Horseradish Root
Posted in featured selections on Oct 16th, 2007
A native of Southeastern Europe, horseradish root has been cultivated at least since 1500 BC in ancient Egypt and has long been the representative of “bitter herbs” on the Jewish Seder plate for Passover. The Japanese cultivate a related variety for their fiery hot wasabi sauce, and the Germans have enjoyed horseradish as a condiment since the middle ages.
Medicinally the root has been used as a natural decongestant (no doubt!), a digestive stimulant, pain relief rub for rheumatism and headaches, and current research demonstrates the root’s antibacterial qualities.
Relatively benign when whole, the characteristic pungency is released only upon grating or scraping, which causes a chemical reaction creating the volatile oil isothiocyanate. Adding vinegar to the grated horseradish stops the reaction and tempers the taste. Add vinegar immediately for a mild horseradish or wait up to 3 minutes for a hot condiment.
To prepare: Store the root in the refrigerator for up to a week, taking care not to allow it to dry out. Either use a blender or grate outside wearing gloves to be on the safe side. Add vinegar according to taste, using approximately equal parts. (Rice wine vinegar is supposed to be particularly good if you have any on hand.) Store in an airtight container for up to several months in the refrigerator. It will gradually lose its flavor with time.
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