• 4 - 5 large beets - peeled and grated (note: use the large grater holes side of a box grater or the shredder blade of a food processor)
• 1½ quarts water
• 1 onion, minced fine
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. Splenda (or other sugar substitute that you can heat)

• combine beets, onion, water and salt in saucepan
• bring to boil and simmer for 1 hour over low heat
• add Splenda and lemon juice and cook another 10 minutes
• taste to correct seasoning
• note: At this point I take a little of the liquid and put it in the freezer so it gets cold quickly and then I taste it and correct the seasoning - adding more salt, lemon juice or sweetener as required. Since cold things taste differently, this is the best way for me to be sure the seasoning is correct.
• cool borscht and refrigerate
• serve cold

I like to put the beets and liquid in separate containers. Then when ready to serve I weigh the beet portion and add as much liquid as desired since this is just the water part of the recipe.