Kvass the history of the drink. History of kvass. "Drink some kvass, disperse the melancholy!" Properties of the drink and its effect on the human body

Russian cuisine is being talked about more and more often, and the search for national identity in tastes is becoming a subject for thought. Modern Russian cuisine is an attempt to rethink traditional dishes using local products, new recipes and technologies. Many chefs are looking for Russian taste, and the proposal to take a fresh look at local products often becomes a revelation. The Village asked Artur Frolov, chief bartender of the St. Petersburg bar Madbaren, an adherent of waste-free production and a researcher of Russian taste, to talk about traditional national drinks and how interesting it is to use them now. In the first issue we are talking about kvass - one of the oldest drinks, familiar to everyone from childhood.

Arthur Frolov

the chief bartender of the St. Petersburg bar Madbaren

In fact, kvass and kvass drinks are a very old heritage of mankind. Just as it is difficult to determine who invented the cottage cheese, the wheel or the hunting bow, it is impossible to trace the creator of the kvass.
For example, something reminiscent of kvass was prepared in Ancient Egypt: in the 5th century BC, Herodotus talked about a drink called ziphos. To obtain it, bread crusts were soaked, and as a result of fermentation, a bread drink was obtained, which, naturally, very much resembled kvass.
Kvass or similar products were prepared everywhere, however, due to weather conditions and the raw materials itself, it took root in Russia.
In other countries, such drinks were either eventually forgotten or turned into beer. Therefore, kvass is still considered a Slavic invention.
National low-alcohol drinks are present in many countries: in Germany - beer, in France, especially northern - cider, in Greece and ancient Rome, wine was diluted with water and given to children. The reason is the lack of clean water, and the fermented drink is safe from a sanitary point of view.
As in the case with jelly, it is very difficult to track when kvass appeared in Russia. The first mention of it refers only to the 9th-10th centuries, and in one of the chronicles of 996 it is noted that the newly converted peasants were treated to "food, honey and kvass" by the order of Prince Vladimir - this is the first mention of the drink. Kvass, of course, appeared much earlier, but by the 15th century, kvass had become incredibly widespread in Russia. There were about 500, and maybe more, varieties of this drink. They made it sweet, sour, added mint, made with raisins, thick, made kvass, daily, fragrant kvass, kvass for okroshka, added horseradish, herbs, fruits, spices and so on. They drank kvass every day and sometimes endowed it with the properties of a sacred drink or amulet.
For example, girls poured them on the shelves in the bathhouse during the washing ceremony before the wedding, and men sometimes extinguished fires with kvass that occurred due to a lightning strike. It was believed that only kvass and milk could cope with such a fire. At the same time, not only peasants drank kvass, but also the royal court and the rulers themselves.

At home, you can mix kvass with anything: in general, this drink adapts well, and, in fact, in all cocktails where there is Coca-Cola, it can be replaced with kvass

At the end of the 19th century, Okhotny Ryad was the most popular place in Moscow where one could taste kvass. Up to a thousand merchants offered the public varieties of cold kvass. By the way, it was the kvass made from boiled pears that was the leader among the summer soft drinks among the residents of the capital.
Another interesting fact: historically sour cabbage soup is not soup at all, as we used to think, but kvass. The mention in the classical literature of bottles with sour cabbage soup tells not at all about a soup, but about a kvass drink, whose main difference is the use of different types of malt or flour: rye, wheat and buckwheat. As a result of a rather intensive fermentation, a version of carbonated sour kvass was obtained, which was bottled and twisted with a cork in the manner of champagne.
A few words about the traditional technology for making kvass: this is the so-called double fermentation, when kvass is maximally saturated with useful properties. There are two types of fermentation: alcoholic, caused by yeast, and lactic acid, with the help of bacteria. As a result of this double process, kvass is filled with those medicinal and useful properties that have always been attributed to it.
Nowadays, many manufacturers neglect the lactic acid process and, after alcoholic fermentation, add various acids to kvass to stabilize the taste.
On the Internet, you can find a lot of homemade kvass recipes based on anything, and there is no universal method of preparation.
But kvass can be consumed not only in its pure form: I call Russian cola two drinks - kvass and "Baikal". But "Baikal" is a Soviet-made product, and kvass, being more popular and more ancient, I still love more.
When I started making cocktails with Russian flavor, style and Russian products, of course, I really wanted to use kvass. After six months of work in the "Russian style" I made the first drink with kvass - a variation on the club cocktail "Cuba Libre". The classic version is light or golden rum, lime and cola. I replaced the cola with kvass, but something was still missing. For a long time I was picking some combination for kvass, and suddenly lychee became it. In this combination, I got a drink with rye notes, berry taste, very summer, refreshing, but at the same time with a clear Russian sound.
At home, you can mix kvass with anything, in general, this drink adapts well; and, in fact, in all cocktails where there is Coca-Cola, it can be replaced with kvass. However, do not forget about the nuances: a little lemon, some syrup, berries or fruits for balance and taste.
I believe that kvass should go through a certain renaissance and gain popularity again, especially now, in response to the sanctions. I hope that kvass will again hit the hits of drinks.

Evgeny Shatilov tells how kvass was made a couple of centuries ago. Now we make a drink in almost the same way - only a lot and on modern equipment. Steel vats instead of wooden barrels, electric heating instead of a wood-burning stove - well, everything in this (progressive) spirit. But today we are talking about the past - welcome to the Russian Empire!

In pre-revolutionary times, almost every home made kvass according to their own family recipe. This is similar to how borscht is cooked in our time: everyone has a special cooking secret. And, like borscht, kvass was loved by all segments of the population.

Peasants often prepared a simple drink based only on cereals, merchants sprinkled seasonings, and in the manors' estates, raisins and mint were added to kvass. Geography also influenced the recipes: in Karelia, wild berries were added, in Voronezh - horseradish or dill seeds, in the Kuban - apples, and in Astrakhan, ready-made kvass was diluted with watermelon juice. In addition, kvass from one owner in two barrels could differ, because in the 18th century it was impossible to achieve a stable quality of the drink, especially at home.

Nevertheless, the main stages of kvass production were unchanged throughout the country.

1. Preparation of malt

The main ingredient is malt, sprouted cereals. For dark kvass, rye malt is used, for white kvass, rye malt is used, for village kvass, wheat, rye, and barley could be mixed in different proportions.

The crops were harvested from the fields with scythes or sickles, then the ears were dried and threshed - the grains were separated from the ears.

The threshed grain was poured with water in the night - a trough carved out of wood with a wide open top. There, the cereals were germinated to form enzymes, which then break down the starch contained in the grain into simple carbohydrates (otherwise the yeast will have nothing to feed on). The sprouted grains were dried and ground in a mortar.

Although there were methods and simpler. For example, in the Pskov region remember this method: “Kvass was made: rosh of machali and spread on the floor, covered with rags; it grows together in layers - they break the salt, scorch it with hot vada, put it on a thin layer, then ferment it. " Yes, we have a proofreader, we just left the original spelling - it's more interesting.

2. Boiling the wort

Then the kvass-brewer poured the crushed malt into an earthen pot, poured it with water and, with the help of a grab, sent it all into the Russian oven. Simmering malt (or, more simply, cooking) lasted on average from 3 to 6 hours: the exact time depended on the volume of the dishes, the amount of water and malt.

During the simmering, the grain starch broke down into sugars, and the sweetness of the grain turned into a liquid. When everything was ready, the pot was taken out of the oven, and the mash (the same brew) was filtered in order to separate the already unnecessary particles of malt - grain - and feed it to domestic animals.

3. Adding sourdough

Sourdough was added to the wort to induce fermentation. Since a pure culture of yeast was bred only in 1881, fermentation was organized in every way. The easiest way is to leave the wort in the open air, and fermentation started by itself due to wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria from the environment.

To speed up the process, a sourdough was made, which could be based on both sour black bread and yogurt. But since the taste and benefits of the finished drink largely depended on the sourdough, the successful recipe was carefully kept in the family and passed on from generation to generation.

4. Fermentation

The resulting mass was poured into barrels and sent to fermentation in a dark, cool place. The stronger they wanted to get the drink, the longer the fermentation took - at least the future kvass stood for a week, on average - two or three. And in Germany, you can still find kvass, which is classified as weissbier - wheat beer.

Russian kvass is one of the best non-alcoholic drinks. In terms of taste and nutritional qualities, it has no equal. Invented over a thousand years ago, kvass is still popular today.

In Russia, the first written mention of kvass dates back to 989, when the Kiev prince Vladimir converted his subjects to Christianity. In the annals on this occasion it was written - "Distribute food, honey and kvass to the people."

Kvass, made from rye and barley malt, has not only high taste, but invigorates and normalizes metabolic processes in the body. In terms of its effect on the body, it is similar to kefir, yogurt, koumiss and acidophilus. Kvass, like any product of lactic acid fermentation, regulates the activity of the gastrointestinal tract, prevents the reproduction of harmful and pathogenic microbes, raises the tone of the body, improves metabolism and has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system. These healing properties are due to the presence of lactic acid, vitamins, free amino acids, various sugars and trace elements in it.

Kvass increases appetite and has a high energy value. It is no coincidence that many Western European countries have become interested in Russian kvass recipes. At an international competition held in 1975 in Yugoslavia, Russian kvass (from Moscow) received an assessment of 18 points, while the well-known Coca-Cola drink only 9.8 points.

In Russia, kvass ball is always in high esteem. It was cooked in monasteries and soldiers' barracks, in hospitals and hospitals, in landlord estates and peasant huts. The methods of making kvass, as well as the methods of baking, were known in every home. Centuries of experience have shown that kvass helps maintain health and increases efficiency. When performing heavy work - mowing, plowing, preparing firewood - the Russian peasant took with him as a drink not milk or fruit drinks, but kvass, believing that it relieves fatigue and restores strength. This property of kvass was confirmed by scientists.

The introduction of malt extract into the diet of athletes gave a positive effect, in particular, with high loads on the muscles. Therefore, malt extract drinks are given to athletes to improve physical performance, relieve fatigue and increase muscle volume. Bacteriologists, infectious disease specialists and hygienists say that kvass has bactericidal properties. In 1913, V.S.Sotnikov confirmed the death of typhoid and paratyphoid microorganisms in kvass. If we take into account that, along with microelements, kvass contains more than 10 amino acids and 8 of them are irreplaceable, then the value of kvass becomes even more significant. At first glance, the amount of vitamins in kvass is not very large, but their regular intake into the body gives a tangible positive effect.

Making kvass according to old recipes is a very complicated, laborious and time-consuming procedure. It takes more than 70 days from soaking grain, germinating it and steaming it to drying, grinding and preparing the wort. However, nowadays you can buy kvass concentrate, and making kvass from it is quite a simple matter. Kvass is worth consuming as often as possible. After all, this drink, in fact, both dietary and preventive, relieves fatigue and increases efficiency.

Folk proverbs and sayings speak about the value of kvass. Here is some of them:

"Kvass, like bread, never gets boring."
"Russian kvass saved a lot of people."
"And thin kvass is better than good water."
"Cabbage soup with meat, but no - so bread with kvass."
"If only bread and kvass, so is everything with us."

It is necessary that kvass be in every home and constantly. From literary sources it is known that the Eastern Slavs had mastered the art of making tasty, spicy, fragrant "tickling" kvass long before the formation of Kievan Rus. Folk craftsmen have created many varieties of kvass. Even the main ones are difficult to list. The presence of kvass indicated well-being in the house, the strength and stability of everyday life. Remember the poem by Sergei Yesenin "Anna Snegina", where he writes: "Everyone has painted shutters, on holidays meat and kvass." A. Pushkin expressed the value of kvass in the following way: "They consumed the kvass like air."

In past centuries, a Russian person could not do without kvass. Kvass was drunk during work, after work, before and after meals. Kvass was the drink of every day.

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The word "" itself is certainly of Russian origin and means "sour drink". However, for the sake of objectivity, we note that even 8 thousand years ago, something similar to - a drink made from barley grains, something between modern kvass and beer - the ancient Egyptians knew how to cook.

Ancient Babylon also knew fruit kvask, but it didn’t take root in Mesopotamia - didn’t like it, perhaps, some regular conquerors: whether Assyrians, Medes, Persians, Macedonians - go and figure it out.

Such famous historical figures as Herodotus, Pliny the Elder and Hippocrates, who became famous in antiquity, left a description of drinks that are very close to kvass. Moreover, Hippocrates pointed out their healing properties.

And yet we affirm that kvass is primordial. Unlike beer, which was brewed everywhere and always, right down to the Appalachians. The right to do this is given by the fact that no other people have it so widespread. “After water,” Kanshin wrote in the “Nutrition Encyclopedia”, “in Russia the most widespread drink is kvass ...

We even think that they drink it more than water ... "

So there was not, and the Eastern Slavs do not have a more popular drink than kvass. In addition, this is not just a drink, but also food - in the years of famine, kvass, like bread, were saved from exhaustion, especially during numerous Orthodox fasts. And the medicine.

History is proof of this.Love for kvass did not know the class boundaries in Russia. It was drunk with equal pleasure by the poor and the representatives of the privileged classes, and the latter often even preferred kvass to overseas wines. IS Turgenev put it this way in his story “Two Friends”: “He (Krupitsyn) loved kvass, in his own words, like his own father, and he could not stand French wines, especially red ones, and called them sour”.

The excellent taste of kvass amazed foreigners visiting Russia. Thus, the famous traveler and adventurer Casanova wrote the following about kvass: “They (the Russians) have a delicious drink, the name of which I have forgotten. But it is far superior to the Constantinople sherbet. The servants, in spite of all their numbers, are by no means allowed to drink water, but this light, pleasant-tasting and nutritious drink, which is also very cheap, since it is given a large barrel for one ruble. "

Kvass was widely used in tsarist Russia as a means of therapeutic and dietary nutrition. Even then, doctors knew well that it has a good effect on digestion, increases the tone of the body. Kvass was included in the compulsory ration of soldiers in the army, in the navy, even in prisons for prisoners.As a result, the fermentor profession was very widespread in Russia. Usually these masters specialized in the production of certain kvass. Accordingly, they were called "barley kvass" (made kvass from barley groats), "apple", "pear", etc.

And then different kvass were made: sweet, mint, raisin, white okroshechny, white sugar, caraway, petrovsky, boyar, soldier - more than 150 items in total... The famous Moscow kvass-cabbage soup was generally sealed in champagne bottles.

Even gentlemen hussars did not disdain the next morning after their adventures to improve their health with a bottle or two of "Moscow cabbage soup". And in the last quarter of the 19th century, Muscovites especially respected kvass from boiled pears.
Each kvassnik sold its kvass only in the area allotted to it. Violation of this rule threatened many troubles. It was most strictly observed in St. Petersburg, where about 2 million bottles of bottle kvass were sold per day. Many kvass merchants could be found in Moscow in the Okhotny Ryad in the summer.Fermentation required a lot of skill and experience, as well as the necessary equipment. For making kvass, for example, a special tub with a double bottom was used.

According to modern concepts, the production of kvass in those days was waste-free. The thick remaining after the sold kvass was used to ferment the next portion. When the thickets became unsuitable for kvass, they were used as a fairly effective means for cleaning copper items, in particular dishes.For a long time, "good" bread kvass competed quite successfully with alcoholic beverages, and especially with beer. However, in the second half of the 19th century, with the development of capitalism in Russia, the art of leavening began to be lost. The Russian Society for the Preservation of Public Health even took the preparation of an ancient drink under its auspices. At hospitals and infirmaries, special productions of "hospital kvass" were organized, which was an obligatory dietary product for convalescents. And the great lover and popularizer of kvass, the great Russian chemist DI Mendeleev, in 1892 called for the revival of the folk experience of making kvass: "... Russian kvass with its acidity and its healthy nourishing taste is needed now, when the art of homemade kvass preparation began to disappear."At the end of the 19th century, in educated circles, kvass began to be considered a reactionary drink and even partly symbolizing the leaden abominations of Russian life. The "educated classes" found a replacement for kvass: the men chilled themselves with beer or fruit drinks, the young ladies mostly feasted on lemonade. It was at that time that Dostoevsky introduced the words "lemongrass" and "oranges" into circulation, meaning "to show extreme delicacy of feelings." (The word "ferment" in the meaning of "get drunk" appeared a little later.)

Did you know,what

the expression "a mixture of French with Nizhny Novgorod" is directly related to kvass, and not at all to French and Russian. And this mixture (French champagne with Russian kvass) was invented by Russian hussars .

Kvass - contains alcohol, depending on the "leaven" and recipe, it contains from 0.7 to 2.6%. They do not recommend the use of kvass for children (there is no clear age limit, but for children under 3 years old, it is better not to give this drink), besides, kvass is NOT useful for people with liver diseases, in particular for cirrhosis, hypertension and gastritis. Everyone else is welcome. Indeed, kvass contains a huge amount of valuable enzymes, as well as a large percentage of the content of vitamins B1 and E, and other useful vitamins, as well as amino acids and trace elements.

37 recipes for making kvass

Malt kvass

For 1 liter of water, 1 glass of malt, 100 g of sugar and 10 g of yeast.

In Siberian villages, kvass bread was made from rye malt and rye flour. The flour was brewed with boiling water, malt was added, mixed and placed in a clay pot in a Russian oven until the next day. The resulting thick dough was used to make small buns and baked in the oven. These loaves were crushed and used to make kvass. The dried bread could be stored for a whole year. In modern home conditions, you can make kvass from malt in a simpler and faster way. It is enough to boil water in an enamel saucepan, add malt to boiling water, let it brew for 2 ... 3 hours, pour the infusion into a glass jar, add sugar, diluted yeast and put in a cool place for 6 ... 8 hours.

Kvass white okroshechny

option 1

For 30 liters of water 2 kg of rye malt, 1 kg of barley, 8 kg of rye flour, 2 kg of wheat and buckwheat flour, 1 glass of liquid yeast.

Mix rye and barley malt, pour warm water and add rye, wheat and buckwheat flour into the semi-liquid dough. Add boiling water while stirring continuously. Pour the mixture into a keg, add yeast starter and leave for 5 ... 6 hours. Then put out in the cold for 1 ... 2 days.

option 2

Differs in high taste. It was prepared in Russia, carefully selecting the starting products and observing the technology.First, the leaven was prepared. For this, flour was diluted in warm water, yeast was added, and the sourdough was left to ripen. Malt was prepared separately. Usually they took 500 g of rye malt and 250 g of barley malt. This mixture was kneaded in water to a batter. Then a mixture of flour was prepared, which consisted of 2 kg of rye flour, 500 g of buckwheat and 500 g of shenichny flour. The resulting mixture was added to the liquid malt in small portions while adding hot water and stirring to avoid lumps. Water was taken 4 times more (by volume) than flour and malt. The resulting dough was transferred to another dish and placed in a warm place for 5 hours. After that, 7 liters of boiling water was added, stirred thoroughly, and the leaven and curly mint were added (dry plant). The resulting wort was placed in a warm place for fermentation for 12 hours. Fermented kvass was poured into bottles. We stored them in a cool place.

Kvass from concentrate

For 5 ... 6 l of water, 0.5 l of concentrated kvass, 300 ... 400 g of sugar, 30 ... 40 g of yeast.

Dilute the concentrated kvass with water, add sugar, yeast and let it ferment for 8 ... 10 hours, after which the kvass is ready for use (there are other recipes for making kvass from concentrate).

Kvass with horseradish

For 1 liter of kvass, 50 g of horseradish.

Add horseradish shavings to the usual ready-made kvass, let it brew for 2 ... 3 hours. Cool and serve in glasses or tall glasses

. Kvass petrovsky

For 10 liters of kvass 50 ... 60 g of yeast, 400 ... 500 g of horseradish and 500 g of honey.

It is prepared in the same way as ordinary kvass, only horseradish shavings and honey are added. Place the keg in a cold room for 10-12 hours. Then strain through a sieve.

White kvass

The method of making white kvass has been known for a long time. They cooked it in large quantities, and especially in the summer.

For 5 buckets of kvass, 4 kg of rye flour, 400 g of malt and 400 g of buckwheat flour were taken. All this was thoroughly mixed, diluted with water (about 3 liters), mixed again and 3 liters of boiling water were poured. After 0.5 h, 3 l of boiling water was added. Boiling water continued to be added in portions of 2 ... 3 liters until the total amount of solution reached 12 liters. After mixing, the solution was poured into a barrel, added 2 liters of grounds from the old kvass, covered with a cloth and placed in a warm place. The next day, 4 buckets of water (boiled and cooled) were topped up, stirred, and transferred to a cold room. Strain before use.

Kvass with calamus

Add calamus infusion (1 glass of calamus root infusion per 3 liters of kvass) to bread kvass prepared in the usual way, or lower dry calamus roots (50 g) in a gauze bag for 3 ... 5 hours.This kvass has high taste and dietary properties. Calamus roots have a normalizing effect in case of gastritis with low acidity, activate the function of the digestive system, improve vision and hearing, strengthen the gums, act as a calming agent in case of nervous overexcitation, and reduce blood pressure.

Kvass with hops

For 3 liters of kvass, 50 g of hop cones.Infusion of kvass with hops is used in dietary nutrition for gastritis, jaundice and to strengthen hair.

The preparation of such kvass is quite simple. Add hop cones to the finished kvass and leave for 5 ... 8 hours. After that, use as directed by a doctor.

Aromatic kvass with oregano

For 1 liter of kvass, 10 g of dry oregano.Kvass prepared for fermentation can be flavored with oregano. To do this, lower the gauze bag with oregano in kvass for 10 ... 12 hours.

Kvass with mint

Cook in the same way as with oregano, only add 2 tbsp each honey. spoons for 1 liter of kvass.

The recipe for this kvass has been known for a long time. So, in 1800 in the dictionary "Source of Health" about kvass with mint it was said that “this drink, when well boiled, thin and infused with mint, is very healthy. He has a strong ability to resist scurvy and all kinds of rotten diseases. Dulls the acuteness of bile, cools and is very useful at any time, and even more so in summer heat for choleric people.

Kvass from rusks

For 1 liter of water 200 g of crackers, 10 g of yeast, 50 g of sugar.Pour crackers in an enamel saucepan with boiling water, close the lid and insist for 3 hours. Strain the resulting infusion, add sugar and yeast to it. Dilute the yeast with warm water, stir up with flour and leave for 1 hour. After adding yeast to it, put the kvass in a warm place for 4 ... 5 hours, then cool. It's ready to eat.This is the simplest and most affordable way to make kvass from breadcrumbs at home. In the future, rusk kvass was improved by adding various flavored and spicy products to it.It should be noted that in a number of cases, in the preparation of kvass, malt began to be replaced with breadcrumbs and even ordinary bread. So, if initially kvass "Petrovsky", as well as "Ginger" was made from malt, then later from crackers.

Kvass from rusks with raisins

For 10 bottles of kvass, 1 kg of rye bread (for crackers), 25 g of yeast, 200 g of sugar, 20 g of mint, 50 g of raisins.

Pour boiling water over rye crackers, let it brew for 3 ... 4 hours. Strain the infusion, add yeast, sugar, mint to it. Leave to ferment for 10 ... 12 hours. Strain again and pour into bottles. Put 4 washed raisins in each bottle. Close the bottles well with corks and take out to a cold place. After 2 ... 3 days, the kvass is ready.

Lithuanian ginger kvass

For 6 liters of kvass, 1 glass of apple syrup, 1 glass of sugar and 5 g of ginger.

Pour ginger broth and apple syrup into ready-made bread kvass. Add sugar and yeast. Dilute the yeast with warm water, add flour and sugar to them, let them stand for 1 hour.

Caraway kvass

For 20 liters of water 2 kg of rye bread (for crackers), 50 g of yeast, 4 glasses of sugar, 50 ... 60 g of caraway.

Caraway kvass was well prepared in the Urals and Siberia. It is a dietary and preventive drink that regulates digestion and protects against colds.Kvass is prepared from the infusion of rusks, as usual, only crushed cumin seeds are added simultaneously with yeast and sugar. Filter the kvass before cooling.

Okroshechny kvass

For 7 liters of water, 2 kg of rye bread, 100 g of sugar, 50 g of yeast, 50 g of flour.

Dry small slices of rye bread until browning, put them in a saucepan, pour boiling water, cover the dishes, leave for 3 ... 4 hours. Strain the infusion, add sugar and yeast to it. Put the finished kvass in a warm place for 3 ... 4 hours, then cool. After that, strain again through cheesecloth, pour into bottles.

Fast home kvass

For 10 liters of water, 1 kg of rye crackers, 750 g of sugar, 50 g of raisins, 15 g of blackcurrant leaves, 2 ... 3 tbsp. spoons of liquid brewer's yeast, 2 tbsp. tablespoons of dry curly mint.

Pour crackers with hot water and leave for 12 hours, brew mint and blackcurrant leaves separately, leave for 3 ... 5 hours. h, strain and bottle. Add 2 ... 3 raisins to each bottle and leave for 2 days to mature.

Northern kvass

For 1 liter of water, 1 kg of rye crackers, 750 g of sugar, 20 g of blackcurrant leaves, 2 ... 3 tbsp. spoons of liquid brewer's yeast.

Pour rye bread, blackcurrant leaves, sugar with boiling water, mix thoroughly, close the lid and leave in a warm place for 3 ... 4 hours. Strain the settled mixture. Add sourdough to the wort, put it out for 2 ... 3 days in the cold. Then heat the wort to a temperature of 100 ° C and boil for 5 ... 7 minutes, removing the resulting foam. Strain the hot drink, cool, pour into bottles, cork and put in a cold place for a day.

Kvass in Tatar style For 1 liter of water, 1 kg of bread crusts.Cut the bread crusts into small pieces, put in an enamel saucepan and cover with boiled water. Put in a warm place for 6 ... 7 days for infusion. Then strain.

Spicy kvass

For 5 liters of water, 1 kg of crackers, 300 g of sugar, 25 g of yeast, 2 tbsp. tablespoons of raisins, 30 g of a mixture of mint and oregano, zest from 1 lemon.

From ordinary rye and wheat rusks (1: 1), fried until browning, an infusion is prepared according to the generally accepted method, that is, by infusion in hot water for 3 ... 5 hours. Add sugar and diluted yeast to the resulting infusion (wort). Leave to ferment for 1 day. Remove foam, add herbal infusion (mint, oregano) and lemon zest. Stir, pour into bottles, put 3 ... 4 raisins in each bottle, cork the bottles, leave in the room for 1 day. Store ready-made kvass in the cold.

Strong kvass

For 3 liters of water, 1 kg of crackers, 25 g of yeast, 100 g of sugar

. For lovers of strong kvass, you can make a must from rye crackers and water. To do this, pour the crackers with boiling water, leave for 1 day. After that, drain the infusion, add diluted yeast and sugar to it. Leave for 1 day. for fermentation and pour into bottles made of thick glass, in which put 3 ... 4 washed raisins. Cork the bottles and store on their side in the refrigerator at a temperature not exceeding 7 ... 8 ° С.

Kvass in Polish

For 1 liter of water, 1 kg of rye bread, 4 glasses of sugar, 20 g of yeast, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of citric acid or the juice of 2 lemons.

Dry the rye bread, pour boiling water over, let stand for 2 ... 3 hours. When it cools down, strain, add granulated sugar, yeast, lemon juice or citric acid. Leave for 24 hours, then bottle, cork and take out for 3 days in a cold place.

Kvass with juniper

For 1 liter of bread kvass 20 juniper fruits.5 hours before readiness add juniper broth to kvass. Sometimes the fruits are placed in a gauze bag and dipped in ready-made kvass for a day.

Beet-bread kvass

For 1.5 liters of water, 0.5 kg of bread, 6 beetroot crops

Prepared with sliced ​​stale bread, warm boiled water and sliced ​​medium-sized beets. The mixture should be infused for 2 days. in a warm place, strain and use for cooking borscht.

Kvass with mint and burnt sugar

For 3 liters of water, 1 kg of rye bread crumbs, 2 cups of sugar, 25 g of yeast, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of mint infusion (to taste).

Fry rye bread crumbs until lightly browned and cover with hot water. Leave for infusion for 2 ... 3 hours at a temperature of 18 ... 20 ° С. Pour the resulting wort into another bowl. Pour the rusks again with hot water and leave to infuse for another 2 hours. Combine this portion with the first, add sugar and yeast diluted in a small amount of wort. It is better to add sugar in a dissolved state - in the form of a syrup. To improve the taste, add mint infusion and burnt sugar to the wort (infusion) to obtain a brown color. After fermentation for 5 ... 6 h, cool the kvass, pour it into bottles and store at a temperature of 10 ° C.

Kvass from cabbage brine

For 1 liter of cabbage brine, 0.5 liters of kvass concentrate, 1.5 liters of boiled chilled water, 1 glass of sugar, 25 g of yeast.

Such kvass contains anti-ulcer vitamin U, various trace elements, as well as other biologically active substances contained in the kvass concentrate. Pour the industrial-made kvass concentrate into the sauerkraut brine, add sugar, water and yeast. Leave to ferment for 12 hours.

Raw beet kvass

For 2 liters of water, 1 kg of beets, 4 tbsp. tablespoons of sugar

Finely chop the peeled beets with a slice, or cut them into strips with a knife and put in a glass jar with a capacity of 3 liters. Pour boiled coda, add sugar and rye bread crust. Cover the jar with gauze and leave to ferment for 3 days. After that strain the kvass, pour into bottles, seal and cool.

Carrot kvass

For 1 liter of water, 100 g of dried carrots, 200 g of sugar, vanilla sugar on the tip of a knife, 10 g of yeast, 0.2 lemon.

Pour dried carrots with hot water and let it brew for 2 hours, strain. Add sugar, lemon juice to the infusion, cool, put yeast and leave for 4-5 hours for fermentation. When the kvass begins to foam, pour in the vanilla sugar dissolved in boiled water. Put in a cold place for 12 hours.

Kvass near Moscow

For 5 liters drinks 800 g rhubarb, 0.5 kg sugar, 24 g yeast.

Chop the rhubarb cuttings into small pieces or 2 ... 3 cm pieces, put in boiling water and boil for 5 ... 7 minutes. Strain through cheesecloth, cool. Season the cold broth with sugar and yeast, put in a warm place, after 8 ... 10 hours the kvass is ready. Pour it into a glass dish and place in the cold.

Apricot kvass

For 15 liters of water, 5 kg of apricot fruit, 30 g of yeast, honey and sugar to taste.

Keep the harvested apricot fruits at a temperature of 18 ... 20 ° C for 24 hours, crush with a wooden pestle in a tub or barrel, pour hot water for 12 hours (you can boil it). Strain, add yeast, bottle and refrigerate for up to 10 days.

Apple kvass

For 3 liters of bread kvass, 1 kg of apples, 200 g of sugar.

Pour the peel and core of apples with cold water and boil. Pour the rye crackers with the resulting hot broth. Next, cook like regular kvass. Grate the apples together with the peel and core, pour the prepared bread kvass, stir, strain through cheesecloth and add sugar.

Kvass with prunes

For 10 liters of boiled water I kg of crackers, 1 glass of sugar, 50 g of yeast, 150 g of prunes.

Pour crackers with boiling water in a saucepan, stir and put prunes (100 g), cover and leave for 5 hours. Then add sugar, yeast and the rest of the prunes, mix again and put to ferment for 10-12 hours. Then strain through gauze and 2 more days. keep in a cold place.

Lemon kvass

For 3 liters of water 2 ... 3 lemons, 200 g of sugar (for syrup), 30 ... 40 g of raisins, 20 g of yeast.

Scald the lemons with boiling water, remove the zest and place it in a glass jar with a capacity of 3 liters. Pour the zest with a hot solution of sugar syrup, add washed and soaked raisins, lemon juice. Cool to 18 ... 20 ° С and add diluted yeast.

Cornel kvass

For 5 ... 7 liters of water, 1 kg of dogwood fruit, 2 glasses of sugar and 20 g of yeast or a crust of rye bread.

After harvesting, keep fresh cornelian cherry fruits in baskets for 48 hours, then crush with a pestle in a wooden tub, pour hot water for 24 hours. Then strain, add granulated sugar and yeast, allow to ferment for 10 ... …7 days.

Irgi kvass

For 10 liters of water, 1 kg of strawberry berries, 2 glasses of honey, 25 ... 30 g of yeast.

Crush ripe irgi berries with a wooden pestle in a wooden or enamel bowl, add water, bring to a boil, cool. Strain the broth, add honey and yeast to it. Leave to ferment for 10-12 hours. Pour into bottles and store in a cold place. Use as a medicinal drink for hypertension.

Barberry kvass

For 15 liters of water 5 kg of barberry, sugar to taste.

Pour barberry in a tub with water, close tightly and leave for 25 ... 30 days. After that, separate the infusion, dilute it 2 times with water, add sugar at the rate of 100 g per 1 liter of infusion and put in a warm place for fermentation for another 24 hours.Diet kvassFor 3 liters of water, 500 g of wheat bran, 250 g of sugar, 30 ... 50 g of yeast and zest with 1 ... 2 lemons.Brew wheat bran with boiling water, bring to a temperature of 100 ° C over low heat, cool to 18 ... 20 ° C, add sugar and yeast, a decoction of lemon peel and let it ferment for 1 day. After that, strain through cheesecloth, pour into bottles, close with corks.

Kvass from oatmeal

For 5 liters of water, 500 g of oatmeal, 1 glass of sugar, 10 ... 15 g of yeast.

Pour oat flakes "Hercules" with cold water, boil for 30 ... 50 minutes, let it brew until cooled (2 ... 3 hours), strain, add sugar and yeast. Leave for fermentation for 24 hours. Place in the cold and use within 1 ... 2 days.

In contact with

Products of lactic acid and alcoholic fermentation give tonic properties to kvass, and also make it a healing and incredibly tasty drink. But do not think that kvass was originally a sweet joy for children or an acidic base for okroshka. Not at all. Since the 11th century, kvass has been brewed in Russia as a strong alcoholic beverage. That kvass was thick and tart, and the hangover from it was harder than wine.

Thanks to kvass, those who used it for evil, began to be called "kvassniki", which was synonymous with "drunkards". "Kvasili", that is, they drank kvass, both in the common people and in wealthy houses.

A century later, a technology for the production of low-alcohol and strong kvass appeared, but one could guess which drink was meant only by the content of the conversation, from the context. A little later, in order to be able to somehow denote intoxicating and ordinary kvass, the alcoholic drink began to be called "tart" (brewed, meaning the distillation process), in contrast to the naturally sour product.

By the way, at that time, any drink was called beer, but from the XII-XIII centuries. the term "brewed" beer (like kvass) appears, meaning ol (or olui) - one of the types of ale brewed from barley with wormwood or hops, or sikeru - the biblical formulation of an alcoholic drink in general.

A characteristic feature of brewing in Russia was the use of coarse flour as a raw material. For the production of the drink, they took any cereals, but the most popular was rye. In addition to hops, some herbs were used - cumin, wormwood, St. John's wort. They gave the drink a peculiar aroma, designed to drown out the smell of fusel oils, and the corresponding properties. The wort for kvass was poured with boiling water, but not boiled.

Fermentation could be "induced" in several ways. With the spontaneous ingestion of yeast, of which there was an excess in the air of the brewery, lactic acid bacteria also penetrated into the wort: the combination of these microorganisms and their waste products gave the kvass a sour taste. Such kvass could stand for a very long time!

The second method of fermentation with the help of brewer's yeast caused alcoholic fermentation, as a result of which the kvass became slightly sweet. When using special starter cultures, for example, sediment from kvass obtained by spontaneous fermentation, the fermentation process took place more intensively. Sometimes, to speed up the processes, a piece of sour dough was added to kvass.

Traditionally, the first kvass was brewed by the beginning of spring, so that the most delicious drink was obtained on March 1, and its subsequent “versions” diluted with water became weaker and less concentrated.

To "put" a new kvass, they usually used an old container, without even cleaning it from the previous residues: this is how a perennial fungal culture was grown.