Kvass - for the soul and health

What drink has the Russian soul? No, do not guess - kvass. This drink has appeared more than a thousand years ago, and ever since remained on Russian soil the most beloved and popular. Talk about kvass, its properties and cooking secrets.

It is believed that the brew was invented more than a millennium ago, and it was the Slavs. Was first mentioned in written sources this drink in 989 - in the annals says that after the baptism of Prince Vladimir ordered "the multitude food, honey and kvass." Kvass loved by all - and ordinary people, and representatives of the upper classes, it is often preferred even overseas wines. Lines of love for kvass can be found in many well-known writers. So, Pushkin expressed the value of kvass as follows: "They kvas as the air was necessary", and Turgenev wrote about one of his heroes: "Kvas he loved as his own father, and French wine could not stand." Explain such popularity kvass is very simple: brew - a drink that perfectly quench thirst, and, and the body of useful substances were filled, and well-being, health will improve.

In kvass contains organic acids, retains moisture in the body - hence his lovely property better than other drinks to quench their thirst. It is rich in vitamins B, E, minerals (calcium, magnesium, etc.), Amino acids. Due to the large amount of nutrients kvass improves cerebral blood circulation, cleanses blood vessels, improves immunity, strengthens the cardiovascular system, stimulates potency. This wonderful drink good for the eyes, diabetes, hypertension, gastrointestinal diseases, goiter, improves the complexion, the condition of hair and nails, making smooth skin and even improves the condition of the nervous system, increases efficiency, improves mood, reduces fatigue. In general, all the useful properties of kvass difficult to list! But this, of course, applies only to home kvass, made from natural ingredients.

Unfortunately, fewer housewives prepare their own brew for hash or normal use, preferring to buy a ready shop option. We hasten to disappoint - nothing to do with this kvass, except fragrance, which is achieved by means of artificial additives, the store does not have a brew. This is just another synthetic substitute with sweeteners and taste imitators.

Today, the ability to prepare delicious home brew - its weight in gold, it is a virtue that colors any hostess and certainly appreciated by all, without exception. Meanwhile, although kvass - this, of course, the arts, special education, and "foreign" ingredients it does not require, and it means that master this science is quite capable to everyone.

The word "brew" reflects the method of preparation of the drink - it is the result of fermentation or "fermentation" of several ingredients. Our ancestors were prepared from malt brew, connecting it with the yeast and sugar, but this method was quite difficult, so in the home were more likely to make kvass from crackers or kvass wort. Kvass can be made from different kinds of bread and flour - rye, barley, wheat, buckwheat, oats, wheat and rye bread. Brew cooked on bread called bread kvass, there are other types of kvass: nezlakovy (from beets, sea buckthorn), malt (barley or on rye malt).

Recipe for homemade bread kvass

Need: 1 liter of water - 200 g of rye bread, 50 g of sugar, 10 g of yeast.

How to kvass. Crackers put in an enamel container, pour boiling water cool, cover, to insist 3-4 hours (during that time stir a few times), then drain the infusion through cheesecloth, add sugar to it. Yeast pre-diluted with warm water, add a little flour, leave for 1 hour and then added together with the sugar in the infusion of crackers. Remove brew in a warm place for 4-12 hours to leave - there should be foam, then brew again strain through cheesecloth in a container and put into the cold, closed container lids, drink kvass can be 1-2 days.

This simple recipe of kvass at home will help to master this science even novice mistress. Complement the taste of kvass can be different products - berries, mint, apples, pears, raisins, etc. For example, if you want to add the raisins, then this should be done when the filtered after fermentation brew poured into containers - each can add 2-3 raisins. By the way, according to NV Sklifosofskiy brew with raisins cleanses the liver. And if at the time of connection with the infusion of yeast and sugar, add the cumin seeds pounded, you get caraway kvass, which improves immunity and digestion (1 kg rye bread need to take 25-30 grams of cumin, 2 cups of sugar, 25 g yeast and 10 liters of water ).

Instead of crackers for kvass can be used and the usual bread, sliced.

Kvass recipes invented so many to list them all is impossible, in the 15th century in Russia there were about 500! We present the most popular recipes of kvass home.

Recipe beet kvass

You will need: 1.5 liters of water, 500 grams of bread, 6 beets.

How to make a brew with beets. Bread should be taken stale, cut it into pieces, the average beet slice. Water should take warm boiled. Pour over bread and beet water, cover, 2 days to insist in a warm, then strain. On such kvass can cook soup. Also, beet kvass can cook a little differently: take 2 liters of water, 1 kg of sugar beet and 4 tbsp sugar beets clean, finely chopped or cut into strips, put in a 3 l jar, pour boiling water, add sugar and put 1 crust of rye bread, cover the jar with cheesecloth, for 3 days left to ferment, then strain, pour into bottles, cork and remove the brew in the cold.

Recipe okroshechnogo kvass

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Need: 3.5 liters of water, 1 kg of rye bread, 50 g of sugar, 25 g yeast, 25 g of flour.

How to Cook kvass for hash. Rye bread cut into small slices, browned in the oven, put in a pot, pour boiling water, cover and insist 3-4 hours, strain mood, add sugar, add yeast, diluted in a little water (flour), put into the heat for 3 -4 hours, then put in the cold when the brew has cooled, strain it through cheesecloth again and pour into bottles.

Secrets of kvass

Kvass wort may be any ingredients (rye malt, crackers or fruit), they are mixed with sugar and water.

First brew roams (usually a day or more), after which the mature (1-2 days).

Do not cover the dish tightly with fermenting kvas, you can simply cover with a clean towel.

Bottles with strained already fermented kvass first to survive a few hours in the heat, and only then remove the cold.

The easiest way to prepare home brew at a special leavened refueling sold in stores, then ferment do not have their own.

Interesting facts about kvass

Originally brew was quite strong - up to 8 degrees, and treated alcoholic beverages until the 12th century. Make a strong brew ceased with the advent of vodka - from this moment Kvasnikov began to pay more attention to taste the drink, he began to contain no more than 1.2% alcohol.

Drunkards, as manufacturers of kvass in Russia called "Kvasnikov" and the word "booze" within the meaning of booze came to our days.

In Tsarist Russia kvass widely used in medical and dietary and necessarily included in the diet of the fleet, the army was fed in hospitals and even prisons.

The benefits of Russian kvass for all Mendeleev said, however, gastritis, ulcers, liver disease (cirrhosis), high blood pressure to drink is not recommended, as it is impossible to give brew for children up to 3 years.

Good shop kvass should contain yeast, sugar and cereal-based - it is specified on the label. If the label indicates that the beverage contains sweeteners, citric acid, or - a surrogate without having useful properties.