3 Ingredient DIY Horseradish

I’m not sure how holiday-related this is (until you have roast beef leftovers), but if you’re lucky enough to find fresh horseradish at the market, or even luckier–to have a friend who grew some, it’s really simple to make your own (just like the stuff in a jar). Mine came with a warning to make it outside, which may or may not be possible, but in any case you want to make it in a well-ventilated place — it can be really strong.

3 Ingredient DIY Horseradish

• 1 piece of horseradish
• White vinegar
• Salt

In a well-ventilated place, trim the ends of the horseradish and peel it until you get to the white part. Cut it into 1″ chunks. Put the chunks into a blender and blend until it’s finely chopped. Put it in a container (like a Ball jar) and add enough vinegar to cover. Taste and add salt as needed. It will keep refrigerated for a while but loses pungency over time.

My verdict:

Great stuff! As you may or may not know, freshness is really the key to horseradish. When I did a taste test a few months ago, the clear winner was the most recent one I bought. After I made this batch I tasted the stuff that was in my fridge and it was so bland compared to this. Now I just have to find a bunch of uses for it, besides Bloody Marys and mashed potatoes. I started this outside with my food processor but it really wasn’t up to the job. If you have one, a blender is much better for this. Also, if you’re working with a particularly strong piece of horseradish, adding the vinegar when you’re blending it will stop whatever the enzyme is that makes it strong. Water will also tone it down, but I think the vinegar makes it more interesting. What’s your favorite use for horseradish?