Old Fashioned Beet Borscht Recipe

Cut stems/leaves off beets but leave on skins and cover with water ( add a splash of vinegar so beets remain red ) and cook about an hour until tender. Drain and peel off skins ( slips off easily ) under running cold water. Coarse shred beets by hand into a soup pot. Cover with the 5 cups of water. Add citric acid, vinegar ( or lemon juice ) along with sugar to make a sweet and sour taste as desired. Add a bit of powdered chicken bouillon if desired. Normally equal quantities of sweet and sour OR 1 part sugar to 1/2 part sour should give the desired taste you want. Heat and stir to dissolve sugar and let soup simmer a few minutes to blend flavors. Remove from heat and cool and chill well. To serve one may stir in some sour cream into the soup ( it becomes a vivid pink!!) or just dollop sour cream onto individual portions Or garnish with chopped chives sour cream, or perhaps a hot boiled potato into the cold soup!