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    Home » Recipes » Recipes

    Bread Kvass with Blackcurrants

    Author: Peter Kolesnichenko · Published: Jun 22, 2018 · Modified: Sep 19, 2021

    Jump to Recipe
    Kvass with black currants in a  glass
    • Kvass with Blackcurrants preparation
    • Kvass with Blackcurrants preparation

    Bread Kvass with Blackcurrants ( хлебный Квас смородиновый) is a delicious fermented rye bread drink recipe, sweetened with fresh blackcurrants. A perfectly refreshing drink, a twist on a traditional Russian Kvass.

    This recipe can be made with many different ingredients and in different ways. A different healthy version is made only with beets and is naturally fermented and full of probiotics. The most popular recipe is made with dark Russian Rye bread, and is sold commercially in soft drink bottles, like a Russian Coca-Cola!

    Traditionally made with a Russian Rye called black bread. The darker the rye, that is what impacts the color of the Kvass. This Black Currant Kvass is a bit of a different way of enjoying Kvass. A bit of a summer fruity twist. Not sweet, but a flavored non-alcoholic bread beer.

    Kvass is enjoyed in Northern Slavic countries, Central Asia and the Baltic States. In Lithuania, its called Gira.

    • Pouring Kvass through a funnel into a bottle

    Is Kvass alcoholic?

    Traditionally Blackcurrant Kvass is made by fermenting Blackcurrant juice with yeast, a fizzy fermented fruit drink. I think it's much tastier with with the depth that a rye bread provides, and more refreshing too! Kvass is classed as a non-alcoholic drink, usually containing about 0.05% alchol in it, like your de-alcoholized beer in the grocery store.

    You don't need to use fresh blackcurrants from the garden (nice if you have them). I used frozen blackcurrants from the grocery store, as fresh blackcurrants are hard to find here! I miss having them growing at the backyard and dacha in the summer! Fun fact, Black currants were once illegal in the United States, so not everyone is familiar with this European fruit. Homemade Blackcurrant Juice is one of my summer favorites, we also make blackcurrant jam too.

    A refreshing summer Kvass drink made from Rye Bread and Blackcurrants, fermented and non-alcoholic. Like a homemade beer, but sweeter and healthier. Bon Appetit! Приятного аппетита!

    Kvass Recipe

    Bread Kvass with Blackcurrants (хлебный Квас смородиновый)

    A refreshing summer Kvass drink made from Rye Bread and Blackcurrants, fermented and slightly-alcoholic. Like a homemade beer, but sweeter & healthier. (хлебный Квас смородиновый)
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
    Course: beverages, Drinks
    Cuisine: Russian, Slavic, Ukrainian
    Keyword: Kvass
    Author: Peter Kolesnichenko

    Ingredients

    • Ingredients
    • ½ loaf of dark Rye bread 350g, the darker the better
    • 250 g fresh black currant berries
    • 5 litres of water
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 2 teaspoons brewer's yeast 7 grams or 1 packet
    • 2 teaspoons of raisins
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Fill large stock pot with 5 litres of water and bring to a boil.
    • In a bowl, muddle or mash the black currants berries until they are broken and juice is released.
    • Toast the bread on the darkest toaster setting. The darker the toast, the darker the drink will be, a little blackness is ok. (fyi...the smoke alarm might go off)

    • When the water is boiled, remove from heat. Add the toast and black currants to the boiling water, cover and allow to cool (better to leave overnight).

    • Strain the toasted rye bread and black currants using a cheesecloth.
    • The kvass will be cool at this moment. Quickly warm it up on the stove, until it is warm and around 35°C/95°F. Don't use water hotter than 45°C/110°F, or it will kill the yeast. If the water is cold, the yeast won't activate.

    • Add the yeast, sugar, and 1 teaspoon of raisins and allow to sit for 6-8 hours. Stir to make sure the sugar is fully dissolved. You will see foam and bubbles start to rise.

    • Strain the black currant kvass using a cheese cloth. Put 2-3 raisins in each soft drink bottle and pour and seal tightly. Only fill the bottle about ⅔ of the way, squeezing the sides letting air out, as it will continue to ferment and expand in the fridge. The next day, when the bottle is too tight, open it to release some air out, and squeeze again.

    • After about 3 days in the fridge, you're ready to enjoy!

    Tried this recipe?Mention @petersfoodadventures or tag #petersfoodadventures!

    ©PetersFoodAdventures.com

    Kvass
    A refreshing summer Kvass drink made from Rye Bread and Blackcurrants, fermented and slightly-alcoholic. Like a homemade beer, but sweeter & healthier.
    A refreshing summertime fruit kvass made from Rye Bread and Blackcurrants, fermented and non-alcoholic. Like a homemade beer, but sweeter and healthier. Delicious Rye Bread Kvass with Blackcurrants.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Eusebia

      July 30, 2020 at 3:15 pm

      5 stars
      Very well done and written.
      I've just started writing a blog just recently and realised that many articles simply rework
      old content but add very little of worth. It's fantastic to seee an educational post of some actual vzlue tto me,
      as a reader.
      It'sgoing on the list of things I need to replicate as a new blogger.
      Reader engagement and content quality are king.

      Many excellent thoughts; you havge unquestionably made it on my list of sites to watch!

      Carry on the fantastic work!
      Well done,
      Davina

      Reply
    2. Choclette

      July 02, 2019 at 8:41 pm

      5 stars
      Ooh this is exciting. I make beet kvass quite regularly, but I've never tried traditional kvass made with bread. I love that you've used blackcurrants in this recipe too. Tried to pin the photo with the blue border at the bottom, but it doesn't come up as an option when I press the Pin sharing button.

      Reply
      • Peter's Food Adventures

        July 02, 2019 at 8:46 pm

        Hope you enjoy it! Thanks for letting me know about the pin, will check it out! 👍🏻👍🏻

        Reply
    3. Billy

      July 16, 2018 at 12:39 pm

      5 stars
      Looks so yummy! Can't wait to make this at home. My significant other will love this for sure! We always have great fun fermenting our own drinks.

      Reply
      • PetersFoodAdventures

        July 16, 2018 at 11:07 pm

        Thanks for checking it out! Homemade fermented drinks are the best! 🙂

        Reply
    4. Alena @ My Delicious Meals

      June 22, 2018 at 7:39 am

      5 stars
      I love the color, and it looks so delicious!! I've never added black currents to kvas, because they are not so easy to find where I live. Where do you buy them Peter? local Russian store??

      Reply
      • PetersFoodAdventures

        June 22, 2018 at 10:43 am

        Thanks Alena! They are hard to find here also, I planted one just waiting for it to grow! I use frozen blackcurrants, either from a Russian store or from a supermarket I found that sells them. They import them from Poland! 🙂

        Reply
    5 from 4 votes

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