So, I’m not the brightest crayon in the box…if I fed horseradish growing in a clay/glacial till mix with a native ph around 6 some pelletized gypsum a couple times a year would I be upping the sulphur content of the soil/horseradish roots?
Yes. If you want to really maximize the heat add some iron filings too
2 Likes
Does anyone know how well horseradish would sell at a farmers market?
Thank you
1 Like
That would make sense! We had high sulfur high iron in the clay in Illinois. Here in northern Michigan the sulfur seems more leached out; adding gypsum to the soil does wonders for us. We still process it in the Vitamix grinding it with some water, till it’s well ground up then add the vinegar.
1 Like
I would absolutely buy it haha! Your targets would probably be Eastern European communities and also people from East Asia could use it as a cheap substitute for wasabi (although it’s a stretch).
1 Like
There is a beatifully variegated variety of horseradish that I was on the look out for at one time. One would think it would be considered desirable as the variegation would likely keep the plant from being quite as vigorous…
Perhaps it is for the best I never acquired one… (but then again…lol)
2 Likes
Do you know if the sinus clearing chemicals in horseradish are the same as in Chinese mustard (or what’s called Chinese mustard by American businesses selling “Chinese” food)?
They are all isothiocyanates, it might be very slightly different or in different concentrations but yes the main compound is the same
3 Likes
Chinese mustard is regular mustard, except no vinegar is added during preparation. Acid stops the release of isothiocyanates, so if you add vinegar or lemon juice right away to powdered mustard, it won’t be very hot. With Chinese mustard you either mix in water and let the mustard sit (covered) until you’re ready to use it, or you can taste it every few minutes and when it’s strong enough, add some vinegar to help it keep better. It’s important to keep mustard and grated horseradish or wasabi covered if you’re preparing them in advance, since the isothiocyanates are volatile and will blow off if you don’t.
3 Likes
I grow horse-radish here in mid Missouri and harvest some about every other year. It is easy to process. I dig the roots, wash them to get the dirt off. Then I peel the skin off the roots. When I have the white roots peeled, rinse and I cut into smaller pieces and put through a food processer. Do this process in an open area or use a fan to move the air. I do the food processing in my open pole barn. Add enough vinegar to the ground roots to just cover the ground root… I usually store in pint or 1/2 pint mason jars. This mix will keep in the refrigerator for at least a year.
The longer you let the ground roots lay in the air before adding vinegar, the hotter the product. The vinegar stops the “heating” process.
4 Likes
Thats good info, I didn’t know allowing the ground roots to be exposed to air upped the “heat”. Thank you
2 Likes
Amen. Once when I was young and stupid, I ground horseradish in a blender in the kitchen. It was like exploding a teargas grenade in the house,
5 Likes