Growing and Preserving Horseradish

Prepared horseradish (internet photo)

Horseradish is a delicacy. Now, I know some folks don't agree with that, but according to the Horseradish Information Council (yes, it really does exist), there are about six million gallons of prepared horseradish consumed each year. That means a lot of people must like it. Horseradish even has its own international festival, celebrated each May in Collinsville, Illinois, where nearly 60% of that six million gallons of horseradish is grown.

Horseradish was introduced to this country by our German ancestors, which is probably why I can't ever remember a time when ground, creamed horseradish wasn't served with any pork dish, and especially ham. It was only when I was a little older that I was introduced to how wonderful it tastes with roast beef or prime rib.

Horseradish is a low fat condiment that is loaded with flavor for just about any type of meat. It may also kill harmful bacteria that found its way into the food. That same antibacterial action, coupled with natural diuretic properties, can help treat urinary tract infections. Some people believe it helps muscle and joint aches and pains. It is also guaranteed to clear your sinuses and unstuff your nose if you get too strong a whiff or take a big, savory bite.

Common horseradish (internet photo)

Horseradish is in the Brassicaceae family, a relative of cabbage, mustard, and broccoli. It is a perennial, hardy in zones 2 to 9. It grows best in the colder zones, as it needs a definite winter chilling period to produce dormancy and retain its best flavor and texture. There are two varieties of horseradish: common, which has large, crinkled leaves; and Bohemian, which has smooth, narrow leaves.

Horseradish grows in most soil types, but it must have good drainage. If the root sets in water logged conditions, it will rot.  Horseradish is a heavy potash feeder, so it may benefit from some extra compost or other source of water soluble potassium. The plant prefers to grow in full sun, but will produce just fine with part shade.

Think carefully about where you wish to plant horseradish because you will likely have it there - and in the surrounding areas - forever. Horseradish spreads by its roots, and even a tiny piece left in the soil will produce new plants. Never till an area where there might be horseradish roots - you likely will end up with horseradish everywhere!

Music Garden

Somehow, a tiny horseradish plant got started in my Music Garden a few years ago. Now, having grown up on a farm where horseradish made valiant attempts to take over the entire river bottom each year, I knew I had to get that plant out of there as soon as possible. I dug. And dug. And dug some more, until I was sure that I had every piece of that root out of there. We enjoyed the horseradish with our Christmas ham, and I was feeling good about things. Until April, when I found suspicious looking green shoots, spreading about three feet in all directions from where I dug all that horseradish out. Every year, I dig until I am sure I have it all. The next spring, I find more and more of it in that garden.

Horseradish is an impressive looking plant with its broad, paddle like green leaves. It just does not belong in the Music Garden. This fall, I dug all the desirable plants out of that area, rinsed the roots well to make sure there wasn't so much as a thread of horseradish root on them, and moved them to the nursery bed. Next spring, I will take the glyphosate broad leaf weed killer to every sign of horseradish I see. I hope that by next Fall, I have finally overpowered it so I can put my perennial flowers back in that bed.

To plant horseradish, you use plants or root cuttings, planted in either spring or fall. Take a piece of root about three inches long. Loosen the soil well to about a foot deep and large enough around that when held at a 45 degree angle, the top of the root will be about two inches below the surface. Add a shovelful of organic matter to loosen and enrich the soil before setting the root. One plant usually supplies more than enough horseradish for a family.

Once planted and established, horseradish needs very little attention. If you want the plant to look more ornamental, you can water it during periods of drought to keep the leaves from looking tattered and brown. Otherwise, just let it grow.

Horseradish root (internet photo)

You can usually harvest horseradish root the first year after the planting year. In North Dakota, conventional wisdom says you can harvest horseradish root in any month with an "r" in the name. I typically harvest mine in late October or early November, so it is still nice and fresh at Christmas time. In general, it is best to wait until frost kills the foliage, whenever that happens to be in your location.

To harvest, dig carefully around the main root. Remove the soil and loosen the side roots that shoot out from the main stem. You need to dig pretty deep to keep from breaking the root tip and leaving it in the ground. You will want to leave a bit of root in the ground for next year's crop. In my experience, this is not something I really have to think about - it just happens, but I give you that piece of advice just in case you are better at digging the stuff out than I.

Once dug, I brush off as much of the clinging soil as I can and then allow the roots to dry. Once the dirt is dried, I wipe the roots with a dry cloth, getting them as clean as possible. Then, I wrap them in paper towel to keep moisture from collecting right on the root, wrap the covered root in perforated plastic wrap,  and store in a cool dark place, like a crisper drawer. You can usually successfully store the root for three months or more.

To prepare it for use as a condiment, peel the root using a vegetable peeler or sharp knife. Cut it into 1-inch cubes and grind it. Make sure you have a well-ventilated area in which to do your grinding. My mom used to process many quarts of horseradish each fall. She would set up the meat grinder outdoors and grind away.  If we happened to come around the corner of the house at just the right time, we would end up nearly choking.  A whiff of freshly ground horseradish can be breath-taking - literally.

I have used a blender, food processor, and the meat grinder attachment of my KitchenAid mixer to process horseradish. I prefer the food processor, as you can obtain a finer grind, and the cover keeps most of the fumes contained until you are ready to open it. For a finer blend, add a couple tablespoons of water and some crushed ice to the bowl with the horseradish root, and process until it is the desired consistency. Open the container carefully - the fumes will be very potent when that cover first comes off.

Grinding horseradish in blender (internet photo)

The grinding crushes the horseradish cells and releases the volatile oils that produce the "heat". Those oils can be stabilized by adding vinegar. If you prefer a milder horseradish, add a few teaspoons of vinegar as you are grinding it. If you wish for a stronger, hotter flavor, allow the ground horseradish to set for a period of time. The longer you leave it set before stabilizing it with vinegar, the more "power" your horseradish will have. Most people find that waiting about three minutes between grinding and adding the vinegar give a nice degree of heat without it being overpowering.

Mix one cup of horseradish, 2 to 3 tablespoons of vinegar and a half teaspoon of salt. Stir together or pulse in the food processor, then pack tightly into glass jars. Don't use plastic containers, as the plastic can react with the horseradish and give it an off taste. Ground horseradish will stay fresh in the refrigerator for four to six months. It can also be canned or frozen, however, I find the quality remains best if it is just refrigerated after grinding.

When I want to use some as condiment on meats, I remove the amount I need from the jar and drain some of the liquid off. Then I add just enough cream to make a sauce and a half teaspoon or so of sugar to cut the vinegar taste. You can also mix it with sour cream or yogurt and some fresh herbs to use as a vegetable dip; or mix some into softened butter and other herbs to taste to serve on grilled steaks. You can stir small amounts into mashed potatoes to give them a little "zip". I like to stir a small amount of horseradish into barbecue sauce and use it on grilled foods. When using in hot foods, add after cooking, as cooking will neutralize the flavor of the horseradish.

Whatever way you find to use it, horseradish is good for you. It is high in vitamins, phytonutrients, and fiber, and aids in digestion by increasing the secretions in the mouth and intestines. Its high vitamin C contents may help boost your immunity and protect you from colds and flu. It's hard to beat a condiment like that!

Horseradish ready for storage (internet photo)

Fondly Remembering Summer

Wiese Acres -  Summer 2016

Crocuses in Spring

Bleeding Heart - Dicentra

Bleeding Heart

Helleborus

Heuchera, Hosta, and coleus in shade planter

A comfortable seating area just off the pond

What you do with a leaky bird bath

Hostas, Heuchera, and ferns

All my favorite books from my childhood, specially made by my
sister-in-law to place in the Nostalgia Garden

Garden books

Clematis

The water lilies are beautiful this year

Love the soft pink and yellow of this one

The Sun, Moon and Stars Garden

The Morning Garden

Mom's boat

The English Tea Garden

Rather than throwing my Easter lily bulbs a couple years ago,
I stuck them in the dirt. Look what they have done for me!

The Memorial Garden

Yes, Lady really does stay on the path in the gardens

Fall planters

The begonias love the shade of the box elder maple trees

The Welcome Garden

The Children and Butterflies garden in fall

The entrance to the Woodland Fairy Garden

Painted Lady enjoying the sedum

The Woodland Fairy garden

Autumn 2016

One of the construction projects that ran late,
but oh so wonderful now that it is done!

I have been very delinquent in writing for my blog this year. In spite of an early spring, I started out the season a couple months behind because of some late running construction projects here at Wiese Acres that kept me out of the gardens. I didn't catch up all summer long! Thankfully, autumn decided it was going to be fashionably late this year, so I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Tomorrow, I will clean off all the dried peony, daylily, and iris foliage and finish putting the gardens to bed for the winter.

We also remodeled my summer kitchen and made it twice as big.
The added space and convenience was well worth the delayed garden work.

 There were some other reasons why I never caught up this summer. We began the season very dry. In North Dakota, when it is dry, the desirable foliage putzes along while the weeds flourish. We didn't have the nice, lush perennial foliage that shades and crowds out the weeds by late June to early July. Thus, I battled weeds most of the summer. Add to that the fact that we had more wind this summer than anyone should have to bear, and every gust brought Canada thistle, dandelions, and sowthistle from the untended acres across the way. It made for wheelbarrows full of weeds being hauled out to the garbage. (No composting for those buggers!)

Late in the season, the rains began, which helped the perennial gardens catch their full glory and the vegetable garden began to inundate us with produce. In addition to gorging ourselves on fresh produce all summer, preserving all that we can possibly use (probably this year and next), and selling at a few Farmer's Markets, I was able to donate over 200 pounds of produce to needy families who don't have the space to grow their own. It's a good feeling to have all that food! Except for the back - that doesn't feel so great after bending over to pick all the produce.

The fruits (and vegetables) of my canning labors

I also had two gardens which needed to be completely replanted this year. One because I had removed everything from it last fall so that I could kill a nasty infestation of quack grass, and the other because the trees have grown to the point where the sun loving plants needed to be replaced with shade lovers. That, of course, meant that I had a lot of sun loving plants that needed new homes. So what is a gardener to do? Start a new garden bed, of course.

The new area that joins
 the Memorial and Nostalgia gardens

I moved some of them to an expansion between the Memorial and Nostalgia gardens, and the rest went to a new bed which is the beginning of the landscaping around our new barn. All in all, I was kept very, very busy over the summer, and winter hibernation has never looked quite so good.

As I write this on November 11, though, hibernation can't quite begin yet.  The strawberries are still producing, although not very much because we are already down to only about 9 1/2 hours of daylight.  The strawberries don't much care that the temperatures have been in the 60s and 70s if they aren't happy about the daylight. As soon as the foliage goes dormant, those strawberry plants will need to be covered with some type of mulch to protect the crowns over the winter. This year, instead of using straw, which can bring undesirable weeds into the garden, I am going to use shredded leaves and hope for the best. Once those are spread, I can officially go into garden hibernation until it's greenhouse time in the spring.


Sometimes, I need a garden fix during that hibernation time, and that is why I take lots of photos of the gardens throughout the summer. I love going back to see what things looked like in each of the months of the growing season. I'll be happy to share some of those photos with you in the next blog installment.