My neighbor mailed me some horseradish from his garden because I enjoy
> making my own. The package took a few days to get here and the roots
> were pretty hot when they arrived. They smell a little funky (but
> doesn't horseradish always smell funky?), but are still firm. I've
> had them in the fridge for a few days. How can I tell if they're > still safe to use?
Firm is good. Signs of rot (black, mushy spots) is bad. Absent any signs of bad, peel, grate, concoct, and consume!
It's never _safe_ to use :) But some people manage.
I've heard putting the root in the *freezer* is the best way to peel it.
Dan
Holy Horseradish, Batman! Houses must be pretty far apart in your neck of the woods.
Geez Tyra, I can't believe we're the ONLY ones to pick up on that post! Ken A.
Well, Ken, I guess it's that horseradish phobia we hear so much about these days. People are just afraid to open the posts. Oh, and another possibility: maybe the OP's neighbor is actually a former neighbor who moved away but never forgets horseradish fanciers. Please, snipped-for-privacy@nc.rr.com, help us out here?
Tyra
This is the original message poster.
Tyra finally got it right. The neighbor was a former neighbor. I recently moved from VA to NC and couldn't find a good local source for fresh roots, so I asked my neighbor to mail me a few from a large patch he has in his garden.
Fortunately, I've found a vendor at a local farmers market to keep me supplied.
Rob
Rob, thanks for the answer! (Actually, just after I posted my final guess, the other possibility hit me.....the more correct one....that you were the one who had moved away.) T'was fun anyway.
I'm glad you got your horseradish, In fact, although I love the stuff, I usually stick to fresh-in-jars. But because of this thread, I was overjoyed yesterday when my local supermarket advertised fresh horseradish root. Liars. Not a piece to be found. ("Oh, yeah, I think we had some yesterday....") I'm going to try my local Farmers' Market next time. Someday, when I have a few acres, I'll plant my own.
Best, Tyra nNJ usa z7
No, but as incredibly prolific as it is, I'll bet you could grow it in a pot. Er, a tall pot! They don't seem to put out much in the way of laterals, must be concentrated in the tap root. I STILL have horseradish growing, just because I can't seem to make it go away. I see a small batch in my crystal ball. Beats store-bought in color, taste, and texture. Yum! Ken A.
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