Student’s Borscht Base, No Vinegar (Preserve)
This isn’t a bowl of borscht but a concentrated base you seal into jars in late summer, so that come winter a full pot of Ukraine’s famous beet soup is minutes away: tip a jar into simmering broth with a few potatoes and you’re done. The nickname “Student’s” is a nod to how cheap and low-effort it is.
What makes it unusual is that it uses no vinegar at all. The tang comes from tomatoes alone — a full 3 kg (about 6.5 lb) per batch — which gives a softer, rounder flavor than sharp pickled preserves. The trade-off: with no vinegar to protect it, the salt and an airtight seal are doing all the preserving, so keep the salt as written and sterilize the jars properly.
- The beets go in raw and shredded — don’t swap in cooked ones; you need their raw color and sweetness.
- Add the cabbage after the other vegetables so it keeps some bite instead of collapsing into mush.
- In winter, each jar needs only boiled potato, a clove of garlic, and a spoonful of smetana (full-fat sour cream) to finish.
Part of Ukrainian cuisine — 288 more recipes in the section.
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Ingredients
Instructions
Chop the tomatoes, peppers, onions, carrots, and beets, then simmer for 20 minutes with the oil, salt, and sugar.
Add the shredded cabbage and spices, and simmer another 20 minutes.
For flavor, you can add a cup of prepared tomato sauce at the end of cooking.
Pack the hot base into jars, seal, and set under a blanket until cooled.
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