If you want your borscht to have a rich beetroot color, a bright ruby hue, and be aromatic and tasty, there are a few little secrets. Today I will tell you how to cook beets so that they do not lose their beautiful color and do not darken.
To ensure that your borscht does not turn into a simple tomato soup with fried beets, but is proudly called borscht, you need to know a couple of subtleties of preparing beets for this dish.
The first secret is that beets do not like heat. It is best to stew beets rather than fry them. The ideal option is to cook them separately from other vegetables, such as onions and carrots, although they can be added later, when all the ingredients are mixed.
Beets should be stewed, not fried or sautéed. If you fry them, they will lose their juice, may become dry and darken, which will negatively affect the color of the dish.
The right way is to simmer the chopped beets in vegetable oil or other fat, add a little hot broth or water and simmer covered over low heat. This way the beets will retain their texture, color and flavor.
The second secret is adding tomato to the beetroot. Tomato should be added to the dish together with the beetroot, since the acidity of the tomato helps preserve the bright color of the beetroot during cooking. It prevents the beetroot from turning brown after contact with alkaline ingredients of the borscht, such as potatoes or cabbage.
Also, to enhance the flavor and preserve the color, you can add a little sugar when stewing the beets. Sugar will not only enhance the flavor, but will also help the beets retain their vibrant color.
The fourth secret is when exactly to add beets to borscht. Beets are the last ingredient to be added to borscht to preserve their bright color and flavor. If you add beets too early, they may lose their richness and flavor due to prolonged cooking.
When the main ingredients of borscht, such as potatoes and cabbage, are almost ready, it is time to add beets. This should happen 5-7 minutes before the end of cooking. This approach allows the beets to warm up enough and give the borscht its taste qualities without losing color.
Adding beets at the last moment ensures that they retain their bright color and make the borscht rich and beautiful. This rule helps to avoid beets turning dark or becoming too soft, which can negatively affect the overall taste and appearance of the dish.
By following these simple but important guidelines, you can make the perfect borscht that will not only be delicious but also visually appealing, preserving the bright, ruby color of the beets.