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horseradish

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fishlessman
fishlessman Posts: 32,827
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
got a couple to pick and have a couple questions. leaves are still green, do i wait til they start to drop. does it freeze well or am i better off canning, was thinking freezing it in the canning jars with the vinegar mixture. looks like its taking off in the yard, have two this year that look ready and maybe another dozen ready for next year. is it better to grate, or food process
fukahwee maine

you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • Gator Bait
    Gator Bait Posts: 5,244
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    I have never made horseradish personally but was present when my BIL made it years ago. His was homegrown also and had developed into a good sized patch on the edge of his lawn. If you have a grater blade for the food processor I would use that, it's a power tool thing. ;) If at all possible do it outside with a nice breeze or fan to blow the fumes away from you. We're talking tear gas here. The fumes can be as potent as a nice big spoonful. :blink:

    Good luck, would love to see a post on making it and how it comes out. As I recall it is pretty simple as long as you have adequate ventilation.

    Blair

     
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,827
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    ill bring the food processor then :) looks simple as 50/50 water vinegar. seen one recipe with cranberries for relish, might walk the riverbank looking for some to freeze for tday. wont know how much til i dig out the two big plants
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • Gator Bait
    Gator Bait Posts: 5,244
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    I don't know if BIL waited for leaves to turn, I think it was still early enough in the year so they were still green but am not sure. This was back when their house was in South Freeport and the horseradish was spreading like a weed. I don't recall how he stored it, everything you see in the stores is bottled which would lean toward canning but I fail to see why freezing would be any different. When I lived in Seal Cove, ME. on MDI one of my jobs was Cemetery restoration on the back side of the island. Some of those old cemeteries would have large areas covered with Mountain Cranberries that only got as high as the mowed grass and the fruit was about the size of a pea. The flavor and everything else was as good as a bog cranberry, good stuff! I miss all the free foods I enjoyed while living in Maine. :)

     
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  • jeffinsgf
    jeffinsgf Posts: 1,259
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    I've always waited until after the first frost. Time between grating and adding the water/vinegar determines heat. The longer you leave it exposed to the air, the hotter it gets.

    It works great to freeze it in the jars. If anyone in your extended family has a baby, baby food jars are a great size to use.
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,827
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    so, mix with water and vinegar, then freeze and cap. smallest canning jars i have are the small jelly jars
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,827
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    those are the cranberries i have, they grow about 2 to 3 inches thick on skinny vines, i can usually pick enough tday morning in the grass along the river bank. heres a new one for me, this area usually has 3 to 4 foot of river on it, no houses for about 2 miles up stream and theres mint growing, never seen it in maine woods before

    046.jpg
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • jeffinsgf
    jeffinsgf Posts: 1,259
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    Yep.

    Small jelly jars (half pints) will work fine.
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,827
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    thanks, we have had a few light frosts already, should be good to go :)
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • lowercasebill
    lowercasebill Posts: 5,218
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    according to wiki horseradish looses potency, turns brown and gets bitter when exposed to air..
    i think the heat is in the cells so the finer you grind it the hotter it is..
    i experimented with box grater, microplane and immersion blender.. taking it to almost a cream consistency being ground with the vinegar yielded a knock your socks off product.
    while fall is the time to harvest .. i dig it when i want it and am pleased with the result.
    bill
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  • Sailor71
    Sailor71 Posts: 35
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    My wife and I make horseradish every year. She will clean and cube and I get the task of the blender. Definitely do it outside in a breeze if possible. Rubbing onions in your eyes would feel better :laugh: We have always just added vinegar in the blender till the desires consistency is reached. People always ask how we get it so hot. I believe it is the fine blend and vinegar only. This year I will be adding a few Bhut Jolokia peppers to my personal jars. I tell people to store their jars once opened upside down. This helps prevent as much exposure to air. It will weaken over time with exposure to air.

    Russell
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  • lowercasebill
    lowercasebill Posts: 5,218
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    add a hint of garlic it is a nice touch
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  • Desert Oasis Woman
    Desert Oasis Woman Posts: 5,604
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    used to grow some in Wyoming
    would use a blender and vinegar
    kept well in fridge over the winter in quart jar
    makes great gifts, too
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,827
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    im going to prepare it a couple ways. some for the fridge and some frozen, im thinking freeze in ice trays, vacuum pack for later. that way ill know better next year, it really seems to take off so should be plenty in a couple years, wonder if the yard will smell like horseradish once it makes the lawn and gets mowed :laugh: i hate the smell of cut grass :whistle:
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • lowercasebill
    lowercasebill Posts: 5,218
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    http://www.horseradish.org/faqs.html

    oxygen is the enemmy of horseradish,, make sure to cover the icecube trays with plastic wrap while they freeze..
    bill
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  • Gator Bait
    Gator Bait Posts: 5,244
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    I don't think I ever saw mint growing wild in Maine but then I was probably not looking for it either. A little research shows Wild Mint (Mentha arvensis) grows all over the state. I'm sure there is plenty that has escaped from old homesteads too. I know on Mount Desert Island I would come across apple trees almost any where while walking in the woods. Often times they would be the last remaining tell-tail of a long forgotten farm that the forest had reclaimed long, long ago. An old stone wall may be another clue that someone once lived there.


     
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