Beet Kvass Molasses
By Sasha MarxPublished on May 2, 2017
Yield
Makes ½ cup
Ingredients
Before You Begin
Beet kvass is a lightly fermented Eastern European beverage, traditionally made by fermenting beets in a brine with rye bread. Click here for our version. This recipe can easily be adapted to fit the amount of kvass you are willing to part with, but keep in mind that if you use less kvass, you will see diminishing molasses returns.
Instructions
- Combine kvass and sugar in medium saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, whisking frequently to dissolve sugar, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally and scraping down sides of saucepan with rubber spatula, until mixture thickens to molasses-like consistency, fully coats back of spoon, and measures about ½ cup, 20 to 30 minutes.
- Strain mixture through fine-mesh strainer into heat-resistant airtight container; let cool until no longer steaming, 10 to 15 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. (Beet kvass molasses can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 1 month.)
Yield
Makes ½ cupIngredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
We wanted to provide another use for our Beet Kvass, the delicious, briny byproduct of making lacto-fermented beets. If our Negroni-inspired granita isn’t your bag, then maybe this kvass molasses will be to your liking. This recipe is inspired by pomegranate molasses, a pantry staple in Middle Eastern cuisine—made by reducing pomegranate juice (with or without sugar) to a thick syrup—that is used in both sweet and savory dishes.
This recipe is dead simple—combine beet kvass and sugar in a pot and reduce it to a thick syrup over low heat. The final product is sweet and sour, with bonus savory depth from the lacto-fermentation process. From there, the culinary possibilities are endless. Substitute it for grenadine in cocktails or make hipster Shirley Temples; add it to your favorite vinaigrette recipe to boost acidity and provide body; stir a little into a mignonette sauce for raw oysters; brush it onto meat, fish, or vegetables as a glaze; substitute it for pomegranate molasses in muhammara (check out the version we made for Hasselback Eggplant); or treat it like aged balsamic vinegar and drizzle it over vanilla ice cream.
Photography by Steve Klise
Before You Begin
Beet kvass is a lightly fermented Eastern European beverage, traditionally made by fermenting beets in a brine with rye bread. Click here for our version. This recipe can easily be adapted to fit the amount of kvass you are willing to part with, but keep in mind that if you use less kvass, you will see diminishing molasses returns.
Instructions
- Combine kvass and sugar in medium saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, whisking frequently to dissolve sugar, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally and scraping down sides of saucepan with rubber spatula, until mixture thickens to molasses-like consistency, fully coats back of spoon, and measures about ½ cup, 20 to 30 minutes.
- Strain mixture through fine-mesh strainer into heat-resistant airtight container; let cool until no longer steaming, 10 to 15 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. (Beet kvass molasses can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 1 month.)
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