified beer. This is where the well-known word that characterizes a good drinking session comes from: “ferment.”

Now they have learned to make it non-alcoholic, which makes supporters of a healthy lifestyle and lovers of this drink very, very happy. Store shelves are full of its numerous offerings, especially in the hot summer.

However, the greatest preference is always given to homemade kvass. Natural, vigorous, it leaves no one indifferent.

Some are sure that preparing it at home is very troublesome. But after reading today's article, you will understand that this is not at all the case. To do this, you only need to arm yourself with a supply of some ingredients and, of course, a good attitude. Let's go…

Kvass is famous not only for its invigorating taste, but also as the proud name of one of the national dishes. It also has healing and beneficial properties for the body. Even children can drink it, especially when made at home. It is very easy to prepare it at home. You just need to be patient.

On a yeast-free basis, it is made from bread wort. You can buy it in the store, or you can make it yourself. For preparation we will need the following ingredients:

1. Two crusts of black bread;
2. 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar (heaped);
3. 2 glasses of warm water;

Preparation:

1. Pre-cut the bread into small cubes and dry in the oven. You should get crispy, brown crackers.

2. Pour them into a small jar (0.5-1 liter), add sugar and pour water. Stir with a spoon, cover with a lid and put in a warm corner.

The mixture will ferment in a day or two. The finished starter has a sour smell and a cloudy appearance.

3. Now let's move on to the next step.

Prepare a 3-liter jar and pour all the resulting starter into it. You can sprinkle a couple more crackers and add sugar. Adjust the amount of sand yourself - some people like it sweeter, while others don’t like it.

Add boiled warm water and cover with a lid. Place in a warm and dark place. After a day, the liquid will “sparkle” and a typical smell will appear.

4. Then pour the resulting volume into plastic bottles, adding a small handful of raisins to each.

Screw the lid well. Soon the bottles will begin to harden. This has begun fermentation. This means that the kvass will be ready very soon. As soon as this happens, put it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.

That's basically all. Nothing complicated. Let's drink and enjoy!

Homemade bread kvass with yeast

The use of yeast helps speed up the maturation process of the drink. That’s why the yeast method is so often used by housewives whose families adore it. The most difficult thing in this matter is to eliminate the yeast taste. But if you follow the rules, this is not difficult to do.

One of the important secrets to obtaining a successful drink is soft and clean water. If your water does not meet these criteria, it is better to use bottled water from the store.

To get a beautiful rich color, crackers are fried.

Many people wonder why they have to be fried in the oven? Is it really not possible to use baked bread? Can! But the color of the liquid will then be pale. The degree of blackening of the crust directly determines the shade of the finished drink.

Ingredients:

1. 2-3 crusts of rye bread;
2. 5 tbsp sugar;
3. 2.5 glasses of water;
4. 15 grams of pressed yeast.

1. Cover the fried crackers with sand and pour hot water. Leave the mixture overnight under the cover of a towel. The next morning, add the yeast, stir and leave for fermentation for a day, covering with a lid.

Then remove the top layer and drain the liquid into the sink. What settles at the bottom is leaven. That's what we need.

2. The first yeast-based portion will have a characteristic taste and smell. Then, the more times the starter is used, the more distant the flavor will be.

Add another 5 tablespoons of sand, 150 g of crackers to the starter and pour warm water, almost bringing it to the neck. The jar should stay under the towel for another day. Then strain the liquid and bottle it. Add 4-5 raisins to each.

After 1-2 hours, put them in the refrigerator for a couple of hours and the kvass is ready for use.

The remainder that remains after straining can be used for further preparation of the drink.

Recipe for sourdough made from rye flour at home

You can also make your favorite drink from rye flour. It turns out no less invigorating and tasty than on bread. However, we won’t say much. It’s better to try it once than to tell how delicious it is.

Ingredients:

1. 450 grams of rye flour;
2. 180 grams of granulated sugar;
3. a pack of dry yeast;
4. a little less than 3 liters of water;
5. 10-12 unwashed raisins;

Preparation:

1. According to tradition, first of all you need to prepare the sourdough, where would you be without it?!

To do this, combine a glass of flour and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Pour boiling water over it all, stirring until the mixture acquires the consistency of sour cream. Send raisins there too. Send the mixture to a warm place, after covering it with a towel.

2. As soon as the mixture begins to “stir,” foam, and emit a sour smell, it is ready. This takes at least a day.

3. Now you can move on to the next step. Add the remaining flour, sugar, yeast to the resulting mass and pour in water. Mix everything thoroughly. Cover with a towel and leave warm overnight.

4. The next morning, pour the kvass into bottles or jugs and put them in the refrigerator. After a couple of hours, the cold drink is ready to drink.

That's how fast and easy it is!

How to prepare kvass for okroshka at home

Every housewife knows that it is better to use homemade kvass for cooking. Store-bought versions are sweet, which makes the cold soup not as tasty as we would like. Therefore, if you decide to pamper your family with okroshka, then it is better to approach this from afar, first preparing the base for this dish.

For this we need:

1. about 3 liters of water;
2. half a loaf of black bread;
3. 50 grams of sugar;
4. a pack of dry yeast;

Preparation:

1. Cut the bread into cubes and place them on a baking sheet.

Place in the oven for a few minutes and bake until golden brown. Without wasting time while the crackers are simmering in the oven, combine water with sugar and boil. Then cool the sweetish syrup until warm.

2. Take half a glass of water from a saucepan and pour yeast into it, stir.

Place the crackers into the sweet water and pour in the yeast mixture. Mix gently, cover with a towel or gauze and leave in the kitchen overnight. The next morning, strain the kvass, pour it into bottles and put 4-5 raisins in each bottle.

You can do without raisins if you don’t like carbonated kvass.

Place the bottles in the refrigerator for 10-12 hours. After this, the drink is ready to prepare okroshka!

Recipe for delicious kvass without yeast on breadcrumbs

Beginners may think that cooking without yeast is impossible, because how else can kvass ferment?! In fact, this is not true at all. This is quite real, which is especially pleasing to drink lovers who do not accept the yeasty taste.

Ingredients:

1. Yeast-free rye bread, about half a loaf;
2. 3-4 tbsp sugar;
3. A handful of raisins;
4. 2.8 liters of water;

Preparation:

1. Make crackers from bread. To do this, you can leave the slices in an open place for the purpose of airing, or fry them in the oven.

The latter option will give the drink a richer shade. Then you need to place them in a three-liter jar and fill with warm boiled water.

2. Add sugar and raisins here.

3. Mix carefully, cover with gauze and put in a warm place for 24 hours. Then strain the liquid and pour into bottles. Place them in the refrigerator for several hours.

This invigorating treat is ready to eat.

Delicious homemade kvass according to grandma's recipe

Everyone remembers those unforgettable days visiting grandma. The best dishes are on the table - pies, okroshechka and, of course, kvass.

Then we ate it with pleasure, imagining that when we grow up, it will certainly be just as tasty to cook.

It’s easy to prepare kvass according to your grandmother’s recipe. And if in the process you remember your beloved granny with the most tender memories, then it will turn out doubly delicious. Try it!

Ingredients:

1. Half a kilo of fresh beets;
2. 50 grams of rye bread (crust);
3. 1 full tablespoon of sugar;
4. 3 liters of water;

Preparation:

1. Wash the beets, peel and cut into small pieces. Place them in a three-liter jar and fill with water so that there is about 5 centimeters left to the neck. Add chopped bread and sugar there.

2. Carefully move and cover with a gauze lid. It is better not to use ordinary lids, as during the fermentation process they will swell and interfere with this action.

3. Place the jar in a warm, dark corner for 5 days. Every day, several times you need to remove the foam that will form on the surface.

4. As soon as the process of foam formation subsides, the kvass must be poured into bottles and stored in a cold place for cooling.

If you plan to use it as a drink, you can add more sugar. For soups it will be great if you add a little chopped garlic to it.

Kvass is a unique drink. For all its taste benefits, it is also very good for health. If you have never tried cooking it at home before, then definitely give it a try. After all, after reading these recipes, you realized that it is not at all difficult.

Or maybe you have experience making homemade kvass? Share it with us, because your opinion is very important to us!

“Russian kvass saved a lot of people” - this proverb fully reflects the importance of this drink for the Slavic peoples. Unfortunately, today's drink, standing on store shelves and called kvass, can hardly be called the savior of the Russian people - it is often a mixture of preservatives and acids that are not very beneficial for the body. Fortunately, making bread kvass at home is very easy.

Kvass is a unique drink. It never gets boring, quenches thirst well thanks to the acids it contains, and tones. There are legends about its healing properties. It is reliably known that kvass has a calming effect, has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system, improves metabolism and digestion. As a product of fermented milk fermentation, it is similar in its effect on the body to kefir, yogurt and kumiss - it regulates the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, prevents the formation of pathogenic microflora, etc.

But all this can only be said about traditional double-fermented kvass. The fact is that now kvass is often prepared using “beer” technology - most manufacturers carry out only incomplete alcoholic fermentation. The lack of lactic and other acids in such a drink is compensated for by chemically synthesized acids. Real kvass is a product of double fermentation - fermented milk and alcohol. In such kvass, the acids necessary for the body are formed naturally, during the life of yeast and lactic acid bacteria.

Recipe for homemade bread kvass with yeast

There are a lot of similar recipes on the Internet. You can’t call it bad, but you can’t call it traditional either. It is simple and this is perhaps its biggest advantage. However, this bread kvass is not much different from the one that ends up on store shelves. However, it is real, homemade, does not contain preservatives, still quenches thirst and carries some nutritional value for the body. In the old days, such a drink could save lives.

Preparation:

1. Cut good rye bread from wholemeal flour (in extreme cases, you can make it from black bread) into cubes of approximately 3x3 cm, and then brown it in the oven for 10-15 minutes at a temperature of about 180 o C. You need to achieve a pleasant golden brown color, no Do not overcook it under any circumstances, otherwise the kvass will be excessively bitter.
2. Now you need to boil 5 liters of clean water and pour it over the browned crackers. Wait 3 to 5 hours for it to cool, and then filter the kvass wort through a couple of layers of gauze and squeeze lightly. Before this, you need to ferment the yeast: in a small bowl, mix a tablespoon of sugar and a glass of warm water, stir until the sugar is completely dissolved and add the yeast. After 10-15 minutes, when foam appears, the yeast is ready to use.

Zest (from one fruit) and lemon juice (from half), raisins (50-60 g) and other similar additives can be added directly to the wort after filtration. It is better to pre-brew spices and herbs in a glass of boiling water, filter and add the prepared decoction to the wort. Bread kvass goes well with cumin, coriander, rosemary - 1 tsp each, as well as herbs such as lemon balm and mint - 1 tbsp.

1. Dissolve the desired amount of sugar in the filtered wort. To begin with, I recommend taking a small amount of sugar and sweetening the ready-made kvass from bread. Over time, you can choose the optimal amount to suit your taste. After this, you need to add yeast to the sweetened wort, cover the container in which the drink is being prepared with gauze and leave it in a warm place for 12-15 hours.
2. The bread kvass is almost ready. The slightly fermented wort must be strained again through cheesecloth and poured into plastic bottles. Before this, you can add 3 tbsp to the kvass. sugar or divide this amount of sugar between bottles - it will be needed to carbonate kvass, this is done with, for example. Close the bottles tightly and wait 5 to 10 hours.

Bottles should be filled no more than ¾ of their capacity. You need to choose containers made of thick plastic with well-fitting stoppers - during the carbonization process, a large amount of carbon dioxide accumulates, which can easily rupture the bottle. That is why it is not recommended to use glass containers for these purposes.

1. Then the kvass needs to be cooled to 10 o C (optional) so that fermentation stops, and it can be safely drunk for at least 3-4 days. Also, the bottles can be left in a cool place, for example, in the basement, for up to 3-4 days, and then drunk. This bread kvass is suitable for consumption for up to four weeks. Enjoy it exceptionally chilled on a hot summer day!

Recipe for kvass from bread without yeast (sourdough)

This recipe is a completely different story. It may not be 100% traditional, but a drink obtained in this way can be called kvass with complete confidence. It contains everything: lactic acid, which is formed as a result of fermented milk fermentation - this is provided by rye sourdough, a small amount of acetic acid - it is formed as a result of alcoholic fermentation. No yeast is added here, which greatly affects the taste and smell of kvass. However, wild yeast is present always and everywhere, and bread wort is a very nutritious medium for them.

So, preparing double-fermented bread kvass:

I won’t tell you how to make rye sourdough, unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, I have absolutely no knowledge of baking. I only know that such starter can be bought ready-made in some supermarkets, but it would be better to ask a housewife you know who bakes bread herself - in almost 100% of cases she will have the required amount of starter in the refrigerator. In the end, there are more than enough recipes for yeast-free rye sourdough on the Internet (Don Pomazan described the process of making rye sourdough in an article with).

In general, the process of making bread kvass at home without yeast is not much different from the first recipe. We also cut the bread into cubes and brown it. Pour boiling water over it, and then wait until the wort cools down to 30 o C (at a higher temperature, the lactic acid bacteria of the starter may die). Add the starter to the cooled wort, mix well and tie the neck of the container with gauze or thick cloth. Leave the wort in a warm place for 2 days, and then filter it through several layers of gauze. Add 40 g of sugar and pour into plastic bottles.

The Slavs have known kvass for more than a thousand years. It is known that the Eastern Slavs owned production recipes long before the formation of Kievan Rus. The first mention of kvass in Russian written sources dates back to 996: after baptism, Prince Vladimir I Svyatoslavich ordered “food, honey and kvass” to be distributed to the people. They also knew how to make kvass in Poland and Lithuania. Nestor reports that the holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called saw the Slavs dousing themselves with kvass in their baths.

The bottles should be sent to a warm place for a day for carbonation, and then put in the refrigerator or taken to the cellar. At this time, you can drink kvass, enjoy life and improve your health. By the way, the sediment remaining at the bottom of the bottles is a kind of starter for that very rye sourdough, so it can be used to prepare another batch of kvass.

Let me remind you that such kvass contains almost no alcohol (no more than 0.5%), it does not have the sometimes unpleasant smell of baker’s yeast, and it itself is as authentic and healthy as possible. More traditional kvass is made from barley and/or rye malt, but that, as they say, is a completely different story.

As if it were bread and kvass, that’s all we have!

There are many successful recipes for making kvass at home - step-by-step instructions, accompanied by photos, become indispensable assistants in the kitchen of every housewife - especially during the summer heat, when a soft drink can perfectly quench your thirst. Making kvass is quite easy - all you need is a simple composition of ingredients, a little time and patience. The main thing in the process of producing a homemade drink is to choose a reliable, proven technology. How to prepare kvass with and without yeast, what do we need, and what determines the final taste properties of the product?

Traditional bread kvass

The bread drink has come to us since the times of Ancient Rus', where it was famous as a true drink of heroes: rumor said that those who tasted the healing properties of kvass get sick less often, get tired less and quickly recover from serious illnesses.

Bread kvass not only quenches thirst well, but is also beneficial for the body

Popular beliefs are also confirmed by scientific facts - it has been reliably established that kvass, along with kefir, yogurt, kumiss and other homemade decoctions, helps normalize intestinal microflora, stabilizes metabolic processes in the body, and improves the functioning of the cardiovascular system.

Containing a huge amount of vitamins, microelements and amino acids, kvass can not only save you from the sweltering heat, but also provide invaluable assistance to the functioning of internal organs. The maximum beneficial qualities of the composition are manifested when it is prepared at home, leaving far behind “store-bought” recipes bottled in plastic bottles.

To prepare kvass, it is better to use rye bread without additives

According to ancient technologies, kvass was made and infused for at least 70 days. Today, there are many simplified options for preparing a quick and tasty bread drink. The main difference between the most popular recipes is the choice of the raw material base of kvass - yeast or yeast-free.

Following a few simple recommendations will help you prepare a wonderful aromatic drink:

• kvass can be prepared from any type of bread, but its taste is most pronounced when using black rye loaves without any additives;
• give preference to glass or enamel containers;
• During the period of fermentation of the drink, carefully monitor the level of carbon dioxide - high pressure can “break” the bottles.

Kvass with yeast

The classic version of making yeast kvass requires the following list of ingredients:

• 0.5 kg of bread;
• 5 liters of water;
• 250 g sugar;
• 20 grams of pressed or 5 grams of dry yeast.

Advice. Those with a sweet tooth can increase the amount of granulated sugar added by 2-3 times.

First of all, we need to cut the bread loaf into small pieces and fry them in the oven until golden brown. It is worth remembering: the more the crackers are fried, the more bitterness will be felt in the drink, the darker its color will be.

Pour 5 liters of boiled water at room temperature into a pre-prepared fermentation container, add baked crackers, cover the neck of the container with gauze and leave for 2 days in a room with a temperature of 20-25 °C.

Important! If kvass needs to be prepared in a short time, boil the resulting mixture for 20-30 minutes and cool it to 25-30 °C.

Kvass starter is infused for 2 days

Filter the resulting kvass wort through cheesecloth, carefully squeezing out the crackers, pour the broth back into the fermentation container, add pre-diluted yeast and 200 grams of sugar, stir the drink.

Cover the fermentation container loosely with a lid and leave for 14-17 hours in a dark place at a temperature of 18-25°C.

The shelf life of bread kvass is 2-3 days.

Our kvass is almost ready - all that remains is to pour it into bottles for storage, evenly distributing and pouring the remaining 50 grams of sugar into each bottle, which is necessary for the appearance of carbon dioxide in the kvass.

Seal the bottles tightly, place them in a dark place for 4-6 hours, then cool the drink and taste it!

Important! The shelf life of this drink is 2-3 days.

Making kvass without yeast

Raisins can be an excellent alternative to yeast, which slightly modifies not only the taste properties of the drink, but also the technology of its preparation.

We will need the following ingredients:

• 0.5 kg of bread.
• 5 liters of water.
• 300 grams of sugar.
• 50 grams of raisins.

Cut the bread into small pieces and dry in the oven.

Add dried crackers and 250 grams of sugar to boiling water, cool the mixture to 25 °C, pour into a fermentation container, filling it approximately 90%. Add raisins, mix the contents thoroughly, cover with gauze and leave in a dark place at room temperature.

After a few days, the raisins will begin to ferment, which will be confirmed by the movement of crackers, as well as foam, hissing and a sour smell at the neck.

2 days after the start of fermentation, pass the drink through cheesecloth, add 50 grams of sugar, pour into bottles, adding 2-3 raisins to each. Having tightly closed the bottles, keep them for 12 hours in a warm, dark place, after which the kvass can be cooled and tasted.

Important! The shelf life of kvass prepared with raisins increases to 4 days.

The shelf life of homemade yeast-free kvass is 4-5 days.

Useful properties and contraindications of kvass

The successful composition of homemade kvass determines its unique characteristics:

• it refreshes, invigorates and perfectly quenches thirst;
• kvass relieves fatigue and increases performance;
• has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the stomach, intestines, blood vessels, improves metabolism;
• improves microflora;
• strengthens the immune system.

People with stomach problems, especially acute gastritis or chronic ulcers, should not indulge in the bread drink. You should also avoid kvass if you have liver disease, gout, as well as nursing mothers and children under 3 years of age.

Russian kvass saved a lot of people.
Folk saying

It’s hot... I don’t want to drink... I don’t want regular water, but sweet lemonades make me sick, and they don’t help with thirst, but I just want to drink more... Shouldn’t we drink kvass?

It is very easy to prepare kvass at home; you can see this for yourself by trying to prepare kvass according to our recipes. Moreover, wort for kvass can be bought at any grocery store.

Kvass at home can be different: on kvass wort, on rye bread, honey, fruit, berry... You can simply drink it in the heat, without fear for your figure and without thinking about the consequences, and it is also used to prepare okroshka, which is so beloved by many in the summer.

The fastest and easiest way to prepare kvass is with ready-made wort. It usually consists of sugar, rye malt, yeast and ground crackers. It is desirable that the kvass concentrate contains no preservatives.

Homemade kvass from dry sourdough

Ingredients:
3 liters of water,
125 g dry kvass,
100 g sugar,
20 g raisins,
6 g dry yeast.

Preparation:
Boil water in a saucepan. Pour one and a half liters of hot kvass into dry kvass, close tightly and leave to steep for 3 hours. Then strain. Pour the remaining water into the infusion. In a small amount of warm water in a separate bowl, dilute the yeast, pour it into the kvass, add sugar, add raisins, cover the pan with gauze and place in a cool place for fermentation. After three days, strain the kvass again and bottle it. Store in the cold for no more than three days.

from dry sourdough and dry malt

To make kvass tasty, like in childhood, you can buy a bag of dry malt for dry kvass and prepare it like this: pour 3-4 tbsp into a three-liter jar. l. dry kvass and 2 tbsp. l. dry malt, ½ tbsp. sugar, half a pack of dry yeast and pour it all with a glass of warm water. Leave in a warm place for fermentation, and when the mass rises a little and rises, add warm water. For better fermentation, add a crust of rye bread and a handful of raisins. When the kvass is ready, strain it, do not throw away the grounds. It can be used to prepare the next portion of the drink. Store the finished kvass in the refrigerator.

Kvass from concentrate (basic recipe)

Ingredients:
3 liters of boiled water,
2 tbsp. kvass concentrate,
150 g sugar,
½ tsp. dry yeast (or pressed, they work faster),
1-2 tsp. raisins (black).

Preparation:
Pour the kvass concentrate into a 3-liter jar, add sugar and 500 ml of water and stir thoroughly. Add the yeast, cover with a napkin and leave to ferment in a warm place for a couple of days. Taste the kvass, and when you are completely satisfied with it, pour it into plastic bottles, put 5-6 raisins in each, screw on the lids and leave again in a warm place to continue fermentation. When the bottles become hard, which indicates that the kvass is well carbonated, put them in the refrigerator. Open with caution!
You can diversify the basic recipe by adding various products to improve the taste and aroma of kvass: mint leaves, currants, berry and fruit juice, grated horseradish (the kvass turns out spicy, invigorating!) - everything is limited only by your gastronomic preferences.

Homebreadkvassby leaps and bounds

Ingredients:
2.5 liters of water,
250 g rye bread,
150 g sugar,
10 g fresh yeast,
a handful of raisins.

Preparation:
Dry the bread, cut into small cubes, in the oven on a baking sheet until golden brown. Boil water and cool to room temperature. Pour crackers into the prepared jar, fill them with water, cover the neck of the jar with gauze and place in a dark place to ferment for two days. Strain the finished wort through cheesecloth, squeeze out the crackers. Dissolve the yeast in a small amount of water. Then pour the filtered wort into a jar, add yeast, 100 g of sugar and stir. Loosely cover the jar with a lid and leave for 16 hours in a dark place at room temperature. Pour the finished kvass into bottles, add a little remaining sugar and raisins to each, close the bottles tightly and again leave them in a dark place at room temperature for fermentation and carbonation. Then put the kvass in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours and then consume it within three days.

Bread kvass without yeast

Ingredients:
3 liters of water,
250 g rye bread,
50 g sugar,
a handful of raisins.

Preparation:
As in the previous recipe, dry the diced bread in the oven. Moreover, the darker your crackers turn out, the more saturated dark color your kvass will turn out. Dissolve sugar in boiling water and cool. Place the crackers in an enamel or glass container prepared for fermentation, add raisins and fill everything with water with sugar dissolved in it. Infuse the kvass for 3-4 days, then strain, bottle and store in a cool place. Open bottles of ready-made kvass carefully, trying not to shake them.

By the way, you can use the remaining soaked crackers, in other words, the starter, several more times, replacing half with fresh crackers and adding sugar or honey.

And here is another option for making homemade kvass, used by our housewives for many years - with the addition of mint and blackcurrant leaves, very aromatic and refreshing.

Kvass "Babushkin"

Ingredients:
2.5 liters of water,
200 g rye crackers,
100 g sugar,
30 g raisins,
20 g yeast,
10 g mint,
8 black currant leaves.

Preparation:
Dissolve the yeast in a glass of warm water. Pour boiling water over rye crackers and leave for 3 hours. Strain the wort obtained in this way through several layers of gauze, add sugar, yeast, mint and blackcurrant leaves. Leave for 10-12 hours, covered with a clean napkin. When your wort has fermented, strain it, bottle it, putting a few raisins in each bottle, seal it and put it in a cool place. In just three days you can enjoy delicious kvass.

The following several recipes contain yeast starter, which can be prepared as follows.

Yeast starter

Ingredients (per 1 liter jar):
black bread, cut into small cubes and dried in the oven,
60 g sugar,
15 g dry yeast,
water.

Preparation:
Place the crackers in a jar, filling it halfway, pour boiling water over the contents. The crackers will swell, which means the amount of water needs to be calculated so that you get a thick paste. Pour less water at first, then add more if necessary. Don’t despair if the starter is too runny, just add more breadcrumbs. Add sugar, stir until completely dissolved, then cover the jar with a clean napkin and let it cool to a temperature of 37-40°C. Add the yeast to the jar, mix well and leave the starter to ferment. Important fact: cover the jar with a napkin, not a plastic lid, as carbon dioxide is produced during the fermentation process. This starter is enough for you to make 10 liters of kvass.

Kvass rusks with horseradish root and honey

Ingredients:
2 liters of water,
300 g rye crackers,
50 g honey,
40 g horseradish root,
30 g sugar,
10 g yeast.

Preparation:
Pour hot water over the crackers and leave for 2 hours. Then rub them through a sieve, add yeast and sugar to the infusion and put them in a warm place for 10 hours. Add honey and chopped horseradish root to the finished kvass, leave for 2 hours, then strain and treat yourself to your health!

By the way, instead of crackers, you can use wheat bran or various types of flour to make kvass. Try it!

Kvass made from oatmeal

Ingredients:
3 liters of water,
750 g oat flour mixed with bran,
40 ml yeast starter.

Preparation:
Pour 2 liters of hot water into the flour mixed with bran and place in a warm place for 12 hours, then, as usual, strain and add the yeast starter and the rest of the water. Keep the infusion for 24 hours. Store the finished kvass in a cool place for no more than three days, although it will probably go away much sooner.

Homemade kvass made from wheat bran

Ingredients:
3 liters of water,
800 g wheat bran,
300 ml lemon juice,
70 g sugar,
25 g dry yeast.

Preparation:
Pour boiling water over the bran and keep on low heat for an hour. Then strain the broth, cool it and add yeast and sugar. Infuse in a warm place for 10-12 hours, then pour lemon juice into the infusion and stir.

Kvass made from rye flour with burnt sugar

Ingredients:
3 liters of water,
100 g rye flour,
35 g wheat flour,
100 g sugar,
15 g yeast,
15 g burnt sugar.

Preparation:
Pour rye flour with 50-70 ml of hot water and stir quickly until a homogeneous mass is formed, without lumps. In a separate bowl, boil the rest of the water, cool it a little and add the brewed flour into it. Dissolve the yeast in warm water, add wheat flour and stir. When the yeast begins to ferment, pour it into the rye infusion and add sugar. Leave it like this for 1 day, then add burnt sugar to the drink.

It’s easy to prepare the sugar: just burn the sugar in a dry frying pan until it melts and a dark color and caramel smell appear. The blacker the burnt sugar, the richer the color of your kvass. To prevent the burnt sugar from turning into coal candy, carefully pour hot water into the melted burnt sugar, literally drop by drop, to form a thick syrup. It can be poured into a bottle and stored in the refrigerator.

Red kvass

Ingredients:
3 liters of water,
250 g sugar,
3 tbsp. l. instant chicory,
a bunch of mint,
½ pack of dry yeast,
1 tsp. Sahara,
2 tbsp. l. water,
lemon acid.

Preparation:
Pour water into a deep container, add sugar, chicory and mint. Boil and leave to cool. Add sugar and water to the yeast, stir and leave to cool. When the liquid with chicory has cooled to a temperature of 37-39°C, pour in the yeast mixture, stir and leave for 3 hours at room temperature. Some people like kvass with a mild taste, while others like it with a pronounced sharp taste, so after 2 hours, taste the drink. Maybe two hours will be enough for you. Add citric acid to the already aged drink to taste and refrigerate.

Apple-coffee kvass

Ingredients:
3 liters of warm boiled water,
1 liter clarified apple juice,
200 g sugar,
1 tsp. dry yeast,
2 tsp. instant coffee.

Preparation:
In a large saucepan, combine sugar and coffee, add yeast and stir. Then pour in warm water and juice. Wait until all the ingredients have dissolved and, loosely covering the pan with a lid, leave the mixture to ferment for 12 hours. When the appointed time is up, strain the kvass, bottle it and refrigerate.

Kvass "Invigorating"

Ingredients:
3 liters of warm boiled water,
200 g sugar,
35 g pressed yeast,
1 tbsp. l. chicory,
1 lemon with zest.

Preparation:
Grind the lemon or pass it through a meat grinder, wrap it in gauze, tie it and place it in a pan or bucket of water. Add yeast and sugar there and stir. While stirring, squeeze the bag of lemon several times and remove. When the ingredients have dispersed in the liquid, pour the resulting solution into bottles, screw on the caps tightly and leave in a warm place, for example, in the sun, for 2 hours. You can check if the drink is ready by pressing on the walls of the plastic bottles. The bottle is hard and it is no longer possible to press on the walls - which means the drink is ready. Remember that if you leave the drink in the sun, you will no longer get kvass, but mash. Place the bottles of finished kvass in the refrigerator, and take a sample the next day.

White kvass from whey

Ingredients:
1 liter of whey,
2 tbsp. l. Sahara,
10 g dry yeast,
orange peels and raisins - to taste.

Preparation:
The whey that remains after making homemade cottage cheese is a valuable nutritious dietary product. White kvass with whey is one of the ways to turn a healthy product into a tasty one. Mix the yeast with sugar, pour in the whey and place in a warm place for 12 hours. Then pour the drink into bottles, after throwing a few orange peels and some washed and dried raisins into the bottom of each bottle. Close the bottles tightly and leave for 2 days for the drink to fully mature.

Many may be alarmed by the cloudiness of kvass, but for a homemade natural product this is a normal phenomenon. Sediment, by the way, is also an indicator of the natural origin of kvass.

Bon appetit and new culinary discoveries!

Larisa Shuftaykina