How To Grow & Harvest Horseradish
When should you harvest horseradish? How do you grow it anyway? Learn about those things & more in this guide to having horseradish in your own backyard.
Horseradish is one of those things. Most people are firmly in the camp of loving it or hating it. For all the haters out there, I’m sorry, I got nothing for ya. I wish you all the best in your horseradish free life! You don’t need to read this post.
This article is for those who are fans—maybe even super fans—like me.
Why Horseradish?
My dad has always loved spicy things, and I’ve always considered it as a mark of coolness—those who could take the heat. I would feel so hip when he dabbed the tiniest drop of Tabasco sauce on my nachos while we watched Seahawks games together. I would feel invincible as I dipped my chips in the “hot” salsa covering a brick of cream cheese.
As I’ve gotten older I crave the heat constantly. He warned me my tastebuds would change if I kept going for the spicy–that everything regular people made would start to taste bland–but I’m all right with it. I find joy in the fact that everything I make has a spicy zip.
It’s no surprise he was the one who first gave me horseradish, too. I remember feeling like my forehead might split open like a cartoon. The same thing happened when I first tried wasabi. (Now I keep a little tube of it in my fridge and squeeze it on everything).
I have an obnoxious amount of hot sauces in the fridge these days, too, and I like it like that.
Horseradish is a highly medicinal herb. My body always craves it. The kind from the store is always mixed with things that are bad for you, immediately devaluing its medicinal properties. Another reason to grow your own!
Medicinal Properties
Horseradish is great for loosening phlegm in the body, whether in your sinuses, joints, or blood. If your body is heavy, painful, or swollen, horseradish can really help clear you out.
It’s good for conditions such as lymphedemia, arthritis, colds, and flus.
It is also antibacterial and gives a big boost to your immune system. It helps with digestion, metabolism, and weight loss, too.
The good news is, it’s easy to grow!
Grow & Harvest Horseradish
Planting Horseradish
How
The easiest way to grow horseradish is to plant a root cutting. They’re kind of like a dandelion, in that they will take off and start growing strong, just from a tiny piece of root. You can also buy horseradish crowns from the nursery.
Where & When
Horseradish thrives where I live, in the Pacific Northwest. It likes to be moist and cool, but is also pretty forgiving. It can handle shade and sun, just not too much of either. You need a good amount of space to grow it, but can also be grown in pots if you want to contain it. Early spring is a good time to plant.
Plant the roots at an angle to help them grow a little better, somewhere between horizontal and vertical, about 3-4 inches deep. After planting, cover with soil, and water them in. The plant will grow strong all season, and come back again each year.
Harvesting
When you harvest the horseradish really effects the flavor. The best time is after the fall rains have started to knock down the leaves. Basically if the weather is awful and you don’t wanna be out in it, it’s probably time to harvest.
When the leaves have started to decompose, get a good strong shovel and start digging! Gather as much as you like. Any little piece of root left behind will regrow into a new plant next year. Remove the leaves and wash the horseradish root thoroughly.
Storing
My dad’s biggest complaint about fresh horseradish is that it starts to lose its heat right away. There are a few things you can do to help with this.
- Make sure you are harvesting in the rainy fall weather.
- Freeze it
- Preserve with vinegar right away
Preserving
I peel the horseradish right after washing it, and then vacuum seal it to keep in the freezer. This is my favorite method to keep the heat intact! It lasts for the whole year for me this way, too.
Then whenever I’m ready to use it, I shred it up frozen in the food processor. Be careful when you open it up! The fumes are intense!
At this point you can use it fresh, put it in a jar with vinegar, or make it into a sauce. Use it however you’d like.
How I Use It
While this admittedly isn’t the healthiest option for using horseradish, it’s still my favorite: The Blessed Bloody Mary. I’ve stopped making them for anyone but myself and my dad, cause friends have a hard time with them—too spicy! But you can always adjust and make these milder.
Warning ⚠️: This recipe has a million ingredients—feel free to improvise.
Horseradish Bloody Mary
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Vodka You can also use whiskey or tequila
- 1/2 cup Spicy Tomato Juice or Bloody Mary Mix My favorite is Knudson Organic Very Veggie Spicy
- 1 whole Lemon Save some for garnish, juice the rest
- 1-2 teaspoons Horseradish Freshly grated, or prepared. Do this to taste; could be more or less depending on your preferences
- 3-4 dashes Hot Sauce Tabasco is king for this-just ask my dad
- 5-10 dashes Worcestershire Sauce …Again to taste
- Ice Enough to fill the glass nearly to the top.
A sprinkle of each of these to taste:
- Celery Seed
- Old Bay Seasoning
- Black Pepper
- Coarse Salt
Garnishes
- 1 stalk of Celery
- 1 wedge of Lemon
- 2-4 Olives
- 1-2 spears of Pickled Asparagus or Pickles
- 1 slice of Cucumber
- Anything else you might find delicious!
Instructions
- Slice a wedge of lemon and swirl it around the top of your glass to make the top of your glass wet.
- Mix salt, Old Bay, celery seed, and pepper on a saucer. Dip the rim of the glass in the mixture to coat the top.
- Juice the rest of the lemon into the glass; save the wedge for garnish.
- Sprinkle a little of the spice mixture into the bottom of the cup and combine with the lemon juice.
- Add the Tabasco, Worcestershire, and Horseradish. Stir again.
- Add vodka and tomato juice.
- Fill to almost the top of the glass with crushed ice, being sure to leave room for garnishes.
- Garnish with whatever your heart desires! My favorites are pickled anything, lemon wedge, and olives.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Have A Bloody Mary
All these years later, after those tiny drops of Tabasco on nachos with my dad, I love making these for him. Especially on Christmas morning, when I venture out in the rain, shovel in hand, and bring us in some fresh, muddy horseradish to grate up for the occasion. Join us in a cheers to all things wonderful and working towards your greatest good!
Three cheers for horseradish!
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For a video on growing horseradish, click here.
More Herbs To Try…
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Did You Make A Bloody Mary?
Send me a picture. I would love to see it!
Looking for More Spice?
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Great post. I just bought my horseradish root to plant in a container. I never thought about horseradish in Bloody Mary’s. Going to enjoy this I’m sure!
Lisa, Yay! You will love it. I have to admit I’m kind of addicted to horseradish, and growing your own is so easy. You’ll have to send me a pic of your first home grown Bloody Mary!
What a great description of your craft. I can tell you truly love Horseradish! I have grown up with The Root and especially embellish it during holiday seasons with traditional foods.
I used to grow it up North and am looking forward to trying to grow it in the South where I now live. Great post, and your photographs are excellent.
Thank you! Always nice to meet a fellow horseradish fan!