Honey kvass is a refreshing, moderately carbonated and slightly sweet drink made from natural ingredients. We will consider a universal recipe in which ordinary baker’s yeast can be replaced with sourdough, which will positively affect the aroma and taste.
Water should be well-settled, without a high concentration of chlorine, I advise you to use bottled water. Any fresh honey is suitable, it can be thick, but not necessarily candied honey. Preferably a floral one that brings a light garden flavor to the drink. Lemon juice balances flavor and promotes fermentation.
Ingredients:
- water – 2 liters;
- honey – 0,5 kg;
- lemon juice – 200 ml (or 4 medium lemons);
- yeast – 20 grams dry (100 grams pressed), 50 grams of raisins or sourdough.
Yeast selection
The easiest option for preparing honey kvass is to add dry or pressed baker’s yeast, but the finished drink is almost guaranteed to have a characteristic yeasty smell, and sometimes the taste worsens.
Ordinary yeast is replaced with wine (in proportion to 3 liters of must), unwashed raisins or pre-made sourdough (3-4 days before working with honey).
The best solution is wine yeast. If they are not available, you can pour unwashed raisins (25 grams per 1 liter of water) into the kvass wort, on the surface of which there are “wild” wine yeasts. The problem is that almost all raisins sold today are treated with special preservatives that kill yeast or are infected with mold to increase their shelf life.
At home, for reinsurance in case of bad raisins, it is better to make a starter in advance, which requires 3-5% of the must volume. In addition to raisins, you can use unwashed fresh grapes, raspberries, cherries, currants or strawberries. The method of preparing the sourdough is shown in the video.
honey kvass recipe
1. Squeeze juice from lemons by any available method. For example, just cut each citrus into 2 parts and squeeze the juice with your hands.
2. Put very thick honey in a saucepan or saucepan, then put it on low heat or a water bath (preferably). Stirring constantly, bring honey to a liquid state and immediately remove from heat. Initially, liquid honey does not need to be heated.
3. Dilute yeast according to label instructions. In a fermentation container (plastic eggplant or glass jar), mix room temperature water and half the honey. Add yeast or sourdough to the must (possible with raisins or berries). Mix until smooth. At least half of the volume should be left free for the addition of a second portion of honey and carbon dioxide released.
4. Cover the neck of the container with gauze so that insects do not get inside. Transfer honey kvass to a dark place (or cover with a thick cloth) at room temperature (18-27°C).
5. Leave the drink for 10-12 hours. 2-3 hours after mixing, signs of fermentation should appear: foam on the surface, a slight sour smell and hiss. This means that everything is going well.
6. Add the remaining half of the honey to the drink. Mix until smooth. Can be bottled or other more convenient storage container. Close the lid tightly and leave for another 60-90 minutes at room temperature to saturate with carbon dioxide, which is released during fermentation. This will make homemade honey kvass carbonated.
Attention! Periodically check the gas pressure, if necessary (the plastic containers have become very hard, the lid has become very inflated), bleed the carbon dioxide by opening the bottle, otherwise the excess pressure may break the container.
7. Put the drink in the refrigerator, cellar or basement. After 12-16 hours kvass is ready. Shelf life in the refrigerator in a hermetically sealed container – up to 10 days (preferably no more than 5).
