My grandmother’s beet leaven never goes moldy. It has a simple principle

Beetroot leaven is produced during lactic fermentation. Thanks to this, it acquires a characteristic taste and many health properties. Unfortunately, fermentation may fail and the leaven may become moldy. My grandma has a solution for this. This will help you avoid common mistakes and protect your leaven from spoiling.

To prepare you need beets, garlic, salt and spices. Its preparation is very simple, but unfortunately small mistakes can affect the fermentation process. Some people place the beets loosely in the jar and stir them from time to time. However, they use an ordinary metal spoon for this purpose, which may react with acids. My grandmother always stirs her leaven with a clean wooden spoon. Thanks to this, it never gets moldy.

Another solution to avoid this is to arrange the beets tightly in a jar and pour water over them so that they are completely covered. Then you don’t have to mix the beets, just collect them the surface of the storm.

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Some people add bread to the leaven to prevent it from spoiling. This is a big mistakebecause bread may be the source of the problem with moldy beetroot leaven.

Garlic provides additional protection against mold. If necessary, increase the number of cloves in the jar. Be sure to sterilize the jar and cap in which you are going to make beetroot leaven. This way you will avoid its infection.

Homemade beet leaven will give your Christmas Eve borscht a unique flavor. You finally have control over the entire fermentation process and the composition of the leaven. To prepare it you need::

• 1 kg of beets, I recommend the oblong ones, they are juicier,
• 6 cloves of garlic
• 1 full tablespoon of salt, preferably rock salt,
• 5-6 bay leaves,
• 6 allspice seeds,
• boiled water.

Preparation:

1. Peel the beets or wash them thoroughly with a brush. Cut into smaller pieces or slices and arrange tightly in a sterilized jar.
2. Put the halved garlic, bay leaves and allspice into the jar and pour warm brine over it. Cover the jar with gauze and leave it in a warm place.
3. After five days, you can stop the fermentation process by closing the jar and placing it in a cooler place. If you want it to acquire an intense flavor that will enrich the borscht, extend the fermentation to 10 days.

Pour the ready beet leaven into bottles and store in the refrigerator.