INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

Preparing a Horseradish Root
by Judy McCann
Grind or grate fresh horseradish in a well-ventilated room. The fumes are
potent -- a whiff may be stronger than you expect! Using a blender for
grinding makes home preparation more practical and less tearful than
hand-grating. In either case, if you are cutting fresh horseradish, you may
want to wear gloves.
What makes Horseradish Hot?
The sharp and piquant flavor and the penetrating smell of horseradish
become apparent when the root is grated or ground. This is because the root
contains highly volatile oils which are released by enzyme activity when
the root cells are crushed. In processed horseradish, vinegar stops this
reaction and stabilizes the flavor. So the degree of heat is determined by
when the vinegar is added to the fresh horseradish. For milder horseradish,
the vinegar is added immediately. If exposed to air or stored improperly,
horseradish loses its pungency rapidly after grinding. Fresh horseradish
also loses flavor as it cooks, so it is best added towards the end of a
dish when cooking.
Keep it cold to keep it hot!
To keep prepared horseradish (commercial or homemade) at its flavorful
best, store it in a tightly covered jar in the refrigerator or in the
freezer. It will keep its good quality for about four to six weeks in the
refrigerator and for six months or longer in the freezer. Buy or prepare
only the amount of horseradish that can be used in a reasonable time.
You can store fresh roots for several months. Just wash them, place in
polyethylene bags, and store at 32 to 38 degrees F.
Selecting horseradish products
If you like horseradish as hot as it can be, use fresh horseradish roots. A
good quality root is clean, firm, and free from cuts and blemishes. The
freshly peeled or sliced root and the prepared product are creamy white.
Generally, the whiter the root, the fresher it is. When available, fresh
roots will be found in the produce section.
High quality commercial or home processed horseradish has a creamy white
color, a pungent, penetrating aroma, and a hot, biting taste. As processed
horseradish ages, it darkens and loses it pungency and in time off-flavors
may develop.
Grinding Fresh Horseradish
To grate your own horseradish by hand, hold cleaned and trimmed horseradish
root firmly. Using a sharp vegetable peeler, carefully remove the outer
layer. Rub peeled horseradish root against a fine grating surface using
downward, criss cross motion.
A quicker, more efficient method uses 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 not more that 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 for each cup of grated
horseradish.
The time at which you add the vinegar is important. Vinegar stops the
enzymatic action in the ground product and stabilizes the degree of
hotness. If you prefer horseradish that is not too hot, add the vinegar
immediately. If you like it as hot as can be, wait three minutes before
adding the vinegar.
continued in part 2

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