Hello!

Fall is in full swing (actually the tail end). But those leaves have been falling in full swing! Those fall gardening chores are still beckoning! Garden cleanup has begun, but for some it is already done. Garlic is still getting planted; spring blooming bulbs are getting set in. Some perennials are being separated and replanted; others are getting dug up and brought in for those long winter months ahead.

Horseradish is one of those hardy perennials found in some traditional gardens. Yes, today we’re going to talk horseradish. Keep in mind, the planting guides out there are pretty much divided on whether to fall plant or spring plant those horseradish crowns. Actually, it can be harvested and replanted any season, all with good results. So let’s take a look at horseradish.

Horseradish is the white perennial root of an invasive weedy herb that looks a lot like curly dock. It is also called mountain radish, great raifort, or amoracia rusticana. Folklore claims that horseradish should be planted near potatoes to protect the potatoes from disease. It also deters potato beetles.

Horseradish is also really good for clearing out the sinuses. One good whiff can open a stuffy head! And it is reputed to promote good digestion. The young leaves can be used in salads, but the plant is better known for its white, fleshy, pungent tap root.

This root is peeled and then grated and eaten raw with meat or fish dishes. It can also be grated and used in coleslaws and mayonnaise-based sauces and dips. Of course, one should always have a gallon of cold water available to put out the fire! This fresh horseradish root contains significant amounts of calcium, sodium, magnesium, and enough vitamin C to prevent scurvy. Actually, it has more vitamin C than lemons and oranges!

Horseradish also has antibiotic qualities. Back in the good old days, like in the Middle Ages, it was applied as a plaster or poultice to treat sciatica, gout, rheumatism, chest complaints, circulation problems, and joint pains. But before you reach for some of this super potent stuff to slap on that sore knee, a word of caution. This hot stuff may cause inflammation, or skin blisters, or it can affect the thyroid gland. So, user - beware!!

At any rate, fall is the best time to harvest horseradish roots, generally after a hard frost. Simply dig them up with a long-bladed tree spade. (Try to get the whole root system out, because even the smallest section left in the ground has the potential of growing and spreading.) Then you can store them in buckets of damp sand in a cool root cellar, ideally in temperatures close to freezing.

Or you can scrub them up and pop them into a perforated plastic bag, or even a paper bag, and store them in your fridge. Or, you can even leave them right in the ground, mulch them for the winter, and then dig them up when needed.

Some people claim that spring harvested horseradish is the hottest. And some people say that horseradish should be planted in very early spring (some sources say in February or March). But, keep in mind, February and March up here in the North Country still means winter for us; the ground is still frozen solid. (Isn’t the ground frozen until at least July?)
Another source says to replant some horseradish crowns in the fall as you harvest some for preparing. This source (me) says – whatever!

More on horseradish planting next week!

But for this week….
Remember – Eat Smart New York!

And – Bye – Talk to you soon!
D