Russian Apple Kvass

Kvass has been the staple Russian drink for at least a thousand years that we know of, with the first written mentioning of it in the year 986 in the Chronicle of Nestor (full text here). The word ‘kvass’ comes from ‘kvasit’, which means ‘to sour’ or ‘to ferment’. Simply put, it’s a mixture of starch and water fermented with lactic bacteria; it can be plain and sour, or flavored and sweetened. The starch can be anything from rye and barley to oats and wheat, with rye being the most popular by far. There are hundreds of varieties of Russian kvass, with fruit, spices, berries, vegetables and even parts of trees.

Most varieties contain sprouted (malted) rye flour known as ‘solod‘ in Russia. It works on the same principle as in beer making (with the difference that beer would use whole malted unhulled grains), because malted grain develops a set of enzymes, some of which help turn starch into sugar, and some break down grain proteins into simpler compounds that can be used by the yeast. To make kvass, flour and malted rye flour are mixed with hot water, then allowed to cool, and then a medium of lacto bacteria and yeast is added to facilitate fermentation. That medium can be sourdough starter (‘zakvaska’), or a piece of stale rye bread, or a small part of a previous batch of kvass. Use of whey or any kind of dairy culture was not allowed in kvass because it was consumed every day of the year including the long stretches of very strict religious fasts when none of the animal foods were allowed. The use of a starter culture and slow cooling of the wort (initial mixture of flour and water) is the reason that kvass doesn’t develop alcohol. During slow cooling, various bacteria (including lactic bacteria from the air) are starting to proliferate inhibiting the activity of alcohol forming yeast, which is further decelerated because of formation of the acidic environment due to the lactic culture.

There are different techniques to making kvass that affect both color and taste – cooking the wort at low temperature for a long time, roasting the flour, etc. The recipe I posted here is for a light kvass with very mild taste, and is very easy. Using apples in kvass is new to me, I just started making it this August when local apples became available at the farmers market, and have made it several times because my toddlers love it and ask for it. I don’t sweeten it, even though it’s a common practice to add a bit of honey. I didn’t like red apples, they gave a funny aftertaste but yellow apples make this kvass very fragrant. To describe the taste and texture – slightly fizzy, very apple-aromatic, mild, non-sweet, just slightly tart, and very refreshing in a thirst-quenching way.

Since you found this post, I’ll assume that you already know about healthfulness of lacto fermented foods and will spare you my tirade praising their benefits. Happy drinking 🙂

HOW TO MAKE RUSSIAN APPLE KVASS

Ingredients
4-5 yellow apples, quartered (with cores)
Filtered water (less than a gallon)
4 tablespoons whole rye flour, or combination of rye flour and sprouted rye flour
1-2 tablespoons sourdough starter, preferably rye (how to make rye starter)
A few raisins
Honey to taste (optional)

Instructions
Bring water to boil, and let cool for 15 minutes or so (if you measure it, it would be about 160ºF).
Add rye flour; and sprouted rye flour, if available. Whisk well to dissolve. Allow to cool until warm or room temperature.
Add rye starter, which again to dissolve.
Toss apples into a gallon mason jar and pour rye water over them.
Close rightly, and leave at room temperature for 3-4 days. Remove any froth forming on top a couple of times a day).
Remove apples (I eat them); add a few raisins. Add honey, if desired. Cover with airtight lid. Keep at room temperature overnight.
Transfer to fridge.

Print Recipe

4 from 1 vote

Russian Apple Kvass

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time3 days d

Course: Beverage

Cuisine: RUSSIAN

Author: Valeria - Beets 'n Bones blog

Ingredients

• 4-5 yellow apples quartered (with cores)
• filtered water less than a gallon
• 4 tablespoons whole rye flour or combination of rye flour and sprouted rye flour
• 1-2 tablespoons sourdough starter preferably rye (how to make rye starter)
• A few raisins
• Honey to taste optional

Instructions

• Bring water to boil, and let cool for 15 minutes or so.
• Add rye flour; and sprouted rye flour, if available. Whisk well to dissolve. Allow to cool until warm or room temperature.
• Add rye starter, whisk again to dissolve.
• Toss apples into a gallon mason jar and pour rye water over them.
• Close tightly, and leave at room temperature for 3-4 days. Remove any froth forming on top a couple of times a day.
• Remove apples (I eat them); add a few raisins, and honey, if desired. Keep at room temperature overnight.
• Transfer to fridge.

Notes

It is customary to add honey at the end of fermentation to sweeten a light kvass like this but I prefer it non-sweet. Raisins are added to make it more fizzy. Keep it covered with air-tight lid after adding raisins and/or honey.