Armoracia rusticana

Horseradish

horse = "strong, large, or coarse"

Angiosperm, Eudicot, Rosids -- Order: Brassicales
Family: Brassicaceae -- Genus: Armoracia -- Species: Armoracia rusticana




What is: Horseradish?
http/en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horseradish
http://horseradish.org/horseradish-facts/what-is-horseradish/
Horseradish Information Council
1100 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 300, Atlanta,
Georgia 30342 USA
Phone: 404-252-3663 --- hic@kellencompany.com

The plant is probably native to southeastern Europe and western Asia.
It is now popular around the world. It grows up to 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) tall, and is cultivated primarily for its large, white, tapered root.

The intact horseradish root has hardly any aroma.
When cut or grated, however, enzymes from the now-broken plant cells break down sinigrin (a glucosinolate) to produce allyl isothiocyanate (mustard oil), which irritates the mucous membranes of the sinuses and eyes. Grated mash should be used immediately or preserved in vinegar for best flavor. Once exposed to air or heat it will begin to lose its pungency, darken in color, and become unpleasantly bitter tasting over time.

The word horseradish is attested in English from the 1590s.
It combines the word horse (formerly used as an adjective meaning "strong, large, or coarse") and the word radish. Despite the name, this plant is poisonous to horses.

The root is harvested in the spring and fall and sold in 1,200-pound pallets to processors who grate the root, releasing the volatile oils that distinguish horseradish from all other flavors. The ground horseradish is then mixed with distilled vinegar to stabilize the "heat". This basic formula, which varies from processor to processor, may also contain spices or other ingredients -- salt, sugar, cream or vegetable oil. But generally speaking, horseradish and vinegar are the primary constituents in the basic prepared horseradish on the market today.

In the United States, an estimated 24 million pounds of horseradish roots are ground and processed annually to produce approximately 6 million gallons of prepared horseradish -- enough to generally season enough sandwiches to wrap 12 times around the world.  In addition to the most popular basic prepared horseradish, a number of other horseradish products are available, including cream-style prepared horseradish, shredded horseradish, horseradish sauce, beet horseradish and dehydrated horseradish. Cocktail sauce, cheese, specialty mustards and many other sauces, dips, spreads, hummus, relishes and dressings also may contain horseradish.

Each May, horseradish is celebrated at the International Horseradish Festival in Collinsville, Illinois.
Events include a root toss, a horseradish-eating contest and a horseradish recipe contest. Beginning in 1988, the festival was designed to create national awareness for the herb and the area where most of the world's supply is grown, according to festival organizers. Collinsville and the surrounding area is part of what is known as the "American Bottoms", a Mississippi river basin area adjacent to St. Louis. Carved-out by the glaciers from the ice age, the soil is rich in potash, a nutrient on which the horseradish thrives. The area grows 60 percent of the world's supply. German immigrants to the area began growing horseradish in the late 1800s and passed their growing methods from generation to generation. The area's cold winters provide the required root dormancy and the long summers provide excellent growing conditions.



Food : Nutrition Information. LINK
http/en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horseradish
http://horseradish.org/health/nutrition-information/
Horseradish Information Council
1100 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 300, Atlanta,
Georgia 30342 USA
Phone: 404-252-3663 --- hic@kellencompany.com

Cooks use the terms "horseradish" or "prepared horseradish" to refer to the grated root of the horseradish plant mixed with vinegar. Prepared horseradish is white to creamy-beige in color. It will keep for months refrigerated but eventually will darken, indicating it is losing flavour and should be replaced. The leaves of the plant, while edible, are not commonly eaten, and are referred to as "horseradish greens", which have a flavor of root.

Horseradish sauce made from grated horseradish root and vinegar is a popular condiment in the United Kingdom and in Poland. In the UK it is usually served with roast beef, often as part of a traditional Sunday roast, but can be used in a number of other dishes also, including sandwiches or salads. A variation of horseradish sauce, which in some cases may substitute the vinegar with other products like lemon juice or citric acid, is known in Germany as Tafelmeerrettich.

Also popular in the UK is Tewkesbury mustard, a blend of mustard and grated horseradish originating in medieval times and mentioned by Shakespeare (Falstaff says: "his wit's as thick as Tewkesbury Mustard" in Henry IV Part II).

A very similar mustard, called Krensenf or Meerrettichsenf, is popular in Austria and parts of Eastern Germany.

In the U.S., the term "horseradish sauce" refers to grated horseradish combined with mayonnaise or salad dressing.

Prepared horseradish is a common ingredient in Bloody Mary cocktails and in cocktail sauce, and is used as a sauce or sandwich spread. Horseradish cream is a mixture of horseradish and sour cream and is served along side au jus for a prime rib dinner.



Spicy : What Makes Horseradish Hot? , 2014
http://horseradish.org/horseradish-facts/what-makes-horseradish-hot/
Horseradish Information Council
1100 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 300, Atlanta,
Georgia 30342 USA
Phone: 404-252-3663 --- hic@kellencompany.com

Horseradish is a member of the mustard family (sharing lineage with its gentler cousins, kale, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts and the common radish) and is cultivated for its thick, fleshy white roots.

The "hotness" from horseradish comes from isothiocyanate, a volatile compound that, when oxidized by air and saliva, generates the "heat" that some people claim clears out their sinuses.

The bite and aroma of the horseradish root are almost absent until it is grated or ground.
During this process, as the root cells are crushed, isothiocyanates are released.
Vinegar stops this reaction and stabilizes the flavor.
For milder horseradish, vinegar is added immediately.

The allyl isothiocyanate serves the plant as a natural defense against herbivores.
Since allyl isothiocyanate is harmful to the plant itself, it is stored in the harmless form of the glucosinolate, separate from the myrosinase enzyme. When an animal chews the plant, the allyl isothiocyanate is released, repelling the animal. Allyl isothiocyanate is an unstable compound, degrading over the course of days at 37 °C. Because of this instability, horseradish sauces lack the pungency of the freshly crushed roots.



Health : Tips for enhancement uses. LINK
http/en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horseradish
http://horseradish.org/health/horseradish-health-tips/
Horseradish Information Council
1100 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 300, Atlanta,
Georgia 30342 USA
Phone: 404-252-3663 --- hic@kellencompany.com

Both root and leaves were used as a medicine during the Middle Ages and the root was used as a condiment on meats in Germany, Scandinavia, and Britain. It was introduced to North America during European colonialization; both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson mention horseradish in garden accounts.

William Turner mentions horseradish as Red Cole in his "Herbal" (1551 - 1568), but not as a condiment. In The Herball, or Generall Historie of Plantes (1597), John Gerard describes it under the name of raphanus rusticanus, stating that it occurs wild in several parts of England. After referring to its medicinal uses, he says:

[T]he Horse Radish stamped with a little vinegar put thereto, is commonly used among the Germans for sauce to eat fish with and such like meats as we do mustard.

The word horseradish is attested in English from the 1590s.
It combines the word horse (formerly used as an adjective meaning "strong, large, or coarse") and the word radish. Despite the name, this plant is poisonous to horses.

Compounds found in horseradish have been widely studied for a plethora of health benefits.
Horseradish contains volatile oils, notably mustard oil, which has antibacterial properties due to the presence of allyl isothiocyanate.

Fresh, the plant also contains average 79.31 mg of vitamin C per 100 g of raw horseradish.

The enzyme horseradish peroxidase (HRP), found in the plant, is used extensively in molecular biology and biochemistry.



History: of horseradish uses. , LINK
http/en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horseradish
http://horseradish.org/horseradish-facts/horseradish-history/
Horseradish Information Council
1100 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 300, Atlanta,
Georgia 30342 USA
Phone: 404-252-3663 --- hic@kellencompany.com

According to Greek mythology, the Delphic Oracle told Apollo that the horseradish was worth its weight in gold.

Horseradish was known in Egypt in 1500 BC.
Dioscorides listed horseradish equally as Persicon sinapi (Diosc. 2.186) or Sinapi persicum (Diosc. 2.168), which Pliny's Natural History reported as Persicon napy;

Cato discusses the plant in his treatises on agriculture, and a mural in Pompeii shows the plant.

Horseradish is probably the plant mentioned by Pliny the Elder in his Natural History under the name of Amoracia, and recommended by him for its medicinal qualities, and possibly the Wild Radish, or raphanos agrios of the Greeks.

The early Renaissance herbalists Pietro Andrea Mattioli and John Gerard showed it under Raphanus. Though its modern Linnaean genus Armoracia was first applied to it by Heinrich Bernhard Ruppius, in his Flora Jenensis, 1745, Linnaeus called it Coclearia armoracia.

In Central and Eastern Europe horseradish is called khren (in various spellings like kren) in many Slavic languages, in Austria, in parts of Germany (where the other German name Meerrettich isn't used), in North-East Italy, and in Yiddish (כריין translitered as khren).

There are two varieties of khreyn.
"Red" khreyn is mixed with red beet (beetroot) and "white" khreyn contains no beet.
It is popular in Ukraine (under the name of хрін, khrin), in Poland (under the name of chrzan), in Lithuania (krienai) in the Czech Republic (křen), in Russia (khren), in Hungary (torma), in Romania (hrean), in Bulgaria (хрян, khryan), and in Slovakia (under the name of chren). Having this on the table is a part of Christian Easter and Jewish Passover tradition in Eastern and Central Europe.

    • In parts of Southern Germany like Franconia, "Kren" is an essential component of the traditional wedding dinner. It is served with cooked beef and a dip made from lingonberry to balance the slight hotness of the Kren.

    • In Poland, a variety with red beet is called ćwikła z chrzanem or simply ćwikła.

    • In Ashkenazi European Jewish cooking beet horseradish is commonly served with gefilte fish.

    • In Transylvania, Red beet with horseradish is also used as a salad served with lamb dishes at Easter called sfecla cu hrean and other Romanian regions.

    • In Serbia, ren is an essential condiment with cooked meat and freshly roasted suckling pig.

    • In Croatia, freshly grated horseradish (Croatian: Hren) is often eaten with boiled ham or beef.

    • In Slovenia, and in the adjacent Italian regions of Friuli Venezia Giulia and nearby Italian region of Veneto, Horseradish (often grated and mixed with sour cream, vinegar, hard-boiled eggs, or apples) is also a traditional Easter dish.

    • Further west in the Italian regions of Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, and Piedmont, it is called "barbaforte (strong beard)" and is a traditional accompaniment to bollito misto; while in north-eastern regions like Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia, it is still called "kren" or "cren". In the southern region of Basilicata it is known as "rafano" and used for the preparation of the so-called "rafanata", a main course made of horseradish, eggs, cheese and sausage.

    • Horseradish is also used as a main ingredient for soups.
      In the Polish region of Silesia, horseradish soup is a common Easter Day dish.



Growing: of Horseradish.
http/en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horseradish

Horseradish is perennial in hardiness zones #9 and can be grown as an annual in other zones, although not as successfully as in zones with both a long growing season and winter temperatures cold enough to ensure plant dormancy.

After the first frost in the autumn kills the leaves, the root is dug and divided.
The main root is harvested and one or more large offshoots of the main root are replanted to produce next year's crop.

Horseradish left undisturbed in the garden spreads via underground shoots and can become invasive.
Older roots left in the ground become woody, after which they are no longer culinarily useful, although older plants can be dug and re-divided to start new plants.

The early season leaves can be distinctively different, asymmetric spiky, before the mature typical flat broad leaves start to be developed.

Pests and diseases

Widely introduced by accident, "cabbageworms", the larvae of Pieris rapae, the Small White Butterfly, are a common caterpillar pest in horseradish. The adults are white butterflies with black spots on the forewings that are commonly seen flying around plants during the day. The caterpillars are velvety green with faint yellow stripes running lengthwise down the back and sides. Full grown caterpillars are about 1-inch (25 mm) in length. They move sluggishly when prodded. They overwinter in green pupal cases. Adults start appearing in gardens after the last frost and are a problem through the remainder of the growing season. There are three to five overlapping generations a year. Mature caterpillars chew large, ragged holes in the leaves leaving the large veins intact. Handpicking is an effective control strategy in home gardens.



Cooking: Possibilities.
http://horseradish.org/horseradish-facts/hot-cooking-tips/
Horseradish Information Council
1100 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 300, Atlanta,
Georgia 30342 USA
Phone: 404-252-3663 --- hic@kellencompany.com

    • Add a splash to tomato juice for an early morning eye opener.
    • Slip a spoonful into a skillet of scrambled eggs.
    • Try horseradish on breakfast sausage.
    • Give store bought deli items, like cole slaw, potato salad and baked beans, an exciting new taste.
    • Mix it with apricot preserves and a little mustard for a great ham glaze.
    • Create your own horseradish butter, horseradish mayonnaise, horseradish sour cream dip and horseradish barbecue sauce.

    • Make familiar "comfort foods" even more indulgent. Add horseradish to mashed potatoes, meatloaf, applesauce served with pork roast, sour cream on your baked potato.

    • A spoonful added to any meat stock adds a delightful flavor and surprisingly delicate horseradish taste to soups.

    • For a gourmet appetizer, blend horseradish with softened cream cheese.
      Spread the mixture on thin slices of rare beef tenderloin and wrap around crisp-tender asparagus spears.

    • Cut down on cholesterol by using horseradish instead of butter and salt to top vegetables.
    • Season pizza sauce with horseradish before baking for a new twist on an old favorite.

    • Follow the example of famed European chefs who use horseradish liberally as an herb.
      Try adding a spoonful of horseradish to hollandise sauce and serve with salmon or asparagus.

    • For tangy deviled eggs, mix together 4 minced, hard cooked egg yolks, 1 tsp. Prepared horseradish, 1 tsp. Minced onion, 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 C. mayonnaise, 1/2 tsp salt. Spoon mixture into egg-white halves.

    • Fill celery stalks with a mixture of 1 cup mashed avocado, and 2 tsp. prepared horseradish. Sprinkle with paprika. Chill

    • Blend cream cheese with prepared horseradish for a nippy taste.
      Spread on thinly sliced ham. Roll up and place, seam side down, on plate.
      Chill. Cut into bite-size pieces.

    • Give corned beef brisket a new taste twist with a horseradish-orange glaze:
      2 tbsp. Prepared horseradish, 2 tbsp. Worcestershire, 1/2 C. orange marmalade, 1/2 C. mustard.

    • Baste ribs on the grill with a nippy combo of 2 tbsp. dry white wine, 2 tbsp. prepared horseradish, 1 tbsp. vegetable oil and 1/2 tsp. hot mustard.

    • Spark up beef stroganoff with a dollop or two of horseradish.

    • To a home-made or made-from-a-package pasta and cheese dish, add 1 1/2 C. chopped, cooked ham and 2 tbsp. horseradish mustard. Bake in moderate oven until heated through.



Reference: LINKS to Herbs & Spices pages, online.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herb" title="Herb"


List of condiments, online LINKS
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_condiments" title="List of condiments

List of Herb and spice mixtures, online LINKS
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spice_mix" title="Spice mix


LINK to
INDEX page
LINK to Empower,
Maintain, & Repair
YOUR Health