Inspired by their love of food and passion for health and wellness, our Test Kitchen team launched a Wellness Camp at our headquarters this January, dedicated to teaching Williams-Sonoma employees about little things we could all do to improve our diets and overall sense of well-being. All month, we’ll be sharing some of their favorite tips, from healthy recipe hacks to cooking techniques to small substitutions that make a big difference. Follow along with us on the blog and on Instagram @williamssonoma #wswellness.
When our Test Kitchen cook Sandra Wu craves a sweet carbonated drink, she skips the sugary sodas and opts for fruit juice or ginger beer cut with sparkling water as her go-to refresher.
“Recently, however, I’ve been on a fermented drink kick,” Sandra says. “While I love kombucha, the time involved in preparing it is a little longer than I’d like, so when I was introduced to fruit kvass, I was hooked.”
“Kvass is a fermented drink with Russian origins that is traditionally made with rye bread or beets, water and whey,” she explains.
“Thankfully, it’s also possible to make an easy whey-free fruit version of this beverage: fizzy, and with the true essence of fruit, minus the sweetness. The lacto-fermentation that occurs provides healthy probiotics that are great for the gut.
The recipe below, adapted from cookbook author Rebecca Wood, utilizes a technique that can be used with just about any type of ripe fruit.
Raspberry Kvass
1 Tbs. unpasteurized honey
1 cup organic raspberries
Filtered water
Place the honey and raspberries in a quart-size Mason jar.
Pour enough water to fill the jar, leaving 1 inch of headspace.
Cover tightly and shake gently.
Let sit at room temperature for 2 to 3 days, shaking the jar gently a few times a day, until the raspberries have turned almost white and lost their shape, the liquid is fizzy, and the center of the lid remains taut when pressed.
Strain the kvass through a mesh strainer and discard the fruit solids.
Place a funnel into the top of an empty plastic soda bottle or glass sparkling water bottle. Pour the strained kvass through the funnel, into the bottle, and cap tightly.
Refrigerate and drink within a couple of days.
Serves 2 to 4.
1 comment
Does it have to be honey? There is honey allergy in my house, I can’t have any around.