I've been trying to make my own "prepared" horseradish for some time now.
None of the recipes I've seen specify how long to wait before adding vinegar
to stabilize the 'heat'. Also, none have said anything about differences in
intensity with different types of horseradish root or commented on the best
time of year to purchase horseradish root. Any advise, including suggestions
for sources of horseradish root that can be counted on for intensity, will
be appreciated.

PS My interest in homemade horseradish is strictly a result of frustration
with purchasing commercial horseradish only to discover that there was
absolutely NO consistency in the heat from one bottle or brand to another.

kasha wrote:
>
> I've been trying to make my own "prepared" horseradish for some time now.
> None of the recipes I've seen specify how long to wait before adding vinegar
> to stabilize the 'heat'. Also, none have said anything about differences in
> intensity with different types of horseradish root or commented on the best
> time of year to purchase horseradish root. Any advise, including suggestions
> for sources of horseradish root that can be counted on for intensity, will
> be appreciated.

the following cut and paste of an old post (poster's name at bottom) has
served me well.
<begin paste>
Horseradish roots
Vinegar
Kosher salt

Every Spring, for the Easter/Passover season, I make gallons of
prepared
horseradish for my family and friends. My horseradish has a
reputation for
being the strongest kickass root available. Anyone, though, can make
root
that can stand up to mine...if you use my instructions. <g>

Selecting the root: Bring a small knife with you to the supermarket.
Pick
up every root you're considering buying and give it a squeeze. If it's
limp, feels fleshy or flaccid, or wrinkled, forget it. Select only
fresh
roots that feel rather heavy for their size and are as hard as wood.
Use
the knife to pare off a thin bit of the root and pop it in your mouth.
Bite
down on it. If it makes your lip and tongue go numb and tingly, it's
good.
Don't buy it if it's weak, or if it leaves a bitter quinine aftertaste
(the
bitterness will be magnified by grinding.)

Preparation: Set up a table in front of a window. Open up the window
and
set up a fan to blow air OUT the window. Horseradish fumes are
crippling
and you will NOT be able to do this without pulling the fumes out the
window. By exhausting air out rather than blowing in, you can even do
this
on a chilly night when you might otherwise not want a window open.

On the window table put your food processor. If you can run your
processor
with both the shredding blade in the top and the puree knives in the
bottom, great. Set it up that way. If not, you'll have two steps
(grating
and pureeing) instead of one. Next to the processor, still in front
of the
window, put a large bowl. That's where the ground root will go. Close
at
hand (maybe on the kitchen table) put the jars where the root will be
packed, a large bottle of vinegar, and your salt.

Step 1: Wash and peel. Put all the roots into the sink and start
running
a thin stream of cold water. Get them all wet and let them sit a few
minutes to soften the dirt on them. With a stiff bristle brush, give
them
a good scrubbing under the stream of water. When they're clean, use a
veggie peeler to pare off the brown skin and green tops (if they have
green
tops. You can cut the top inch off the root, leaving the greens
alone, if
you like, and plant them in your backyard if you want to grow your
own.) Do
the peeling under the running water, also. Keeping the water drizzling
over
the root while you peel carries off some of the volatile chemical,
saving
your life while you work in the sink. <g>

Step 2: Grate and Grind. Bring the peeled roots over to the window
table
and turn the fan and your food processor on. Feed them down the
chute
to
the grating wheel. The top wheel will grate the root, and the bottom
knives will do the fine chopping (if you can't run both knives in your
machine at once, you will have to grate each bowl full of root, then
put
the chopping knife in to finish separately.) As the root gets finer
and
finer, it will begin sticking to the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Slowly,
and with the processor still running, pour in vinegar to get a thick
but
not sticky consistency. Continue to whirl in the bottom knives for
several
minutes, until the root bits are very very fine. Stop the processor
and
dump the processor bowl into the large bowl. Repeat these steps until
all
the roots are grated, ground, and in the large bowl. Remember to keep
the
fan on all this time! When all the roots have been processed, rinse
the
processor knives and bowl with cold running water. Wash them as
necessary.
Put the processor away or aside. You'll need the space on the table
in
front of the fan to pack the jars.

Step 3: Seasoning. You've still got that fan running, right? Leave
the
bowl in front of the fan. The grated root in the bowl should not be
too
dry. Stir in enough vinegar to give a smooth consistency. Taste a
little
bit of the puree (be careful! This is likely to be the strongest
horseradish you've ever tasted.) If you think it needs salt, add some
Kosher salt or canning salt. I usually add about half a teaspoon per
quart.

Step 4: Packing. Use a ladle and a canning funnel to fill pint jars
with
the prepared horseradish. Fill the jars up, cap them off, and put
them in
the fridge. Do not process the jars. Keep them refrigerated. You may
turn
off the fan after all the jars are full and after all implements have
been
rinsed. The horseradish will maintain full potency for a couple of
weeks (I
make mine no more than a week or so before Easter) but will still be
pretty
damn strong for a month or two. Use it before it turns brown.

Cleaning up: Most of your tools (the bowls, ladle, etc) will require
little more than a good rinse with cold water first (to neutralize and
dilute any horseradish fumes) then hot water, since you aren't cutting
any
greasy fat.

That's it; that's how to make horseradish.

Dave Sacerdote
> PS My interest in homemade horseradish is strictly a result of frustration
> with purchasing commercial horseradish only to discover that there was
> absolutely NO consistency in the heat from one bottle or brand to another.
>

kasha wrote:
> I've been trying to make my own "prepared" horseradish for some time now.
> None of the recipes I've seen specify how long to wait before adding vinegar
> to stabilize the 'heat'. Also, none have said anything about differences in
> intensity with different types of horseradish root or commented on the best
> time of year to purchase horseradish root. Any advise, including suggestions
> for sources of horseradish root that can be counted on for intensity, will
> be appreciated.
>
> PS My interest in homemade horseradish is strictly a result of frustration
> with purchasing commercial horseradish only to discover that there was
> absolutely NO consistency in the heat from one bottle or brand to another.
>
>
>


That seems to depend on the length of time it's been
in the bottle. It also loses heat quickly once it's opened.

gloria p

Puester wrote:
> kasha wrote:
>> I've been trying to make my own "prepared" horseradish for some time
>> now. None of the recipes I've seen specify how long to wait before
>> adding vinegar to stabilize the 'heat'. Also, none have said
>> anything about differences in intensity with different types of
>> horseradish root or commented on the best time of year to purchase
>> horseradish root. Any advise, including suggestions for sources of
>> horseradish root that can be counted on for intensity, will be
>> appreciated. PS My interest in homemade horseradish is strictly a result
>> of
>> frustration with purchasing commercial horseradish only to discover
>> that there was absolutely NO consistency in the heat from one bottle
>> or brand to another.
>
>
> That seems to depend on the length of time it's been
> in the bottle. It also loses heat quickly once it's opened.
>
> gloria p
Real easy.
Peel the roots and chop into quarter to half inch chunks.
Throw the chopped roots into a blender/processor.
Medium speed.
Add vinegar (slowly).
Do avoid breathing the air near this operation.
Only add enough vinegar to get the root chunks to form an even paste.
Once the paste is achieved decant into a jar and store in the fridge.
Fresh heat will keep for about six weeks - frozen - longer!
One of the easiest and one of the most wonderful flavours available!

Ken.

--
http://www.rupert.net/~solar
Return address supplied by 'spammotel'
http://www.spammotel.com

"kasha" > wrote in message
news:MpqAd.297797$HA.146854@attbi_s01...
> I've been trying to make my own "prepared" horseradish for some time now.
> None of the recipes I've seen specify how long to wait before adding
> vinegar to stabilize the 'heat'. Also, none have said anything about
> differences in intensity with different types of horseradish root or
> commented on the best time of year to purchase horseradish root. Any
> advise, including suggestions for sources of horseradish root that can be
> counted on for intensity, will be appreciated.
>
> PS My interest in homemade horseradish is strictly a result of frustration
> with purchasing commercial horseradish only to discover that there was
> absolutely NO consistency in the heat from one bottle or brand to another.
>
If you are in the U.S., the instructions for growing are to purchase root
starts in the spring and harvest the fall of the following year. I guess I
would assume that would mean that the best time to buy roots for processing
would be the fall. Exceptionally easy to grow. You may plant the roots
upright or horizontally. Replant after 3-5 years as the mother roots tend
to get woody. You get the most straight off-shoots if you plant the starter
roots horizontally. Prefers cool, damp, organically rich soil. Plant in a
area where you can keep it under control. Leaves are tasty in salads.
Janet

Exactly the sort of help I was seeking - this list is Great! Thanks.

Exactly the sort of help I was seeking - this list is Great! Thanks.

"kasha" > wrote:

>I've been trying to make my own "prepared" horseradish for some time now.
>None of the recipes I've seen specify how long to wait before adding vinegar
>to stabilize the 'heat'. Also, none have said anything about differences in
>intensity with different types of horseradish root or commented on the best
>time of year to purchase horseradish root. Any advise, including suggestions
>for sources of horseradish root that can be counted on for intensity, will
>be appreciated.
>
>PS My interest in homemade horseradish is strictly a result of frustration
>with purchasing commercial horseradish only to discover that there was
>absolutely NO consistency in the heat from one bottle or brand to another.
>

The following is the way we've done our own for years. Here is a copy
& paste from
http://www.silverspringgardens.com/800600/HrFacts.htm

Grind fresh horseradish in a well-ventilated room. The fumes from
grinding are potent. Using a blender or food processor for grinding
makes home preparation practical and less tearful. To Grate your own
horseradish in a blender, wash and peel the root as you would a potato
and dice it into small cubes. Place the cubes in the blender jar.
Process no more than half a container load at a time. Add a small
amount of cold water and crushed ice. Start with enough cold water to
completely cover the blades of the blender. Add several crushed ice
cubes. Put the cover on the blender before turning the blender on.
If necessary, add more water or crushed ice to complete the grinding.
When the mixture reaches the desired consistency, add white vinegar.
Use 2 to 3 tablespoons of white vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt of
each cup of grated horseradish. If desired, lemon juice may be
substituted for the vinegar to give a slightly different flavor.

Ross

On Wed, 29 Dec 2004 04:30:36 GMT, "kasha" > wrote:

>I've been trying to make my own "prepared" horseradish for some time now.
>None of the recipes I've seen specify how long to wait before adding vinegar
>to stabilize the 'heat'. Also, none have said anything about differences in
>intensity with different types of horseradish root or commented on the best
>time of year to purchase horseradish root. Any advise, including suggestions
>for sources of horseradish root that can be counted on for intensity, will
>be appreciated.
>
>PS My interest in homemade horseradish is strictly a result of frustration
>with purchasing commercial horseradish only to discover that there was
>absolutely NO consistency in the heat from one bottle or brand to another.
>
>
I haven't found any consistency from one root to the next, even from
the same farm. Just grate what you need for the one meal, telling
yourself it is a natural product (which it is).




Rodney Myrvaagnes J36 Gjo/a

Entering your freshman dorm for the first time, and seeing
an axe head come through the door on your right.

On Wed, 29 Dec 2004 04:30:36 GMT, "kasha" > wrote:

>I've been trying to make my own "prepared" horseradish for some time now.
>None of the recipes I've seen specify how long to wait before adding vinegar
>to stabilize the 'heat'. Also, none have said anything about differences in
>intensity with different types of horseradish root or commented on the best
>time of year to purchase horseradish root. Any advise, including suggestions
>for sources of horseradish root that can be counted on for intensity, will
>be appreciated.
>
>PS My interest in homemade horseradish is strictly a result of frustration
>with purchasing commercial horseradish only to discover that there was
>absolutely NO consistency in the heat from one bottle or brand to another.
>
>
I haven't found any consistency from one root to the next, even from
the same farm. Just grate what you need for the one meal, telling
yourself it is a natural product (which it is).




Rodney Myrvaagnes J36 Gjo/a

Entering your freshman dorm for the first time, and seeing
an axe head come through the door on your right.