Beet Kvass Tonic

1. Leaving the skin on the beets, cut into ½-inch chunks. Divide the beets, thyme, garlic, and lemon zest into 2 1-quart mason jars and add 1 tablespoon of salt to each jar.
2. Fill each jar with filtered water until it reaches ½ inch from the top. Cover the jar tightly with an air lock.
3. Allow the jars to sit at room temperature and test daily. When done, it will be lightly effervescent and pleasantly tart. Depending on ambient conditions and your preferences, this can take from 2-6 days.
4. To prepare: Strain the liquid from the beets (reserve beets for salad!) and refrigerate kvass. Consume straight as a tonic or mix ¼ cup kvass with ice, sparkling water, and a splash of red wine vinegar.

NOTE: Airlocks let gas out of the jar during the fermentation process, and can be found online or in the canning section of a grocery store. If you don’t have one, you can use a normal lid but you do need to open (“burp”) the jar every day to release pressure and trapped gas.