Comments on: Fermented Fruit Kvass

By: Joan Albright

Joan Albright — Thu, 02 May 2013 21:56:47 +0000

That sounds less like kvass and more like mead.

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 21:12:55 +0000

Agave contains more fructose than high fructose corn syrup (from 70-90%); the marketing of agave has declared it to be natural and “healthy”. They have ridden the coattails of the glycemic index without revealing the truth about what high levels of fructose does to the liver and body in relation to LDL’s.
Fructose is processed by your liver into triglycerides or stored as fat. Not only is it taxing your liver, but it actually sends your liver into hyperdrive synthesizing fat… Increases up to 75%!
This adipose fat is designed as stored energy and changes the blood glucose balance which contributes to insulin sensitivity. There is also a rise in dense LDL particles and oxidized LDL (low-density lipoprotein)…
Think of it like sand in the ocean…. The finer particles (LDL) settle underneath the coarser sand (HDL) above…. The larger particulate is in motion at the top while the finer, forms a sticky muck underneath…. This is how cholesterol essentially works where it forms plaque on our arteries.
In short, fructose impairs glucose-induced hepatic triglyceride synthesis; agave in fact, might be the worst offenders and extremely unhealthy.
A better option which only contains 6% glucose/fructose and also extremely low on the glycemic index would be coconut palm sugar. The only unfortunate aspect of this sugar is that it is harvested from the flowering portion of the palm; if you are familiar, this is what becomes the coconut. Sustainable yes, but it robs from the coconut/coconut oil industry.
You decide, but stay far away from agave for your own health.

Honey is also a fantastic product, I can’t imagine how small scale farming of honey is detrimental too the bees or our bodies. I once ate honey comb from a hive placed in the middle of a Pikake field in Kauai, it was pure armotic bliss…. To support a symbiotic relationship in such an artful manner seems nothing short of highly sensible.

By: Green Kitchen Stories

Green Kitchen Stories — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 20:34:55 +0000

Hi Shalene!
The unpasteurized honey will kickstart the process.

Good luck with the recipe
/Luise

By: Shalene

Shalene — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 19:52:24 +0000

I’ve made sourdough and my own yogurt, and I’ve loved the results with both. Now I want to try this. Sounds delicious! Just so I understand how this process works though, where is the bacteria coming from that’s necessary for the fermentation process? The absence of a starter has me a bit confused, and because the kvass is closed off to air, it’s not pulling bacteria from the environment. Is it simply a chemical reaction between the sugars in the fruit and the honey? Tanks again for a lovely post! Your site is always inspiring!

By: Green Kitchen Stories

Green Kitchen Stories — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 11:14:59 +0000

Hi Flora,
you get the best result when using pure water and unpasteurized honey when fermenting. If using tap water or pasteurized honey you need to add a starter, such as yeast or whey.
Good luck
/Luise

By: Flora Sandy

Flora Sandy — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 05:50:35 +0000

I was wondering- what if you use pasteurized honey? will it still be alright?

By: Girl

Girl — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 19:05:06 +0000

It’s actually Ukrainian and made from bread

By: regressada

regressada — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 03:34:01 +0000

Thanks for the great recipe! I’ve had beet kvass before and it was terrible…I think this will be much tastier.
What happens if you don’t have any unpasteurized honey? Will it not ferment correctly?

Thanks!

By: Grace

Grace — Sat, 29 Sep 2012 22:20:36 +0000

Skip the honey and add whey at 1/2 cup per quart of your vessel.

By: Irina

Irina — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 15:29:07 +0000

This definitely caught my attention! I’m from Ukraine but live in New York. Due to the large immigrant population, some ethnic grocery stores sell 2-liter bottles of kvass, but it is not the same as the stuff sold at street stands that I remember (that tasted more like something between beer and hard cider, and the bottled stuff tastes like… sweet, bready soda). Anyway, I don’t trust the bottled stuff to be close to the real thing, the sweetness is unpleasant, and I am dubious of the probiotics, but my father drinks it all the time, so I am very happy to have found such a simple and healthy alternative!
Have you ever tried a shot of raspberry liquor in a glass of apple cider? It’s delicious. So I’m going to try to ferment apples and raspberries! Thanks again for the great idea!!