Featured Plant: HORSERADISH!
Ornamental Qualities of Horseradish
Fast upright growth
Perennial foliage
Soft green leaves
White flowers
Makes a nice screen or backdrop for contrasting flower colors
Recipes
Prepared Horseradish
This is the basic method of preparing the root as a condiment. It can easily be added to other dishes such as mashed potatoes, steak, or even apple sauce.
Horseradish Root
White Vinegar
Salt
Wash and peel the horseradish root. Cut into cubes and place in a blender or Cuisinart. Process until it reaches the desired consistency. Take care in removing blender lid, horseradish fumes are quite strong and can burn your eyes! For milder horseradish, add 3 tbsp white vinegar and 1/2 tsp salt immediately after processing. For stronger horseradish, wait 3 minutes after processing before adding other ingredients. Add ice-cold water (or ice cubes) to mixture to yield a smoother texture. Store in a tight-lidded jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 month or freezer for up to 6 months. Best used fresh, as flavor weakens over time.
Horseradish Care
Horseradish roots are best planted in early spring, before foliage has emerged. It is easily divided by digging out a mere chunk of root and transplanting. Horseradish thrives in moist, well-drained soil in full sun. In these optimum conditions, it may run farther than you’d like it to, quickly taking over beds. To avoid this problem, try planting horseradish roots in containers, or in remote parts of the garden with poorer soil and less access to water and sun. Begin harvesting leaves for spicing up salads in spring and summer. Roots of new plants are better harvested in the fall or winter after they’ve been established in the garden a full season. Leaves begin to die back in late fall and the plant will go completely dormant for the winter. This makes harvesting much easier, and is a good time to remove any unwanted wandering roots from the bed.
