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Recipes posted here are those I have described to friends who have then asked for a copy. This is a very convenient way to pass them on.

Horseradish

Crock Pot Oatmeal

Sweet Russian Tea

Rich Hot Chocolate Mix


Horseradish

Harvesting and Root storage

Horseradish, a root crop, is grown for the pungent flavor and can be made into relish at home. The roots contain highly volatile oils with a sharp flavor. Chemical enzyme activity releases the oils when you crush the root cells in the grinding process. Dig roots when they reach full size, after early fall frosts or in the early spring before new growth starts. Return a section of the root to the soil to grow next year's crop. Like its taste the root is not tender or subtle. Don't be afraid to scrub it hard with a vegetable brush to get it as clean as possible before proceding. Once washed, a good quality root is clean, firm and free from cuts and blemishes.

What? You aren't growing your own? Well, you can get them at the green grocerers. If you find you like it, you may be happy to learn that unlike most of the finicky plants we try to grow in our yards, horseradish is more typical of herbs: it's a tank that nothing really bothers. Drought, bugs, no fertilizer, no weeding, and it will still produce a good root. On the other hand...if you take care of the plant, the root will be that much better.

If you can't prepare the roots immediately, you can store fresh roots. Wash them, place in a food grade plastic bag or in a tightly covered jar and store at 32 to 38 degrees. They will keep for 4 to 6 weeks in the refrigerator and for 6 months or longer in the freezer. Prepare only as much horseradish as you can use in a reasonable time. Once prepared, it loses flavor faster than the fresh root. As processed horseradish ages, it darkens and loses its pungency and in time, an "off" flavor may develop. For the hottest horseradish, use only fresh roots.

Grinding

Work outside or in a well-ventilated room. Peel the fresh roots. After peeling the whiter the root, the fresher it is. Cut out any scars or blemishes and dice it into small cubes as you would a potato. Grind with a meat grinder, food processor or blender. The fumes from grinding are potent - one whiff may be stronger than you expect! If you are trying to make horseradish for the table other than a "sauce," process no more than half a container, one load at a time. [You are advised not to waste your time, or injure yourself trying to make do with a "grater." The root will win.] When the mixture reaches the desired consistency, add white distilled vinegar of 5 percent strength. Use 2 to 3 tablespoons white distilled vinegar and 1/2-teaspoon salt for each cup of grated horseradish.

Critical Chemistry

The time when you add the vinegar is very important. The acid in vinegar stops the enzymatic action in the ground root and stabilizes the "degree" of hotness. If you prefer milder horseradish, add the vinegar immediately. If you like horseradish as hot as it can be, wait 3 minutes before adding vinegar. Place the mixture in 1/2 pint glass jars and screw the lids on firmly. Store in the refrigerator or freezer. Drying will not produce a successful product. When reconstituted, the product will tend to have a hay-like flavor and will be tough and rubbery in texture.

Five Variations

A. If you are seeking to make a very finely cut, sauce type horseradish, and are willing to sacrifice "heat" to do so, here is a variation on the grinding process. Completely cover the blades with cold water or crushed ice before you turn the blender on. If necessary, add more water or crushed ice to finish grinding. When done, pour off excess water. The horseradish will absorb some water, and may give up some of its oils in this process. However, it does produce a very nice result.
B. Many people add small amounts of Evaporated Milk and stir it thoroughly, before placing in the jars. This gives the result a little bit of a binder, as well as a slightly creamy taste.
C. You may substitute lemon juice for the vinegar, resulting in a slightly different flavor.
D. "Red" horseradish includes beet root.
E. Sugar may be added. Use no more than 3 Tablespoons in this recipe. It will moderate the strength of the horseradish flavor, but will add a bit of sweet to the taste.

History

Horseradish has nothing to do with horses and it is not a radish. In English, the first syllable was originally hoarse and related to the pungency of the root of this plant. The French word for it is raifort and that simply means strong root. Botanically, it is in the family of plants that includes cabbages and mustard. In Yiddish the word for horseradish is chrain. The ch comes as a thick rasping H from the top of the throat. It is a word that sounds as caustic as what it describes. There is nothing subtle about chrain. Horseradish is popular in French cooking. A little grated horseradish is particularly effective in a sauce. The sharpness of the root balances the richness of butter or cream. A Larousse Gastronomique recipe for a simple appetizer starts with butter mixed with hot English style mustard and chives. Spread this thinly on black bread. Top the canape with grated horseradish and add a border of finely chopped hard boiled egg yolk. Fresh horseradish is likely to be on the table in most Jewish homes at Passover. The Passover celebration requires that a bitter herb be eaten in memory of Jewish slavery in Egypt. While any bitter herb, such as Romaine lettuce, will do, many choose the number one masochistic vegetable on the market: horseradish. Proud papas watch as their children munch their first bite of this ferociously strong root. And, with tears streaming from their eyes, someone else is bound to say "that's good, but it is not as strong as last year."

Crock Pot Oatmeal

Ingredients:
4-1/2 cups water
2 cups Oatmeal (NOT quick kind, but old fashioned regular oats)
1 cup dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, apples, currants, a mixture, others)
1/2 tsp cinnamon

We use a 4 qt Rival crockpot. Grease entire inside of crock with PAM or margarine (This is to prevent sticking; use alternative if diet requires.). Put in all ingredients. Cook on LOW overnight (We usually start ours around 8 PM and have breakfast by 7 AM, but if you cook it a little less or a little more it's not a problem.). Serve with brown sugar and cream, or substitute as per diet.

Sweet Russian Tea

Ingredients:
1/3 cup instant tea
1/2 cup Tang
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup presweetened lemonade
1/3 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 tsp ground cloves

Mix thoroughly and store in a suitable container. Makes 8 servings. To serve, add 2 heaping Tbs to 8 oz of hot water. Multiply recipe by a factor of 6, store in a half gallon jar, makes 50 servings. We add cinnamon "red hots" to the mix for the holidays.

Rich Hot Chocolate Mix

Ingredients:
2 lb box Nestle's Quik
11 oz jar Coffeemate
1 lb box 10X sugar
8 qt box instant milk

Mix together and store in air tight container. The above proportions will fill a 1 gallon container.smaller conatiners can be used to divide the batch.

To serve: Place 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the mix in a mug and fill with hot water or milk. (It is plenty tasty using water alone. I often travel with it in the winter months.)

Optional:
A. Add mini choclate chips or mini marshmallows to the powder mix.
B. Add 1cup of cocoa to the powder mix for a more chocolatey taste.

 

  
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