ra ut , ▁but ▁by ▁early ▁spring , ▁the ▁sau erk ra ut ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁combined ▁in ▁equal ▁parts ▁with ▁fresh ▁cab bage . ▁The ▁mixture ▁is ▁pre co oked ▁in ▁a ▁small ▁amount ▁of ▁water ▁before ▁being ▁mixed ▁with ▁the ▁bra ised ▁meat ▁and ▁left ▁to ▁sim mer ▁for ▁several ▁hours . ▁Ide ally , ▁the ▁ste w ▁should ▁thick en ▁through ▁ev ap oration ▁alone , ▁but ▁fl our , ▁r oux , ▁cr umbled ▁r ye ▁bread ▁or ▁a ▁gr ated ▁raw ▁pot ato ▁may ▁be ▁added ▁to ▁it ▁to ▁take ▁up ▁excess ▁mo ist ure . ▁ ▁Other ▁ing red ients ▁often ▁added ▁to ▁ ▁include ▁on ions , ▁d iced ▁and ▁brow ned ▁in ▁l ard ▁together ▁with ▁the ▁meat , ▁and ▁d ried ▁forest ▁m ush rooms ▁that ▁are ▁pre co oked ▁separately ▁in ▁bo iling ▁water . ▁The ▁ste w ▁is ▁usually ▁season ed ▁with ▁salt , ▁black ▁pe pper c orn s , ▁all sp ice , ▁juni per ▁ber ries ▁and ▁bay ▁leaves . ▁Some ▁reci pes ▁also ▁call ▁for ▁car away , ▁clo ves , ▁gar lic , ▁mar jor am , ▁must ard ▁se eds , ▁nut m eg , ▁pap ri ka ▁and ▁th yme . ▁The ▁tart ▁flav or ▁of ▁sau erk ra ut ▁may ▁be ▁en hanced ▁by ▁adding ▁some ▁dry ▁red ▁wine ▁or ▁be et ▁s our ▁( fer ment ed ▁be et root ▁ju ice ▁that ▁is ▁also ▁a ▁traditional ▁ing red ient ▁of ▁bor sch