Rules for storing horseradish all winter at home

Keeping garden crops fresh at home for the winter is not too difficult. Horseradish is widely used in cooking and in the preparation of medicinal infusions. There are different methods and several quite affordable options that allow horseradish to be stored for a long time, almost until the next harvest.

Preparation of garden crops for storage

Horseradish should be harvested in August or September, depending on the varietal characteristics and soil and climatic conditions of the region where the garden crop is grown. Correctly and timely harvested crops are a guarantee of long-term storage and minimal crop losses. In the southern regions, harvesting is carried out a week later than in central Russia. A few days before digging, it is recommended to water the plant abundantly, which will facilitate the extraction of the root from the ground.

The most popular in our country are varieties "Valkovsky" and "Atlant". During the harvest process, horseradish bushes must be carefully dug up with a shovel, carefully removing the root. After digging, all side roots are removed without fail. You can also dig up horseradish with garden pitchforks, deepening them by 40 cm. It should be noted that harvesting at the stage of active vegetation negatively affects the taste and keeping quality.

After extraction from the soil, the roots should be carefully cleaned of the earth, and then sorted by size. Commodity roots should be about 25-40 cm long with a thickness of at least one and a half centimeters. It is best to use the roots of plants that are a couple of years old for storage. For a day, you should leave the horseradish roots for drying under a canopy, after which you can bookmark it for storage.

Terms and conditions of storage

In order to preserve all the beneficial properties and nutritional qualities of the garden culture, it is very important not only to properly harvest, but also observe the temperature regime and storage periods, which can vary significantly depending on the method of preparation.

Basement storage rules

Fresh horseradish is stored very well and for a long time in a basement or cellar. For maximum long-term storage in its entirety, only fresh horseradish roots can be used without mechanical damage, damage by plant parasites or other defects.

An ideal container for storing the crop is clean and dry wooden boxes filled with sand. Naturally dried horseradish roots need to be layered in such boxes, avoiding their contact with each other. The sand layer should be periodically moistened a little, which will protect the crop from drying out and maintain optimal tugor. Availability of ventilation and compliance with the temperature regime in the storage at level 0^aboutWith a relative humidity of 80% they allow you to store horseradish until the last spring day.

How to freeze horseradish for the winter

Garden crop freezing

Freezing is a great way to store vegetables and spices for the longest time possible. In such simple blanks, all mineral complexes and vitamins are perfectly preserved.

To freeze the horseradish root must undergo a special treatment, which includes repeated washing under running water to remove soil residues, thorough peeling and drying with a cloth or paper towel. Then horseradish should be cut into convenient pieces for use, put into bags and put into storage in the freezer. It should be noted that rubbing frozen horseradish is very convenient, as it does not gnaw at the eyes.

Along with other popular vegetable and spicy garden crops, drying horseradish roots is a fairly common way of harvesting a garden crop for the winter.
Dried vegetables and herbs are perfectly stored at home, preserving the taste and aroma. Currently, the preparation of not only dry roots, but also horseradish leaves is very popular:

• select healthy and without visible damage fresh leaves of horseradish, which need to be washed well and remove the petiole. The washed leaves need to be dried a little at room temperature, after which they are cut and evenly distributed on a baking sheet that needs to be covered with parchment paper. Drying is carried out in an oven at a temperature of 40-45 ° C for a couple of hours;
• clean the horseradish roots from soil residues, then rinse well in running water and peel. The peeled roots should be grated and dried in an oven at a temperature of 40-45 ° С. Dried roots can be ground in a coffee grinder.

Dried horseradish leaves and roots should be stored in glass jars with tightly closed lids, placing them in a dry, dark and cool room. It should be noted that adding a tablespoon of dried horseradish to a pickle pickle will save it from clouding and mold.

Refrigerated storage methods

In a normal household refrigerator, horseradish roots can maintain their presentation and taste for three weeks. With this method of storage, the roots of the garden culture must be wrapped with cling film with pre-made perforations to create ventilation. You can mark such blanks in the vegetable compartment or on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.

Carefully selected and well-washed horseradish leaves can be stored for no more than three days when placed in a dark and fairly cool place. Extend the shelf life of the aerial parts of the garden plants to three weeks will allow the use of food-grade plastic film. Such blanks can be stored exclusively in a refrigerator, periodically checking the packaging for condensation.

Horseradish Preservation

Harvesting horseradish root for future use is also possible through canning. So that the seasoning prepared on the basis of horseradish root does not ferment, the banks for preforms must be subjected to preliminary sterilization, and they themselves Store blanks in a dark and cool place.

• classical preservation involves chopping horseradish with the addition of salt, sugar and table vinegar to taste, after which sterilized cans are well-filled with horseradish in a water bath for five minutes and then rolled up with tin lids;
• preparation of horseradish consists in chopping a kilogram of tomatoes with a meat grinder with the addition of 300 g of grated horseradish and 100 g of garlic. Salt, sugar and vinegar should be added to the resulting vegetable mixture, after which the jars with the plastic blanks should be closed;
• grated horseradish with beets is no less popular, for the preparation of which 500 g of grated root should be poured with boiling water and cover. After cooling, water needs to be drained, and in the horseradish pulp obtained, add a tablespoon of salt, a tablespoon of sugar, half a glass of 6% vinegar and 300 g of boiled grated beets.

How to make horseradish powder

Such fairly simple recipes and preservation methods allow you to save the grated horseradish root at home, subject to the rules for a long time. Nevertheless, all blanks should be regularly inspected, and all jars with signs of spoilage or fermentation should be immediately removed from the storage.