First off, let me just say that I take no responsibility for this recipe. I tried it, it was tasty, and there were no ill effects so I am assuming it's safe enough. There is, after all, enough wild yeast in your average kitchen for this to culture properly without adding bread, salt or whey like most beet kvass recipes will suggest. A tsp of salt per quart will definitely make this safe, but my dad swears that isn't how his grandmother did it.
My father says his grandmother used to keep a pot of this in her kitchen to add to borscht, especially if there was no meat in it. Just a few tablespoons adds a strong "beetyness" to your soup. Being a lover of all things fermented and pro-biotic I figured, what the heck -- why not?
To make this beet kvass all you do is peel and coarsely chop a few raw beets. Place them in a jar and cover completely with water, then let it sit for about a month covered with a loose-fitting lid. In that time, a mold will form that resembles the above. Skim off this mold and give the liquid a good smelling. If it smells rancid, throw it out because something has clearly gone awry. If it smells like beets or fresh soil, you can bottle it up and add it to your borscht as needed (or drink it as a probiotic beverage? I'm told people do this). As for the chopped beets - you can either add more water and do a second batch, or toss those into your borscht too.
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