Adaptaed from Joan Nathan’s Jewish Holiday Kitchen
A note before you start…horseradish root has a mind of its own. Sometimes unbelievably hot and other times, not so much, so the ingredients are really just a guide. I never know what the ratio of beets to horseradish will be. For instance, today’s batch was way too mild. The key to perfect Chrain…taste, taste, taste.
Prep time: 20 minutes (time to boil the beet or 5 minutes if you’re using canned beets)
Actual hands on time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
1 medium horseradish root, washed, thick peel scraped off; and grated (makes ½ cup finely grated)
beets – 1 (14oz/400ml) can, drained or 2 large beets, peeled, boiled or roasted & grated.
¾ cup white vinegar or so(just enough to be absorbed by the mixture)
2-3 tbsp sugar
Salt & pepper to taste
2-3 tbsp sugar
Salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
1. If you’re using raw beets, peel and boil or roast until they’re quite soft, but not mushy. Drain (if boiling).
1. If you’re using raw beets, peel and boil or roast until they’re quite soft, but not mushy. Drain (if boiling).
2. Use a food processor or hand grater (but be prepared to cry) and finely grate the horseradish. Remove to a separate bowl before grating the beets.
3. Grate cooked beets. Add to the horseradish and combine well.
4. Add salt pepper and sugar gradually since the strength of the horseradish will vary. Taste for seasoning & strength – you might need more grated horseradish or more beets or more sugar.
5. Add vinegar – as much as horseradish mixture will absorb. Mix well and adjust for taste.
Store in fridge in a tightly covered jar.
Store in fridge in a tightly covered jar.
3 comments:
food processor? I find that the texture is too fine. I've tried the grating blade, then the grating blade and the cutting blade, the cutting blade alone, and wasn't satisfied. The blender is very time-consuming but I found that the texture is closer to that of hand-grating. But I'd love to just do it in the food processor - do you have any tricks to share?
thank you!
Anonymous, I just used the steel cutting blade. It may not be the perfect consistency, but I couldn't handle the effects on my poor sinuses any other way. All I could think of was "how did my grandfather (it was his baby, not my grandmother's) do it by hand?!"
I use a meat grinder. A PERFECT consistancy.
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