Contents
Homemade kvass from mint and lemon is remembered for its light mint aroma with citrus tones and mild refreshing taste, in which a honey base can be traced. The drink is not as dense as real bread or malt kvass, but its taste is brighter and more delicate, with a characteristic mint note. This is a great option for a natural soft drink instead of store-bought lemonades and sodas.
Mint can be replaced with lemon balm, then the aroma and taste of kvass will be more lemony, and pure mint gives obvious menthol tones. Also, mint and lemon balm are added to one kvass, the optimal ratio is 3:1 – add 1 parts of mint to 3 part of lemon balm. Lemon goes well with lemon balm, and lime goes well with mint.
Liquid flower honey is best, but you can take any other, for example, buckwheat, then the color of kvass will be darker, and the honey shade will be stronger.
mint kvass recipe
Ingredients:
- water – 3 l;
- Honey – 300 g;
- fresh mint – 3 sprigs;
- lime – 1 piece (or half a lemon);
- dry yeast – 1 teaspoon.
Preparation
1. Boil water, add 2 sprigs of mint and thinly sliced lime or lemon (pitted). Reduce the heating power to a minimum, boil the water with lime and mint with the lid open for 10 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally.
2. Cool the decoction to a temperature of 55-60 ° C, extract mint and citrus fruits. When honey is heated above 60 ° C, harmful substances are formed in it, therefore, preliminary cooling of the broth is required.
3. Add honey, stir until completely dissolved.
4. Dissolve dry baker’s yeast in a separate container according to the instructions on the sachet.
5. When the wort has cooled below 30 °C, add yeast and 1 sprig of fresh mint, stir.
6. Cover kvass with gauze or thick cloth to protect against insects. Transfer to a dark place at room temperature, leave for 14 hours.
7. Pour mint kvass into bottles for storage. Do not add 3-5 cm to the bottle neck to leave room for foam and carbon dioxide. Close hermetically.
8. Leave the bottles for 6-8 hours at room temperature for carbonation in a dark room or cover with a thick cloth. During fermentation, carbon dioxide will be released, which will make kvass carbonated.
9. Transfer the bottles to the refrigerator or cellar and leave there for 3-5 hours to cool. A small layer of sediment will appear at the bottom, this is normal.
Attention! Check bottled gas pressure periodically. If they become very hard, some of the gas must be bled off, otherwise the high pressure may burst the bottle.
If stored in a refrigerator or basement, the shelf life of homemade mint kvass is up to 10 days. It is advisable to drink open bottles a day before.
