To always have at your disposal this popular vegetable in cooking, you need to know when to dig out horseradish. The fact is that if you choose the wrong time for harvesting, you will not get a rich taste from the root crop. In our article, we will not only tell you how to dig out horseradish correctly, but also consider options for storing it. After all, it is important not only to disrupt on time, but also to competently store the resulting product.
Plant description
Before discussing when to dig up horseradish, let's look at the plant itself. This vegetable is different in that in addition to the chic foliage suitable for use, it also has roots that are popular with cooks. Belongs to the Cabbage family and came to us from Asia and America. The specific taste and special aroma made it one of the most popular in our gardens. He likes to grow in places with high humidity. The plant has a wide range of useful properties, including medical ones. Having pronounced antibacterial qualities, it is successfully used in folk medicine recipes.
When to dig horseradish
Speaking of the ideal time for digging up the plant, two different periods are distinguished:
- The first period when digging up the horseradish root is allowed without prejudice to taste, this is the very beginning of spring. When the snow has melted, and the young shoots have not yet begun to grow, you need to dig it out for future use. Basically, this is done for transplantation and reproduction during this period.
- The second time period when digging up horseradish is best is late autumn. It was at this time that it was collected for storage for the winter. A sign that you can begin to collect root crops are dried leaves that lie completely on the ground.
The entire harvesting process comes down to the following manipulations:
- we prepare a tool suitable for this process (it can be either a special “Kolesov sword” used to work with root crops and seedlings, or a pitchfork, provided that the soil is soft);
- we dig out carefully the whole plant from the ground, without breaking the leaves;
- we cut the leaves so that a stalk about two centimeters long remains at the root (this is necessary for organizing further storage of the roots).
Horseradish storage
It’s not enough to know when to dig horseradish. A competent gardener should thoroughly prepare for the proper storage of the crop. We will list several options for organizing such a process:
- Cellar. Most often it is here that most of the owners store this vegetable. But you need to do this carefully. The temperature in the cellar should be in the region of 0 ... + 2 degrees with a humidity of 80 percent. You can use the pit in which the horseradish is folded, pouring each layer with sand or peat. The latter prevents mold from spreading. Storage in plastic bags, but not thin ones, is also allowed. They should keep the temperature and humidity inside well. For such storage, the roots must be washed, dried, and after unfolding in bags, inflate them until they are completely filled. Close must be tight.
- Powder. Some people prefer to store horseradish in powder form. To do this, the plant needs to be washed, dried, cut into thin strips and put in the oven for drying at a temperature of 50 degrees. After this, grind the root crop into powder and store in jars.
- Refrigerator. If you plan to store the vegetable for a not very long time, you can do it in the refrigerator. Wash the roots, sort it out, put it in a bag. Seal tightly and refrigerate. The root crop will be at your fingertips for a relatively long time, but no more than three months.
- Vinegar. If you grate the root and pour vinegar, then this mixture can also be stored in the refrigerator. The taste of horseradish is preserved, and it can be used for recipes.
The use of root crops
It is impossible to list all the applications for this amazing plant. The main feature of its use in cooking is that it does not lend itself to hot processing. When cooking and stewing horseradish completely loses its specific taste and aroma. If you want to use a grated product, then do not forget to immediately close the container with a lid so that the horseradish does not lose its culinary appeal.
As a medicinal plant, it is used in many medicines, both separately and in combination with other products. Ascorbic acid, vitamin B, trace elements and organic compounds - not the whole list of useful elements that make up horseradish. It is used to normalize metabolism, stimulate the gastrointestinal tract, from joint pain, etc.
Important information
It is important to remember that before harvesting, you need to make sure that the plant is not affected by any disease and is not a victim of pests. Otherwise, you run the risk of not storing a root crop that could be harmful to your health.