Horseradish

[Hamitupguy]

A friend of mine gave me some horseradish roots about three years ago to plant by the house. They have been doing very well. I am told that the best time to harvest them is the months with "R" in them. Well here we are, MaRch, and ApRil.

Anybody got some good horseradish recipes or tips on how to prepare horseradish from the root. I love creamed horseradish but have always bought it from the guy at the farmers market. Thought I would give it a go myself this year.

Thanks for the help.

[pushbutton]

Never thought about the R thing...but guess that is pretty much right. Read somewhere cool temps "activate" the zing. Yeah, one of the first things we do in the spring is make up a fresh batch. Mrs P is a traditionalist and just uses the root, a pinch of salt, a pinch of sugar and adds vinegar till it blends.Thats it. I do like the creamy. For that I just take a tub of sour cream( 1 pint) add about a couple tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, about 1 teaspoon of salt, and suppose anywhere from a 1/3 to 1/2 cup of horeradish....just depends how spicy/flavourful it is....it is variable between plants and how big the root is. You can also add black pepper, dijon mustard, chives, garlic....some earthy herbs....whatever. If you want a colon cleanser/party trick for your drunk friends.... put in ground cayenne for a triple x. Blend it all up and enjoy.

[pikestabber]

January has an "r" too, but I wouldn't suggest it, lol. I was always told months that end in "R" as in September-November, primarily. Specifically the U of M says "Horseradish makes its greatest growth during late summer and early autumn. For this reason, delay fall harvest until late October or early November, or just before the ground freezes." That said, I did a quick search and see it does get harvested in the spring by some folks, too. I guess I've never tried it. I just like it grated. I haven't done anything fancy with it but am curious to hear recipes, too.

[pikestabber]

My friend Google said this is a good recipe:

Apple Horseradish Sauce

4 Granny Smith apples

2 fluid ounces cider vinegar

2 ounces fresh horseradish, grated

1 tsp paprika

1 fluid ounce white wine

Grate the apples and moisten them with vinegar. Add the horseradish and paprika. Thin to the desired consistency with the wine.

Excellent served as a condiment for pork dishes.

Yield: 1 pint

[delcecchi]

And from my "friends" at cooks illustrated.

Quote:

The flavor of the fresh horseradish root is far more vibrant and complex than the jarred stuff. To see if we noticed the flavor fading, we grated the fresh root and tasted it plain and in tomato juice after two hours, four hours, and overnight. Like you, we found that the more time passed, the milder the flavor. We did some research and learned that when horseradish is grated (or otherwise cut), its cells rupture, releasing an enzyme known as myrosinase. This enzyme rapidly reacts with another compound to form allyl isothiocyanate, the chemical that provides horseradish with its characteristic punch. But that sharpness is short-lived: Left unchecked, the enzymatic reaction quickly exhausts itself and the condiment loses pungency. We’ve found that commercial prepared horseradish, on the other hand, can last for weeks in the refrigerator without losing its punch. It turns out that the key is the vinegar it’s steeped in. The acetic acid preserves the root’s heat by slowing down the activity of the myrosinase, resulting in a more constant and gradual production of the potent compound allyl isothiocyanate. The upshot: more robust, longer-lasting pungency.

The lesson: To keep the kick in horseradish once you’ve grated it, add some vinegar. For an 8- to 10-inch-long horseradish root finely grated on a rasp-style grater (peel it first), add 6 tablespoons of water, 3 tablespoons of white vinegar, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Refrigerated in an airtight container, the mixture will hold the heat for up to two weeks.

[smurfy]

clean it, grind it then let it sit for a while. letting it sit awhile is suppose to add some zing to it. add some salt, lemon juice to your liking and vinegar till it barely runs thru a slotted spoon. I let it st a bit longer to make sure its not to dry. jar it let sit for a few days. freeze the jars upright. put in a brown paper bag, I like to double the bag. keep in freezer. the brown bag keeps the lite off it and keeps it white longer!!!