Prepared And Fermented Horseradish And Extract Recipe
Fermented Horseradish root is a delicious way to preserve horseradish, increase its benefits and use it in your daily diet. Here is the recipe for both, fermented and vinegar preserved horseradish. And I also included instructions for making an extract.
Equipment
- A pint jar for fermenting
- Fermentation Lid
- Fermentation weight
- Pickle packer
- Scale
- Blender, Grater or Food Processor
- Wide mouth funnel
Ingredients
Lacto-Fermented Horseradish
- 14 ounces grated horseradish root
- 1½ tsp salt
- 2-4 Tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
For Vinegar Prepared Horseradish
- 14 ounces horseradish root
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 cup Raw vinegar, approximately
Horse Radish Root Extract
- 10 oz horseradish root
- 100 proof Vodka
Instructions
Lacto-Fermented Horseradish Root
- While peeling improves the texture of horseradish, it's better to leave it on when you ferment it. We want the nutrients in the skin and the beneficial bacteria that grows naturally on the skin for a better fermentation. If you want to peel yours, It's best to add a quarter cup of starter culture. This can be the juice from a previous ferment or whey from cheesemaking.
- Grate your horseradish on the fine side of your grater. Or you can roughly chop the horseradish and use a food processor to chop it. I advise doing so outside where the fumes won't irritate your sinuses or eyes.
- Now calculate your salt. You'll be using 2% of the weight of the horseradish in salt. If your horseradish weighs 400 grams, this is your formula: 400 x .02 = 8. You'll be adding 8 grams of salt. If you don't have a scale, add 1½ tsp of salt per pint of horseradish.
- Give the paste another whirl in your processor or stir well to incorporate the salt.
- Using a funnel, transfer your ingredients into the fermentation jar.
- With your pickle packer, a spoon, or your fist, press the ingredients firmly into the jar to eliminate air bubbles and to submerge the ingredients in the brine. If you don't have enough brine to cover the horseradish, add a little water.
- Push down the ingredients with a fermentation weight and make sure they are submerged below the surface.
- Seal with a fermentation lid or a canning jar lid.
- Place a plate under it and leave it for 1- 3 weeks in a darkish corner at about 70-80℉. 3 weeks is the recommended time for long fermentation. But it will be pretty good after a week.
- Maintenance and Observing - Just keep a casual eye on your fermentation. You don't need to do anything if it looks ok. It will start to bubble and possibly ooze out of the jar. That is a good sign.
- Important: If you're using a regular mason jar lid, don't forget to burp it every day.
- Now you can open it, look at it, smell it. If nothing seems off, taste some. If it's good, and you want to store it at this point, take out the weight and add the two tablespoons of vinegar or enough to keep the horseradish covered.
- Top with a regular lid and place into the refrigerator. There it will keep for a year. You can also let it ferment for another 2 weeks for the full fermentation benefits.
Vinegar Prepared Horseradish
- This prepared horseradish will also be probiotic if you use my method, but the probiotics will come from the raw vinegar instead. In this preparation you can peel the horseradish because we don't rely on the bacteria that is on it to help with the ferment.01. Prepare the horseradish by washing and if you prefer, peel it. Then grate or process it in a food processor. 02. Let the horseradish stand for about 5 minutes to develop it's pungency before proceeding.03. Mix well with the salt, add the horseradish to the pint jar and pour vinegar over it to cover. I like to keep it out at room temperature for a few days, and then I put it into the refrigerator, where it keeps for several months. You can use this immediately after making it. The pungency will decline over time, but it will still be a tasty spice to add to your favorite dishes.
Horseradish Extract, Alcohol Based
- If you want some horseradish on hand for relieving sinusitis or a stuffy nose, you can preserve its pungency inside an alcohol based tincture. All you need to do is to fill a jar loosely, half full, with grated or thinly sliced horseradish root. Wait 5 minutes for the pungency to develop and then pour 100 proof vodka over it (80 proof will do in a pinch). Fill the jar to the very top and seal tightly. Shake it every day or two and let it extract for 6 weeks or longer. Now strain out the herb, using a butter muslin or cotton cloth. Squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Cap tightly and store for when you need it. I can't recommend a dosage, but I take about 6 drops every one or two hours at the onset or during the acute stage, then I taper off the frequency to 2-3 times a day, until the allergy or sinus infection subsides. It acts fastest when dropped straight up under the tongue, but it can also be mixed into water or juice. You can add this extract to salad dressings, smoothies and vinegars, or anywhere you would like the pungent flavor of horseradish.