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A few months ago I watched the movie Fat Sick and Nearly Dead. I had already read Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s Eat to Live: The Amazing Nutrient-Rich Program for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss and was discovering the health benefits of a plant based diet and giving it my best shot when I came across this documentary on streaming on Netflix. This movie spoke volumes to me, so I bought my Breville 900 watt juicer shortly thereafter. Besides making awesome fresh vegetable and fruit juices, I’ve just found another perfect use for it!
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Last week we had seen some really low temperatures but the weather had been mild just 2 days ago when I decided to dig up the horseradish I planted back in April 2010 before the ground froze. I intended to bring some to my Mom’s house and process it there (haha) but when she heard I had it with me during my visit she said, “No way, we are having company today. You do it outside another day.”
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Years ago, when Mom was a little girl, she had once walked into her own Mom’s kitchen in Jersey City, NJ when her Cioci (aunt) was visiting and making fresh horseradish. It’s so potent, SO STRONG, that it basically feels like you are being attacked by some kind of biological warfare if you walk into the room. It’s like slicing onions with a dull knife right next to your face… times 20.
So I grumbled and stomped and took my roots back home with me.
With my Mom’s warning ringing in my ears, I decided to process the horseradish in the garage. I opened the front door and the back door so I had a cross breeze going. While I was peeling the roots I scoffed and said to myself, “What’s the big deal? This isn’t bad!” but then I put the peeled pieces into the juicer and pressed down.
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I had to run out of the garage! Holy COW! I knew it was coming and it still surprised me! haha. I steeled myself against it and went back in to finish the job.
When the juicing was done I had the BEST RESULT! I poured the juice into the mason jar and added 1 tablespoon of natural apple cider vinegar to it. Then I scooped the pulp from the container and added that to the jar. Maybe it was because the horseradish doesn’t have much juice, or because the roots are so naturally hard, but the pulp was PERFECT! I dare to say it’s even more fine and was even more FLUFFY than the processed kind you buy in jars at the grocery store. It looked like snow!
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I added the fluffy stuff into the jar and closed it tight. I ended up adding in about 1 tbsp of water too because it just didn’t seem wet enough to me, but I wasn’t sure if more vinegar would affect the taste.
I need to find some smaller jars next time so I can freeze some because when you make it fresh it only lasts about 4 weeks in the fridge.
I added some to some quinoa today to try it and it’s my new favorite thing. It came out great. I wish my Babci and my Dad could have tried it. I LOVE making my own horseradish and it will always have a place in MyNJGarden!
Homemade Prepared Horseradish
- About 10 inches of horseradish root
- About 1 tablespoon of white vinegar (I used natural apple cider vinegar)
- Dash of salt
Juice the roots, combine juice, pulp, vinegar and salt and pack into tightly sealed jars. Refrigerate for up to 4 weeks. Freeze in smaller batches to enjoy for months to come!
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