Artificial Food Coloring Free Beet Kvass Tonic
That deep ruby color in your glass? It comes entirely from real beets — no dyes, no additives, nothing artificial at all. This fermented tonic is one of those recipes that feels almost magical: a handful of whole ingredients, a little patience, and you end up with something genuinely vibrant and alive. The ginger adds a gentle warmth, the apple cider vinegar gives it a bright backbone, and the slow fermentation at room temperature develops a pleasantly tangy depth that no store-bought drink can quite replicate. For anyone navigating labels and scanning ingredient lists for synthetic colorings, this is a total breath of fresh air — every shade of crimson here is earned naturally. It's earthy and slightly sour in the best way, and serving it chilled in small glasses makes it feel like a proper ritual. Whether you sip it as a daily tonic or offer it to guests as a conversation-starting aperitif, it delivers serious flavor with zero compromise.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- ¾ lb raw beets (about 2 medium), peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
- 3 cups filtered water, room temperature
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Place the cubed beets into a clean 1-quart wide-mouth glass jar. Add the sea salt, apple cider vinegar, and grated ginger. Tuck in the thyme sprigs, if using.
- 2
Pour the filtered water over the beets, leaving at least 1 inch of headspace at the top of the jar. The beets should be fully submerged; press them down gently if any float above the waterline.
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