Wild Horseradish

Horseradish is a spicy, pungent condiment, and if you’ve acquired a taste for it, you know that fresh horseradish has a much better flavor than the processed store-bought stuff. While horseradish can grow in the garden, many gardeners choose not to grow it because it can spread through the garden like a weed. Instead, they hunt for wild horseradish.
Horseradish is a spicy, pungent condiment, and if you’ve acquired a taste for it, you know that fresh horseradish has a much better flavor than the processed store-bought stuff. While horseradish can grow in the garden, many gardeners choose not to grow it because it can spread through the garden like a weed. Instead, they hunt for wild horseradish.

Mid-summer is the time to find and dig up wild horseradish root. It can often be found on roadsides and edges of fields, in the northern part of the country. The plant has leaves very similar to red radishes that you would grow in your garden, only much bigger, bright green and shiny. If you’re not sure, dig down and pull out the root. It will be long and white, like a parsnip. If you still have doubts, break the root and sniff it. It will be hard to miss the horseradish aroma!

To enjoy wild horseradish, just grate or puree the root and serve it as you would normally serve horseradish. If grating by hand, be warned that the pungent aroma is many times stronger than onions. For long-term storage, layer minced horseradish and a syrup made from even parts white vinegar and white sugar in a jar with a tight fitting lid to keep in the refrigerator for about 12 months.