Horseradish

[Meadowlark]

Growing horseradish as an experimental crop this year...someone made the mistake of telling me it could not be done in East Texas. Wrong!

It is a fascinating plant with unique roots which produce wonderful sauces. According to Wikipedia, The root was used as a condiment on meats in Germany, Scandinavia, and Britain. It was introduced to North America during European colonization; both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson mention horseradish in garden accounts. Native Americans used it to stimulate the glands, stave off scurvy, and as a diaphoretic treatment for the common cold. Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana, syn. Cochlearia armoracia) is a perennial plant of the family Brassicaceae (which also includes mustard, wasabi, broccoli, cabbage, and radish).

Brassicas grow very well here especially in Hugenkultur containers which is where I've been growing these plants for well over a year. Through our incredibly long hot, humid summers, this has thrived.

According to experts, the taste provided by the roots is at its highest after a hard frost/freeze has killed back the plants. We haven't had a hard frost yet, but I'm taking samples just to verify that the experts are correct. My first sample was taken today and shown below. The sauce from this will be compared to post-freeze harvested roots for intensity.

Anyone else grow this interesting plant in their garden?

 

[Meadowlark]

Did a "search" and found @Ruderunner has grown and is still active here...what have you learned about it? Thanks.

 

[GFTL]

WARNING!!!! Grow them in pots. They are incredibly invasive and impossible to destroy. Plus containers make for much easier harvest. I thought I was being smart by growing them in large garden containers but made the mistake of having holes in the bottoms in stead of the sides for drainage. The roots grew through the bottom and started spreading. Been trying to get rid of them ever since.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Agreed, invasive, contain.

 

[Ruderunner]

WARNING!!!! Grow them in pots. They are incredibly invasive and impossible to destroy. Plus containers make for much easier harvest. I thought I was being smart by growing them in large garden containers but made the mistake of having holes in the bottoms in stead of the sides for drainage. The roots grew through the bottom and started spreading. Been trying to get rid of them ever since.

This!

Several years ago I tried to grow horseradish in some old shipping crates from work. It did well. Well enough that it grew through the cracks in the crates and rooted in the ground.

Water sparingly, it's surprisingly susceptible to root rot. But, it will chase the water it desires. I had some in one spot and chased the roots 3 feet deep before giving up.

It doesn't seem to like too much nitrogen unless you want lots of greens. Those are edible treat them like mustard greens.

Container growing is probably best and you can pick your containers to help shape the roots. A tall container will provide longer skinnier roots than something short. A sandy soil works well top with leaf mulch over winter.

I'm still experimenting with it. I don't necessarily need to grow alot but I am trying to grow it very pungent.

 

[Meadowlark]

...I'm still experimenting with it. I don't necessarily need to grow alot but I am trying to grow it very pungent.

Same here...a little goes a long way.

 

[Meadowlark]

I'm finding this crop to be very rewarding. After more than a year in the ground, it is flourishing in spite of my Texas climate.

I'm growing it in an HK container...and just dig what is needed, and it replaces itself quickly. Best taste after a frost. A little goes a long way.

IMO, this home grown is better than Wasabi. A grated root mixed with vinegar makes classic horseradish sauce. We use with roast beef and seafood primarily. Makes a killer shrimp and oyster sauce.

I never expected it to be this useful and easy to grow. A really nice addition to the home garden.



 

[Ruderunner]

Yep, fresh grated and mixed with ketchup is a killer cocktail sauce. Note, the vinegar in ketchup is plenty to cure the horseradish. Cream style with mayonnaise is good too. Again, there's adequate vinegar in mayonnaise.

A couple tricks, I like to freeze the horseradish before grating. Not a deep freeze, just an hour or two in the freezer. Keeping it cold helps Keeping it potent.

The finer the grating, the more potent. You have to rupture the cell walls to release the chemicals. One can use a blender or processor but my best results have been by hand.

Those chemicals have a rather short life. They dissipate quickly. They also need a bit of time to mix for maximum punch. Generally give them 2 to 3 minutes before adding the vinegar. Too soon and they don't have time to mix, too late (5 minutes) and they evaporate.

If you have respiratory problems, be careful. My wife has had asthma attacks when making this.

 

[Meadowlark]

Outstanding response @Ruderunner. Invaluable tricks.

I very much appreciate your words of wisdom...makes it worthwhile to be here.