Christmas is coming, so I want to share with a recipe for traditional Polish red borscht made of beets. It’s really popular in Poland and is usually served with little dumplings. But to make really delicious, rich and deep in taste borscht, you need to ferment beets first. The fermentation process will take a few days, but the outcome sourdough is truly unique in taste. And to make it you need only beets and a slice of good wholemeal bread. Of course you can add some spices to get even better flavor, but cooks are divided: some like pure fermented juice, some loves to add a lot of spices. After the juice is fermented you can add it to the borscht basis (recipe soon).
Talking about Polish traditional cooking i have to share my new idea with you. I got an old Polish cookbook from my grandma and I made a bold promise to veganise it. It’s quite difficult because most of Polish cuisine is about meat etc. But also my grandma always tells me that in her childhood there were meat only few times a year, so the basis of her diet was veggies. I want to go back this track and show renovate Polish vegan cuisine. What do you think about it?
This recipe is based on traditional Polish cookbook.
You can add spices which I mention, but it’s really your choice.
Basic beetroot sourdough:
(from this amount you can make about 3 l borscht)
1600ml fermented juice (sourdough)
1kg beets
2 liters warm water (boiled first)
50 g wholemeal bread*
*like a slice on a pic
Spices:
(you can make pure one, without spices)
2-3 bay leaves
salt
few grains allspice
little piece of ginger (chooped)
2-3 garlic cloves
1. Wash and peel beets. Cut them into slices. Put into glass jars. *
* you need to sterilize the jars by pouring boiling water into it and pour it away after 30 seconds, let the jar dry by themselves, do not drain them with kitchen towel
2. Put also wholemeal bread torn into small pieces and spices. Pour in warm (boiled first) water. It should cover the beets. Cover with gaze or paper with holes (like on the picture).
3. Set aside in warm place (18-20C) for w few days (3-5 days) to ferment. When the juice become sour in taste, you need remove the foam and pour the juice into sterile bottles. Store in the refrigerator, tightly closed.
The beets from first time you can use to another fermentation, the process will go faster (2-3 days).
Come soon for the recipe for red borscht.