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It's horseradish digging time!
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Grinding fresh horseradish is best done outdoors.
Wasabi is an Asian herb often used as a condiment on Sushi. What many people don’t know is that it’s often made of horseradish rather than true wasabi. The lines blurr a little, just like the vision of those who process horseradish. Processing is an eye irritating, sinus cleansing, and oh, so worthwhile venture.
Horseradish can be found around old farm sites. Historically, many families grew a patch of horseradish along with other garden staples. While some of these patches escaped domesticity and spread to sunny locales of their own choosing, they are not native and really are not wild. People readily share their roots so finding some to start for your garden is as simple as asking around.
“You can’t kill it. Some people try to get rid of it,” says Mark G., though he’s happy that the pieces of root left after digging will sprout and make new plants. “It grows two to three feet tall with long wide leaves that look like tobacco.”
“The trick is to get the root dug out; it’s two to two-and-a-half feet long,” says Bob, Mark’s brother who shares the chores of the twice a year, spring and fall, harvest. Like a dandelion root, it’s difficult to dig down to get the entire root and any remaining pieces will sprout and grow. “It seems to like black sand along stream banks and creeks,” Bob adds, not divulging exact locations. Like spring morel hunters, horseradish aficionados guard their isolated secret spots. Both Mark and Bob admit that they dig it on a neighboring potato farmer’s land since it plugs the potato digger and the farmer is glad to have them try to eradicate it. Horseradish is dug in the spring, usually in April. The fall harvest is best after a hard frost, often in the third week of October.
After the digging, the roots are washed and peeled. Potato peelers work well but the tough roots take a toll on the blades. The older roots are tangled and twisted making the peeling a challenge. Younger roots look like white carrots. The roots can be as large as four inches across but tend to get woody.
After peeling, the roots are ground, now days in an electric meat grinder, but a hand grinder works well, too. If it can be arranged, working outside is best. Fresh air circulation reduces the sinus and eye irritation.
After the roots are ground, vinegar, salt and sugar are added and the mixture is put in small jars. Garlic and onion can also be added. As if the horseradish itself isn’t hot enough, jalapenos can spice it up even more. Taste is the best guide to produce a recipe to your own liking.
Horseradish will keep well in the refrigerator and can also be frozen.
The prepared horseradish is good on crackers and though a little dab will do, Bob G. heaps it on and wipes the tears away as it goes down. It’s good on roast beef sandwiches, on pork roasts, and with steamed shrimp. Mix it with ketchup and it makes a good cocktail sauce. Try cooking round steak in a crock pot, using the manufacturer’s recipe but adding sour cream and horseradish. It’s also good added to deviled eggs.
A little horseradish goes a long way. You don’t have to make huge volumes of it to enjoy the fall ritual of horseradish harvest and the resultant condiment.
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