Fresh Horseradish
This weekend I was turning over my beds (see Lesson 2: Digging in the Dirt), and I found, as I do every time this year, my returning friend (enemy) the horseradish plant. Hubby and I planted Horsey before he was my husband. So yes, the plant is old enough to have a nickname. Sadly. Every year when we get out to work on the garden, we swear loudly at Horsey. Why the *%#$ are you still here, Horsey?? Horsey must feel very unloved. But really? He is back again? How does he do it? I have seriously been trying to kill this guy for 12+ years, and I never really have to try to kill plants. I am pretty good at it naturally.
I don’t actually recommend planting horseradish, because you will never ever ever get rid of it. I supposed if you are a huge fan and really want to try, you could try to put it in a container, just to keep the madness in check. But if you already have some in your garden, you might as well benefit from it. This year I decided to put Horsey to good use. I dug out as much of him as I could get (see the photo), and I made “prepared horseradish”.
Here’s how:
- Peel off the outside of the root with a vegetable peeler. Chop off the tops, and cut the horseradish into small pieces (about 1/2 inch).
- Put the pieces in your food processor, and grind ’em up. (What? You don’t have a food processor? Next time they go on sale, go get one! The classic Cuisinart is indispensable in the kitchen. Hummus, tapenade, pesto… really, you need one.) (But if you don’t have one, try your blender, or just chop chop chopity chop with your knife.)
- Grind in some sea salt, then turn the processor on, and stream in white wine vinegar until the whole mess starts to form a loose paste.
- Be careful not to put your face over the processor when you open it up–the fumes are killers!
That’s it. You have better Horsey sauce than you will ever ever find at the market. What to do with the deliciousness? Here are some ideas…
- Mix with a bit of sour cream – a great topping for a steak, or toss with some chopped crispy bacon and pan-fried Brussels sprouts
- Stir into catsup, lemon, juice, and a couple of grinds of black pepper for an amazing cocktail sauce
- Throw a dollop into your mashed potatoes
- Blend with Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, and olive oil, and toss with roasted beets
- Two words: Bloody Mary
Raising the Root 
lol…..horseradish must be as invasive as spearmint….i planted spearmint in my herb bed one year and kept having to dig it out for several years… 🙂
I actually planted mint and horseradish in the same 4 by 8 bed (I was so clueless!) After a few years of perseverance, I got rid of the mint. But Horsey is still there, going strong. Luckily, it doesn’t really spread the way mint does. I planted mint in two half wine barrels–keeps it nice and contained, and we can still have mojitos all summer. 🙂
Love horseradish! It’s wonderful in a good ham sandwich or with hard boiled eggs. It gave my brother a nosebleed once. You have to be careful with it!