Homemade Horseradish
I have been waiting for this day for a long time.
I finally learned how to make homemade horseradish from my grandma and grandpa.
I grew up thinking it was the nastiest stuff.
Ever.
I mean my grandpa ate it.
And he also ate pickled herring
and sour kraut
and cow's tongue
and rabbit
and snapping turtle...
So it had to be bad...
But I think it's safe to say my tastes have matured.
My husband and I will eat spicy horseradish on just about anything.
And there's just nothing like homemade, right?!
To make the whole thing better,
I have these pictures as precious treasures
to remind me of the quiet wisdom
dedicated love
and down-on-the farm goodness
of my grandma and grandpa.
Because there was rain in the forecast,
my grandpa dug up the roots before we got there.
He grows them amidst my grandma's flowers.
It was funny to listen to her scold him
for stepping on them.
I'm kind of surprised they found their way
in her garden in the first place.
And now they're starting to take over...
them get rid of some of those plants.
:)
Anyway, we showed up just in time for
cleaning the roots...
And after they're washed three times,
they get peeled.
My grandpa and grandma are hard-core.
They just use a knife.
I'm pretty sure we'll try a peeler for our first time.
:)
This is what the roots look like
after just 2 washings...
Don't be fooled by all the pictures of my grandparents.
We helped with every process except the digging!
This is what the roots look like after they're peeled.
Then you chop them up in small pieces.
Now you can start to smell it.
Delicious.
After everything is ready to go,
head on outside
and clear the immediate area of all small children.
Mine didn't want to clear out.
They wanted to help.
But Great Grandma was insistent.
Clear out.
And now for the real work.
Time to grind.
This is tiring work.
We all took turns!
All ground up and ready for the next step...
time to add some salt, sugar, and white vinegar...
Haven was having a hard time
standing up against the strong winds.
It's probably going to take us a few years
before we know just the right amounts... :)
Then it's time to put it in jars.
And as my grandma said, it just needs time to sit until supper. :)
This is a picture of my grandpa's horseradish
among my grandma's flowers.
After we were all done with the horseradish,
grandma rewarded the kids' patience with a trip
to see the new baby calf.
I just love this picture of Grandma and Evan...
(here's the flower that the horseradish plan produces)
Haven is so lovey lately. :)
Lots of hugs to give!
This is the best shot we could get of the calf.
He was curled up in a corner
and wouldn't pose for a picture. :)
Oh well.
Saying goodbye to Grandma.
This is such a sweet picture too!
