Spiced Apples

I love to make spiced apples this time of year.  the fruit is fresh and the smell of cinnamon makes me nostalgic.  this quick recipe can be served as a side or as an ice cream topping at Thanksgiving!

Spiced Apples

with Cinnful Dessert Blend

1/2 cup butter or margarine

8 large Granny smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 tsp. Backyard Patch Cinnful Dessert Blend

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add apples and remaining ingredients.  Saute 15 to 20 minutes or until apples are tender.  Serve warm with biscuits, shortbread or over ice cream.

If you want some Cinnful Dessert Blend, check out our Etsy listing, and use the special code BOGO when you check out and get two packages for the price of one.

Holiday Pie Filling - Mincemeat with no Meat

Today is National Mincemeat Day!  Lets celebrate!

Now that most of us have experienced a frost or will so very soon, I thought it was a good time to share a holiday favorite in my family. No holiday celebration from Thanksgiving to New Years was complete without a mincemeat pie.  My grandmother was the one for years to make this and most other pies.  She taught me her baking and pie skills before she passed away and I try to keep up with them.

I have many old recipes for traditional Mincemeat that use real meat, but as a modern woman these time consuming recipes are not for me or my modern palet.  I have always used the canned mincemeat filling (None Such Brand) from the store which I know has no meat in it.  I scoured through my recipe books a few years ago and eventually found a book by Martha Stewart that had a no meat mincemeat recipe.  This version is adapted from that.  Since I have gotten back into canning this fall, I decided this would make a great gift for some of my baking friends.  Perhaps you can make a few quarts for your family too!

The recipe calls for green tomatoes, which many people have in abundance now that the tomato season is over with.  You will need to water bath can these ofeter you place them in jars.  10 to 15 minutes in boiling water once the jars of filled and loosly capped will doo the trick.  remember that any lids that do not pop should be kept in the refrigerator,  those that do pop down and seal will keep through the year in a cool dark place.  For more details on canning as well as information on porper supplies and materials, check out the BALL Canning informational website.

No Meat Mincemeat

Makes 8 pints

3 quarts chopped green tomatoes

2 Tbls. coarse salt

2 oranges

2 lemons

1 quart slightly under ripe pears, peeled, cored and diced

1 ½ quarts tart apples, peeled, cored and diced

2 cups dark raisins

1 1 /2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground cloves

¼ cup finely chopped ginger

½ cup frozen apple juice concentrate

1 pound light brown sugar

¾ cup cognac

Mix the green tomatoes and salt.  Place in a colander and allow to drain overnight

Using a citrus striper, remove the bright colored skin of the oranges and lemons and save.  With a sharp knife, cut away the white pith and discard.  Chop the pulp coarsely.

Combine the tomatoes, citrus peel and pulp with the remaining ingredients except cognac in a heavy non-corroding saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for about 3 hours, stirring frequently to prevent sticking.

Stir cognac into mincemeat. Ladle into hot sterilized canning jars and seal.

So make your own Mincemeat filling this year and enjoy some great pies!

An Old Fashioned Halloween Party

It's Halloween and you want to stay away from the big parties and door to door trick or treating with strangers. What do you do? I was looking through my stack of stuff the other day trying to get back on track with the blog and found a great file of holiday suggestions.  Hidden in the folder was an article from the magazine,  The Modern Priscilla Magazine from October 1915.

It was instructions on how to throw a Halloween Party!  It started by advising the hostess to invite family and friends that are close to each other so everyone can feel comfortable dressing up and joining in.  The Invitations and Decorations were simply adorned with witches on broomsticks, owls, black kittens and simplar traditional designs.

Decorations

Decorations in the early 1900s were simple but fun. Jack-o-lanterns peeking from every corner, dried corn with branches of colored fall leaves would be suspended from chandeliers. Pumpkin shells can be scraped clean and used for soups, dips or casseroles.   Cheese cloth, something we don’t see as much of today can be dyed yellow and festooned with autumn leaves.  Get the kids involved by stringing  popcorn which you can make Halloween festive with a shot of orange spray paint.  Faces painted on gourds and turnips was not so different from the decorating we do today.

Fun Food

The food suggestions in 1915 were rather light and easy, which fits in perfect with our busy lifestyles today. Egg, chicken or tuna salad sandwiches, cut into fourths with additions of thinly sliced cucumber, herb butter, tomato or watercress could be served on platters with colored toothpicks holding the bread in place. Sometimes a little food coloring now to make eggs green and other fun colors in food is more acceptable now that in the 1910s.

Nut sandwiches were a suggested treat. Bake gingerbread or pound cake in loaves and thinly slice. Toast nuts for a few minutes in a hot oven, then chop or crush. Mix with whipped cream or honey and spread on the slices of bread. This is great with Pecans.

In addition to the sandwiches serve brownies, fruit compote or salad, hot cider and salted nuts.   Serve some of those seasoned pumpkin seeds you made using the recipes we posted in the blog back on 10/15/11!

Hot Spiced Cider

(2 quarts cider)

1 cup brown or white sugar
2 sticks cinnamon
6 cloves
1 tsp. allspice
nutmeg

Add the sugar and spices to the cider in a large saucepan. Simmer, do not boil, for 15 minutes. Strain and serve hot in small glasses or mugs. A little grated nutmeg may be sprinkled on each glass before serving.

If you want more recipes or spice blends for cider, check out the Backyard Patch Cider Blends.

Easy Pumpkin Bars

Ingredients

• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2 cups sugar 
• 15 ounce can of pumpkin
• 2 cups flour 
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp. cloves
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• (or you can substitute 3 tsp of Backyard Patch Cinnful Dessert Blend/Pumpkin Spice)

Instructions

1. Mix the first four ingredients.
2. Sift and add the dry ingredients.  Increase the amount of spices if you desire stronger flavors.
3. Pour into greased jelly roll pan and bake at 350° for 25 -30 minutes.

A perfect Halloween snack is roasted nuts and we make a great one with our Cinnful Dessert Blend, check out the recipe on the Backyard Patch Website !

Halloween Games

Bobbing for apples, dancing, and door prizes were some of the simpler activities in the early 1900's. We can add some modern touches too. On the bottom of each plate place a number. After everyone finishes eating draw numbers and give away adult and kid's door prizes.

The best thing about a dollar store today is it is filled with the types of traditional toys from 100 years ago, like bean bag animals, marbles, and card games.  I suggest herbal tea, jam,  fancy cookies or crackers for the adults.

 
You can drag out those games you played years ago too, like musical chairs.  Dance the  Hokie Pokie or play Pin the Stem on the Pumpkin and allow kids and adults to interact. 

A friend of mine used this game for Christmas gift exchange last year, but I adapted it for a game of Pass the Pumpkin!

Pass the Pumpkin

Directions:
For this game you'll need a small pumpkin, a reader, a circle of friends that know (or are learning) right from left and this little story. Whenever the kids hear the word "right" they pass the pumpkin to the person on their right and when they hear the word "left" they pass the pumpkin to the person on their left. All the participants will need to put on their listening ears because this game gets tricky. Party host can have a small prize ready for the person that is holding the pumpkin at the end of the game. I love the fact that adults can play this game and enjoy it just as much as kids and since I have never been good and left and right, it makes for fun mistakes!

Game story:
"Mr. Right and his two children left their home to go trick or treating. His daughter held Mr. Right's right hand and his son held his left hand.

The three turned left on the sidewalk and walked right passed the neighbor's house because they knew the neighbors had left this afternoon to go car shopping. Their car hasn't been running right since August.
At the second house on the right, the neighbors had left the light on and had also left a basket of candy and a note saying that they would be right back.

At the third house on the right Mr. Right and his kids didn't stop because the neighbors hadn't left their light on but they had left their sprinkler on and it was spraying from the gate right up to the door.

"All right!" said Mr. Right's son at the fourth house on the right. The neighbors at this house had their lights on and asked the trick-or-treaters to come right on up to the porch. "My wife and I are eating all of the candy right up and we're glad you got here while we still have some left," said their neighbor.

At this moment Mr. Right's daughter realized that she'd left her trick-or-treat bag at home. "That's all right," said the neighbor. "Our son left for college but I am sure he left a pile of old Halloween bags right here in the closet."

The Right children said thank you and looked right and left before they crossed the street to come back down the left side. At the first house on the right there was a spooky spider right on the gate. To the left of the gate there were three pumpkins and to the right of the gate there was a funny scarecrow with a broom in his left hand. These neighbors had really decorated the yard up right for Halloween night and they had plenty of great candy left.

The Right family trick or treated at the four houses that were left and soon there was hardly any room left in their trick or treat bags.

The end.

Who is holding the pumpkin? They win a prize!

I got quite a few ideas for this blog from Brenda Hyde and her blog On the Front Porch.

Herb of the Week and Year -- Horseradish, part 2

The International Herb Association and the National Herb Society announced that Horseradish will be the 2011 Herb of the Year.  There is much unknown about Horseradish (which many people shy away from because if its strong flavor,) so I decided to dedicate two weeks to discussing its use, growth and helpful properties.

This is week two of  Herb of the Week -- Horseradish!

History, part 2

Last week I gave a brief history of the plant, this time I will share a few more historical tidbits.Click here to read last week's post.

Horseradish has been cultivated since antiquity. According to Greek mythology, the Delphic Oracle told Apollo that the horseradish was worth its weight in gold. Horseradish was 0known in Egypt in 1500 BC. Dioscordes listed horseradish under Thlaspi or Persicon; Cato discusses the plant in his treatises on agriculture, and a mural in Pompeii showing the plant has survived until today. Horseradish is probably the plant mentioned by Pliny the Elder in his Natural History under the name of Amoracia, and recommended by him for its medicinal qualities, and possibly the Wild Radish, or raphanos agrios of the Greek. The early Renaissance herbalist John Gerard showed it under Raphanus.

Both root and leaves were used as a medicine during the Middle Ages and the root was used as a condiment on meats in Germany, Scandinavia, and Britain. It was taken to North America during Colonial times.

William Turner mentions horseradish as Red Cole in his "Herbal" (1551–1568), but not as a condiment. In "The Herball, or Generall Historie of Plantes" (1597), John Gerard describes it under the name of raphanus rusticanus, stating that it occurs wild in several parts of England. After referring to its medicinal uses, he says: "the Horse Radish stamped with a little vinegar put thereto, is commonly used among the Germans for sauce to eat fish with and such like meates as we do mustarde."

Where the English name horseradish comes from is not certain. It may derive by misinterpretation of the German Meerrettich as mare radish. Some think it is because of the coarseness of the root. In Europe the common version is that it refers to the old method of processing the root called "hoofing". Horses were used to stamp the root tender before grating it.

Culinary Uses, part 2

Prepared horseradish is the grated root mixed with vinegar.  Horseradish sauce is made by blending the prepared horseradish with cream or mayonnaise. In the USA, prepared horseradish is a common ingredient in Bloody Mary cocktails and in cocktail sauce for seafood.  It is also used as a sauce or spread on meat, chicken, and fish, and in sandwiches.  Last week (to see the other post click here) I explained how to prepare Horseradish, this week I thought I would mention some special places Horseradish is used with food.

In Middle and Eastern Europe horseradish is called khreyn (in various spellings) in many Slavic languages, in German in Austria and parts of Germany, and in Yiddish. There are two varieties of khreyn. "Red" khreyn is mixed with red beet (beetroot) and "white" khreyn contains no beet. It is popular in Ukraine (under the name of хрін, khrin), in Poland (under the name of chrzan).

Having this on the Easter table is a part of Christian Easter and Jewish Passover tradition in Eastern and Central Europe.  In Ashkanazi European Jewish cooking beet horseradish is commonly served with Gefilte fish. Red beet with horseradish is also used as a salad served with lamb dishes at Easter in Romanian regions.

Horseradish (often grated and mixed with cream, hard-boiled eggs, or apples) is also a traditional Easter dish in Slovenia and in the adjacent Italian regions.

Even in Japan, horseradish dyed green is often substituted for the more expensive wasabi traditionally served with sushi. The Japanese botanical name for horseradish is seiyōwasabi or "Western wasabi".

Medicinal uses

Horseradish contains potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus, along with volatile oils, such as mustard oil (which has antibacterial properties.) Fresh, the plant contains average 79.31 mg of vitamin C per 100 g of raw horseradish.

Known to have diuretic properties, the roots have been used to treat various minor health problems, including urinary tract infections, bronchitis, sinus congestion, ingrown toenails and coughs. Compounds found in horseradish have been found to kill some bacterial strains.  It is currently being used in microbiology as a way of preserving study slides.

If you don't have access to a garden plant, you can often find the roots at markets such as Whole Foods. Homemade prepared horseradish is about twice as strong as store-bought versions, and lasts about 4 to 6 weeks in the refrigerator.

Recipes to Try

 (I went a bit overboard but worth scrolling all the way to the bottom for the sauces)

Bloody Mary on Horseback
1 oz. Vodka
Lemon pepper
1/2 tsp. grated or prepared Horseradish
1 tsp. A-1 sauce
Lime wedge
Celery seed
Ice
Tomato juice
Garnish

Directions:
Place ice in a shaker, sprinkle lemon pepper, celery seed, horseradish (use more if more heat is desired), A-1 sauce and vodka over the ice. Fill with chilled tomato juice, shake vigorously to blend and pour into a chilled mug. Add a squeeze of fresh lime juice and garnish with celery stick, chilled cooked shrimp, pickled mushroom or whatever you desire.

Horseradish Potato Salad

Serves: 6

Fennel, horseradish, and mustard lend interesting flavors to red potato salad tossed in a creamy vinaigrette. Plan on 1 hour refrigeration time.

2 pounds red new potatoes, cut into eighths

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 clove garlic, chopped

2 Tablespoons sour cream

1-1/2 teaspoons spicy brown mustard

1-1/2 teaspoons prepared horseradish or horseradish sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

2 pounds fresh fennel or celery, trimmed and diced (about 3 cups)

1/2 bunch green onions (about 3), trimmed and thinly sliced

Directions:

Cook potatoes in boiling lightly salted water until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain; refrigerate 1 hour.  Whisk olive oil, wine vinegar, garlic, sour cream, mustard, horseradish, sugar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.  When potatoes are cool, add dressing along with fennel and green onions. Toss to combine.

 

Potato Cakes and Horse Radish

Serves 4 to 6

Fresh horseradish gives extra zing to potato cakes seasoned with chives and served with sour cream. These are not overly spicy because the cooking process mellows out the horseradish.

3 baking potatoes, scrubbed clean

1 medium onion, grated

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

3 Tbls. finely grated fresh horseradish (use a microplane for better consistence and less clean up)

1/2 tsp. lemon zest

1/4 cup chopped fresh chopped chives

3/4 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

6 Tbls. vegetable or olive oil

2 Tbls. butter

Salt to taste

Sour cream for accompaniment

Directions:

Boil whole potatoes for 5 minutes. Let cool, peel, and coarsely grate. Toss grated potatoes, onions, and flour in a large bowl to mix well. Stir in eggs, horseradish, lemon zest, chives, salt, and pepper until well-combined.  Heat olive oil and butter in a large, heavy non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of mixture into the hot oil for each cake. Fry about 4 minutes on each side until nicely browned. Drain on paper towels. (You will need to fry the potato pancakes in batches.)  Season cakes with additional salt, if desired, and serve with a dollop of sour cream.

 

Buttered Horseradish Mostly Mashed Potatoes
Serves: 4- 6

4 Lg. Yukon Gold potatoes, skins on and cut into bite sized chunks
4 Tbsp. prepared horseradish
4 Tbsp. sour cream
1/3  cup milk
5 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. each of:  onion powder, garlic powder and dried onion
½ Tbsp. oregano
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions:
Place potatoes in water and boil until soft.  Drain.  Place in large mixing bowl.  Add all other ingredients.  Mash contents in bowl together with masher or heavy duty mixer until well combined and potatoes are mostly mashed.  For even better version: top with cheddar cheese and put until hot broiler until cheese starts to bubble.

Flat Horse Chicken

Serves: 4 to 6

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or cutlets or boneless, skinless thighs)
2 Tbsp. white prepared horseradish
3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp. orange juice
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 more Tbsp. of unsalted butter (very cold)
1 Tbsp. olive oil

Directions:
Pound the chicken to ¼-inch in thickness.  Season with salt and pepper.  Melt 2 Tbsp. of butter in a frying pan large enough to hold all the chicken.  Add the olive oil.  Sauté chicken on medium high heat on both sides, 3 minutes per side.  Remove from frying pan and place on a serving dish.  To the frying pan, add orange juice, balsamic vinegar and horseradish and turn the heat up till sauce bubbles.  Turn the heat down to medium and add the very cold butter.  Stir constantly till the sauce becomes velvety.  Return the chicken to the pan to heat, about 2 minutes per side. 

Great Meatloaf

2 lbs. ground chuck (or a combination of beef and pork)
2 egg whites (slightly beaten)
1 c. bread crumbs
1/4 c. chopped onion
1/4 c. milk
2 tsp. prepared horseradish or horseradish sauce
1 tsp. dry mustard
3/4 c. ketchup

Directions:
Combine all ingredients but meat in a medium bowl.  Then add bread crumb mixture to mean and mix thoroughly (using hands works best.)  Form into a loaf.  Bake in foil-line loaf pan in oven at 350 degrees for one hour. You can substitute ground turkey/chicken for ground meat or use skim milk instead of whole milk.

Ham and Horseradish Stromboli
Serves: 4-6

1 loaf frozen bread dough, thawed and risen
¼  lb. Deli ham
¼  lb. Swiss cheese
3 Tbsp. Mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. Prepared Horseradish
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Punch dough down. On a lightly floured surface, roll loaf into a 20" by 8" rectangle. Place the rectangle on a greased baking sheet. Combine mayonnaise and horseradish and spread in a strip down the center of the rectangle. Layer on ham and Swiss cheese, salt and pepper to taste. Fold long sides of dough up towards filling and pinch ends to seal. Bake at 350ºF for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Horseradish Crusted Salmon
Serves: 4

4 6-9 oz. Salmon fillets, no skin
1/2 cup freshly grated horseradish
12 Small Red bliss potatoes
8 Broccoli spears
2 Medium Sprigs of rosemary

Directions:
Bring a pot of water to a boil, lightly salt the water. Boil potatoes until tender. Remove. In a separate pot, bring water to a boil and blanch broccoli. Shock in ice water. Reserve. Mince rosemary leaves, not stems. Season salmon with salt and pepper. Top each salmon fillet with freshly grated horseradish. In a hot sauté pan, sauté both sides of salmon, starting with the horseradish side down first. Transfer to a lightly oiled baking sheet and cook in a 350º preheated oven until done, approximately 10 minutes. While salmon is resting, place potatoes on a lightly oiled baking sheet, season potatoes with butter, minced rosemary and salt and pepper. Bake for a few minutes to heat up and melt butter. Cook broccoli in boiling water until tender. On a warm plate, arrange 3 potatoes and broccoli in the center. Place the warm salmon on top with horseradish facing up.

Horseradish Sauce for Meat

Makes 1 2/3 cups

This heavenly horseradish sauce goes great with roasted fish, beef, and chicken.

1/4 cup drained prepared horseradish

1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon heavy cream

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter

2 egg yolks

1 Tablespoon water

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Keep warm.

To make the horseradish puree: Place the horseradish, vinegar, and cream in a blender. Puree until smooth, stopping from time to time to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula. Scrape into a bowl and reserve.  

Place the egg yolks in a slightly larger non-reactive saucepan. Whisk in the water and the salt. Place over medium-low heat. Slowly pour the warm butter into the egg yolks, whisking constantly. After all the butter has been incorporated, continue whisking approximately 3 to 5 minutes over the heat, until the sauce is light and fluffy and has almost doubled in volume. Remove from heat and continue whisking until the sauce is skin temperature.

Whisk in the reserved horseradish puree. Serve immediately. Good with roasted fish, beef, and chicken.

Creamed Horseradish Sauce Dip

Makes ¾ cup

For me, creamed horseradish sauce is a must with prime rib or any rare roast beef. If you don't like your horseradish too hot, make the sauce a couple of days in advance and refrigerate. Horseradish loses its punch with age. Prepared bottled horseradish doesn't work as well due to the vinegar. This version is a copycat version of the tiger dill sauce served at Outback Steakhouse restaurants.

1/2 cup fresh grated horseradish

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dill weed

Directions:

Place grated horseradish, heavy cream, and salt into the bowl of a small food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse until thickened to the consistency of stiff whipped cream. (Do not over-beat or you will end up with butter.)  Scrape into a bowl and fold in dill weed. Refrigerate at least two hours or overnight to let flavors meld. 

If you want to make a quick spread or dip, the Backyard Patch has two herb mixes you can try!  Click here to view them.

Herb of the Week and Year - Horseradish, part 1

International Herb Association and the National Herb Society have announced the Horseradish will be the 2011 Herb of the Year. They recommend that everyone try to grow or use this wonderful herb!  Many people know little about this unique and strongly flavorful herb, so I decided to dedicate two weeks to discussing its use, growth and helpful properties.

This week's Herb of the Week is Horseradish!

People either love horseradish or they hate it. One bite of pungent prepared horseradish is enough to clear out anyone's sinuses. Hotter than the popular Japanese version of wasabi, horseradish is easy to grow and easy to prepare.

Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana, syn. Cochlearia armoracia) is a perennial plant of the Brassicacae family, which also includes mustard, wasabi, broccoli, and cabbages. The plant is probably native to southeastern Europe and western Asia, but is popular around the world today. It grows up to five feet tall and is mainly cultivated for its large white, tapered root.

The intact horseradish root has hardly any aroma. When cut or grated, however, enzymes from the damaged plant cells break down to produce mustard oil, which irritates the sinuses and eyes. Once grated, if not used immediately or mixed in vinegar, the root darkens and loses its pungency and becomes unpleasantly bitter when exposed to air and heat.

How to Grow

Horseradish is perennial in hardiness zones 2–9 and can be grown as an annual in other zones, though not as successfully as in zones with both a long growing season and winter temperatures cold enough to ensure plant dormancy.  

Buy plants or roots at the nursery (horseradish is rarely grown from seed) for planting after the last frost in spring.  Choose a site for location rather than growing conditions - a spot far removed from any other plants you care about. Left to its own devices, horseradish will stampede through your garden. But it will grow in any circumstances except deep shade or constant wetness. 

Ensure the straightest, plumpest roots by tilling the soil to at least 12 inches, amending it with plenty of compost and removing all rocks and other obstructions.  Set plants or roots 9 to 18 inches apart, with the crown (the top of the root and the start of the top growth) about 4 inches below the soil surface, and water thoroughly.  Mulch to retain moisture and discourage weeds if you want to, but it's not necessary - horseradish thrives on neglect.  Dig horseradish roots anytime from midsummer on, but for best flavor wait until after the first frosts.

Commercial production

Although grown in many regions of the world, Collinsville, Illinois, is the self-proclaimed "Horseradish Capital of the World" and hosts an annual International Horseradish Festival each June. Collinsville produces 60%, and the surrounding area of southwestern Illinois 25% of the world's commercially grown horseradish. Other major US growing regions include Eau Claire, Wisconsin and Tylelakem, California. Apart from these US areas, horseradish is also produced in Europe and South Australia.

Pests and diseases

Widely introduced by accident, "cabbageworms", the larvae of Artogeia rapae, the Small White Butterfly, are a common caterpillar pest in horseradish. The adults are white butterflies with black spots on the forewings that are commonly seen flying around plants during the day. The caterpillars are velvety green with faint yellow stripes running lengthwise down the back and sides. Full grown caterpillars are about 1 inch in length. They move sluggishly when prodded. They overwinter in green pupal cases. Adults start appearing in gardens after the last frost and are a problem through the remainder of the growing season. There are 3 to 5 overlapping generations a year. Mature caterpillars chew large, ragged holes in the leaves leaving the large veins intact. Handpicking is an effective control strategy.

To Use

After the first frost in the autumn kills the leaves, the root is dug and divided. The main root is harvested and one or more large offshoots of the main root are replanted to produce next year's crop. Horseradish left undisturbed in the garden spreads via underground shoots and can become invasive. Older roots left in the ground become woody, after which they are no longer useful for cooking, although these older plants can be dug and divided to start new plants.

Culinary Uses

Cooks use the terms "horseradish" or "prepared horseradish" to refer to the grated root of the horseradish plant mixed with vinegar. Prepared horseradish is white to creamy-beige in color. It will keep for months refrigerated but eventually will start to darken, indicating it is losing flavor and should be replaced. The leaves of the plant, while edible, are not commonly eaten, and are referred to as "horseradish greens".

Horseradish sauce made from grated horseradish root, vinegar and cream is a popular condiment in the United Kingdom. It is usually served with roast beef, often as part of a traditional Sunday roast, but can be used in a number of other dishes also, including sandwiches or salads. Also popular in the UK is Tewkesbury mustard, a blend of mustard and grated horseradish originally created in medieval times and mentioned by Shakespeare.

In the U.S., the term Horseradish Sauce refers to grated horseradish combined with mayonnaise or white salad dressing (like Miracle Whip). Most grocery stores sell this type of Horseradish Sauce.

How to make Prepared Horseradish

   8-10-inch long piece of horseradish root

   2 Tbsp. water

   1 Tbsp. white vinegar

   Pinch salt

Directions:

1.      If you have access to a garden horseradish plant, use a sturdy shovel to dig up an 8-10-inch long tuber of horseradish. (You can't pull it up.) The plant itself, once established, propagates with tubers, and is very hardy. Remove the leaves from the root and rinse the dirt off of the root.

2.      Use a vegetable peeler to peel the surface skin off of the tuber. You want to get off the brown parts.  Chop into pieces.

3.      Put into a food processor. Add a couple tablespoons of water. Process until well ground. At this point be careful. A ground up fresh horseradish is many times as potent as freshly chopped onions and can really hurt your eyes if you get too close. Keep at arms length away, and work in a well ventilated room (I actually go to the trouble of getting an extension cord and dragging all my tools outside to do this step so my house does not absorb the smells.)

4.      Strain out some of the water if the mixture is too liquidy. Add a tablespoon of white vinegar and a pinch of salt to the mixture. Pulse to combine. Note that the vinegar will stabilize the level of hotness of the ground horseradish, so do not wait too long to add it to the mixture.

5.      Using a rubber spatula, carefully transfer the grated horseradish to a glass jar with a tight fitting lid. It will keep for up to 6 weeks in the refrigerator. (I store mine upside down so no additional oxygen gets into the jar to help hold the flavor.) It can be frozen.

Horseradish Cooking Tips and Measures (many retrieved from Horseradish.org)

• Horseradish is best used freshly grated and raw.

• Scrub with a stiff brush and peel off the dark skin before using horseradish.

• In larger roots, the core may be fibrous and bitter. Remove and discard the core, along with any green spots.

• Horseradish is like the onion family -- the finer it is chopped or grated, the more pungent the flavor.

• Fold 1 Tablespoon fresh grated horseradish into stiffly-whipped heavy cream and salt to taste for a classic horseradish sauce to accompany beef dishes. Dill weed is also a tasty addition.

• Add 1 Tablespoon fresh grated horseradish to 1 cup applesauce for a piquant condiment to pork dishes. See below a recipe for Horseradish Apples.

• When serving horseradish, do not use silver. Horseradish will tarnish silver.

• If you grow your horseradish, the young, tender green leaves are edible in salads and may also be cooked.

• If you want to retain the spicy zing of horseradish in cooked dishes, add it at the end of the cooking process, after the dish has been removed from the heat.

   Horseradish Measures, Weights, and Substitutions

• 1 Tablespoon grated fresh horseradish = 2 Tbsp bottled prepared horseradish
• 2 Tablespoons prepared horseradish = 1 Tablespoon dried + 1 Tablespoon vinegar + 1 Tablespoon water + salt to taste
• 10 Tablespoons prepared horseradish = 6 Tablespoons dried powdered
• 1-1/2 pounds fresh root = 2-3/4 cups peeled and grated
• 1 8-ounce bottle prepared horseradish = 1 cup

Recipes (look for even more next week!)

Horseradish Butter

Use this as a spread on pork or beef sandwiches

8  Tbls.  (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2  Tbls. prepared horseradish

1/4  teaspoon  kosher salt

Directions:

Place the butter in a small bowl. Add the horseradish and salt and mash with a wooden spoon to combine. Chill the butter until needed, but allow it to come to room temperature before spreading.

Horseradish Salsa

The perfect spicy condiment to go with beef

1 jar (16-ounce) mild salsa

1/2 cup (loosely packed) fresh parsley leaves, chopped

2 Tbls. prepared white horseradish

Directions:

In small bowl, mix salsa, parsley, and horseradish until combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve or up to two days.

Horseradish Vinaigrette

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

¼ cup horseradish sauce

½ cup olive oil

1 tsp. pepper

Directions:

In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, mustard, olive oil and black pepper. The dressing should come out a little creamy but not too thick.

Horseradish Apples

Naturally sweet from the apples with a bit of zing from the horseradish, this no-cook sauce is excellent served as a condiment for pork dishes.

4 Granny Smith apples

2 Tbls. cider vinegar

2 Tbls. fresh horseradish, grated

1 tsp. paprika

1 Tbls. white wine

Directions:

Grate the apples and moisten them with vinegar. Add the horseradish and paprika. Thin to the desired consistency with the wine. Yield: 1 pint

Horseradish Stuffed Roast Beef Serves 4-6

2 lb. Roast beef
Salt, pepper
2 Tbsp. Flour
4 Tbsp. Oil
4 Tbsp. Prepared horseradish
6 Tbsp. Sour cream
2 Eggs
3 Tbsp. Breadcrumbs
Sugar

Directions:
Rinse and dry roast. Rub with salt and pepper and coat with flour. Brown in hot oil in a Dutch oven. Add 1 Cup water and braise covered for 1 hour. Add more water as necessary. For filling, mix horseradish, sour cream, eggs and breadcrumbs. Season with salt, pepper and sugar. Remove the roast from pan, let cool, cut in 1/2 inch slices nearly to the bottom. Spread filling between slices. Tie lengthwise with sting. Return meat to the Dutch oven and braise 15 minutes. Before serving, remove string and pour pan drippings over meat.

Come back next week when we will go a bit deeper into the history, provide a number of other recipes, and discuss the medicinal aspects of Horseradish. 

If you want to try a couple of dips and spreads with powdered horseradish, visit our eBay store