Home's Kvass - Cold beverage.

Description:

Russians drink kvass is a cold beverage. 

Ingredients to make Kvass:

8 litres (16 pint) - water
1 kg (2 lb) - rusks
750 grams ( 1,5 - 1,8 lb) - sugar
25 grams (1 oz) yeast
2 tbsp. dried ground herbs (spearmint, Melissa, st.-john's-wort)
10 - 15 black currant leaves
50 g (2 oz) raisins

Method:

1. Crush the rye rusks or rye bread dried in the oven, put it in big saucepan, pour boiled hot water, mix, cover and leave for 12 hours in a warm place, stirring from time to time. 

2. Strain and discard rusks. 

3. Put into 2 cup of boiled water dried herbs. Strain and discard herbs.

4. Put into 2 cup of boiled water black currant leaves. Strain and discard leaves.

5. Add into the main liquid herbs tea and currant leaves tea, then the sugar and yeast, dissolved in a small amount of warm boiled water, mix and leave for 4 - 5 hours. 

6. When the kvass begins to foam violently, strain it again. Pour kvass into bottles, add 3- 5 raisins into each bottle, cork tightly, and after 1 - 2 hours at room temperature, put them in the fridge. After 2 days the kvass will be ready to drink.

7. Kvass should be served with ice.

(10-15 grams =1/2 oz; 100 g = 4 oz)