On the internet you’ll see references that say horseradish should be eaten within 1-2 weeks…..my friends, I think that’s wrong. Your horseradish whips will store much, much longer than 1-2 weeks if you keep them in a bag in the refrigerator. To give you a frame of reference, we harvest horseradish the latter part of October. In many years, we’ve held horseradish in cold storage for months and sell it all throughout the winter! Don’t be afraid of a little fuzzy white mold on the surface either. It’s not uncommon to see this after extended time in the refrigerator. If you see that happening, but the integrity of the root is still good, just wash it off. If you do decide to discard some/all of your horseradish, do heed caution that you may not want to put it in your own compost pile or the like. Any chunks of horseradish that don’t fully degrade may grow under the right conditions. If you’re not careful you just might plant horseradish in your own back yard and if you do so unintentionally, it will be with you for years to come!
Horseradish is a bold, pungent vegetable that has the power to make you cry, take your breath away and open every nasal passage you have—that is if you work with and/or eat it in large quantities. The powerful plant compounds in horseradish that make you do all those things are also the compounds that give horseradish its peppery flavor, have the ability to attack cancer cells and boost our immune systems.
Horseradish is intended to be used in small quantities, as a condiment or an accompaniment to enhance foods. It may be freshly grated or chopped and added to foods, however once you start cutting, grating or chopping horseradish you release the volatile oils that give horseradish its bite. This is when you need to make sure you have adequate ventilation to decrease the chances of your eyes tearing up. Also, make sure you wash your hands after handling horseradish so you don’t accidently get these peppery oils in your eyes. While many recipes tell you to grate the horseradish on a box grater, this is difficult to do with the smaller whips. My recommendation is to just cut the whips into 1-2 inch pieces and chop them finely in a food processor. You could also use a blender, a hand chopper or a basic chef’s knife.
When using fresh horseradish, it’s important to chop or grate it as close to when you’re going to eat it as the volatile oils that contribute to its flavor will dissipate into the air and disappear. Once it’s chopped, you either need to eat it right away or stabilize the oils so the flavor and spice remains. Often times you’ll see a recipe that calls for “Prepared Horseradish.” This refers to horseradish that is pre-chopped/grated and stabilized in a vinegar solution which sets the flavor and prevents it from dissipating. This week I’ve included a recipe for prepared horseradish. You can keep prepared horseradish in the refrigerator for several weeks like this before it will start to lose its pungency. This can be super handy to have as you can just take a teaspoon or two as needed for different recipes without having to chop it fresh every time.
Horseradish goes well with rich and fattier foods such as salmon, beef, sausage and ham. It also goes well with more acidic foods such as tomatoes, apples, lemons and other citrus. It’s a good accompaniment to bland foods that give it a base, but make horseradish look and taste good—foods such as sour cream, cream, butter, seafood, potatoes and root vegetables. Prime rib and/or roast beef is often served with a creamy horseradish sauce. Horseradish is a key ingredient in the classic ketchup based cocktail sauce served with poached shrimp. If you’re into Bloody Marys, you’ll know horseradish is part of this drink recipe as well.
Lastly, if you don’t like spicy things or don’t think you’ll like horseradish, just start small. Stir a little bit of freshly chopped horseradish into mayonnaise and spread it on a sandwich or make horseradish cream and drizzle it lightly over roasted root vegetables. You just might find you like that little bit of kick and flavor it adds!
Growing Information: While the root and leaves of this plant are edible, we only harvest and eat the roots. Horseradish is a perennial that we plant in the fall from seed pieces that are taken from cuttings when the previous crop is harvested. A nice seed piece is a straight piece usually about 8-10 inches long with the diameter of a fat pencil or a thin marker. Seed pieces grow off the main horseradish root which is the most saleable portion of the plant on the wholesale market. Any pieces that are smaller than is needed for wholesale or seed are called whips. Whips are usually thrown away, but this is actually the part of the root I prefer to work with for several reasons. First of all, I think the skin is thin and tender enough on these pieces that you don’t need to peel it. The less you have to handle horseradish, the better! I also think the whips are a more manageable size to deal with instead of a big root. This week your box contains a 4 ounce bundle of horseradish whips.
