Romanian Homemade Borsch

The first step is to prepare the "Hushte", if you already have them, skip these steps.

Use a bowl of about 2 liters, 1 plate of bran (about 250g), and a slice of white bread.

Place the bran in the bowl, add bread crumbs.

Pour cold water over the mixture, enough to moisten and thicken it.

Level it well, ensuring there's room in the bowl because it will ferment and expand.

Cover with a lid and leave at room temperature for 2 days to ferment properly.

After 2 days, the bran is fermented, and you can start making the borscht.

Stage 2 - Preparing the Borscht

You need the "hushte" and about 2 plates of bran — generally, use 1 volume of "hushte" to 2 volumes of bran. You'll also need cornmeal and possibly some lovage and cherry leaves.

Borscht is typically made in glass or clay pots. My grandmother used enameled pots, which I used here. In the pot, combine "hushte," bran, and cornmeal.

Pour 4-5 liters of hot water, mix, add the cherry leaves and lovage.

Cover with a lid and let sit for about a day, stirring at least 1-2 times.

It matured for about 15 hours for me. Leave it until it achieves your desired sourness, tasting periodically.

Strain the borscht through a dense cotton cloth and pour into bottles/jars, sealing them with lids and storing in the fridge. This way, it keeps for at least 1-2 weeks before changing color.

The bran left behind after draining the borscht is called "hushte." Some can be stored in a jar in the fridge for up to 2 months to use for your next batch. Typically shared among housewives, those who have "hushte" offer some to others.

A 700ml jar of "hushte" suffices to prepare the above amount of borscht.

When making borscht with homemade starters, I thought it tasted slightly like willow, so I decided to make another batch. I used a 700ml jar of "hushte" and 2 jars of bran and repeated the procedure. My grandmother also added a raw red beet sliced, to give a pink hue to the borscht.

If the first borscht was very good, the second turned out perfect, both in taste and aesthetically, with its beautiful pink color. This pink fades in soup and doesn't affect the food's color.

Here you can see the simple borscht versus the pink borscht — both have identical taste, only differing in color.

And a tip from fellow homemakers:

- If you use plastic bottles to store your borscht, once you take some out and the bottle isn't full...

- Press the bottle's middle until air is expelled and the borscht reaches the top. Quickly secure the lid and return it to the fridge, preventing quick oxidation and extending freshness.

I've stored extra "hushte" in jars in the fridge for future borscht or any requests from neighbors or friends for a larger quantity.

Here's how you make perfect homemade borscht. It might seem complex due to the numerous steps, but it's quite straightforward. I've provided detailed instructions for guaranteed success.

Borscht enhances any soup and has numerous health benefits, serving as a natural remedy and rich source of B vitamins.

Enjoy your meal!