Sunday, April 17, 2011

Pickled Horseradish


You could also call this prepared horseradish. Either way, it's the way to bag the store boughten stuff. And really, this is ridiculously easy. Get one of those scary looking horseradish roots that can be fodder for many a joke. I used to work the dreaded brunch shift and one of the opening tasks was to make the bloody mary mix. Needless to say, hung over waiters are not one to hold back on a ribald joke involving horseradish. So. Are you familiar with fresh horseradish? You should be! It's so good. 

I found this simple preparation in the Joy of Cooking. You clean your root, then peel it, then grate it. I grated it with a Microplane which didn't take too long, but I guess you could do it in the food processor. It might be a bit too coarse, though. Beware! Horseradish is fierce. I had to walk away a few times because I got a good strong whiff, and it just about burned my nasal passage up to my brain.

Grate it into a glass bowl filled with a cup of white vinegar and a 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt. Pack it into a clean jar and keep in the fridge. I'm hoping for at least a few months for this big jar. Might have to whip up a Bloody Mary brunch party soon...


16 comments:

  1. Woo! This is great (grate?)! I've got a little horseradish growing, and have been wondering about what I'll do when I harvest the roots. This is perfect.

    Also: horseradish leaves are great in pickles--they keep them crisper.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I can't wait to try this!!!! I love me some horseradish! Thanks Julia :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. mmmm, meerrettich, rafano, thank you, julia. jokes indeed, bad ones. the stuff is favaloso on a charred pork tenderloin, especially your zesty version!

    ReplyDelete
  4. This is so simple and so good. And what's weird is that yesterday morning, I swear, I was thinking that I wanted to learn how to make it.

    I never say the word "ribald" -- in fact, I'm scared it's one of those words I've been reading for years and years that I would mispronounce if I spoke it -- but I love it all the same.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I saw your post last night and thought, "Serendipity!" as I had just made an Eastern European horseradish dish that includes roasted beets. It's a lovely condiment for pork, but grating that horseradish just about did me in! My partner took one look at my red, puffy eyes and my streaming nose and gave the obvious advice that I might not want to be using that particular face for my avatar...

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love bloody marys. Now I have to make a big jar of horseradish for the fridge so I can have an excuse to make them often! Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Zemmely - Ha ha! Good one. Glad I'm not the only punster around here! And thanks for the tip. I knew that about grape leaves, but not about horseradish!

    From Scratch Club - Thanks, Christina!

    Michael - Mmm. Charred pork tenderloin...

    Shae - I love that word, too, although I often wonder if I say it wrong too. Probably do! And I think that nasturtium pesto you just did is great--another spicy condiment. Yum!

    Jodi - I know! ha! I had to keep on leaving the room to breathe deeply. It was funny. For other people. ; )

    My Pantry Shelf - I know! We need all the excuses we can get.

    ReplyDelete
  8. can you just pickle the horse radish leaves? That's all I want to do, as I have LOTS of plants with LOTS and LOTS of leaves. If it can be done, what percentage or amount of salt to the water? Please let me know. Helen

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi Helen - Sorry it took me so long to reply! The summer has me in a frenzy. I don't believe you would want to pickle the leaves. Some people think that putting horseradish leaves (or grape leaves, or sour cherry leaves) in with pickles maintains the crunch in cucumbers. I believe all you can do with your leaves is admire them! Lucky you for having so many horseradish plants.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Great post - along with your mustard! I'm wondering the length of your root, or how much grated horseradish you used with the 1 c vinegar and .5 tsp kosher salt. Thanks so much!

    ReplyDelete
  11. btw, it's not everyday that I wonder about the length of one's root...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, you're going to make me say it, huh? Um, it was about 8 or 9 inches. ; )

      Delete
  12. Julia,
    Just read the post on horseradish (April 2011). I wonder how long did it keep in the fridge???

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Steve, thanks for the visit! I will guess that this is good in the fridge for at least six months, if not more, like up to a year. (Mine did not last that long because my husband is a horseradish freak.)

      Delete
  13. replica bags china replica hermes bag l0g87u6h97 replica bags online pakistan view website f0k01o7t03 high quality designer replica replica bags new york replica bags hong kong fake gucci h9p51a9l49 replica bags qatar

    ReplyDelete