In order to always have this popular culinary vegetable at your disposal, you need to know when to dig up horseradish. The fact is that if you choose the wrong harvest time, you will not get a rich taste from the root crop. In our article, we will not only tell you how to dig horseradish correctly, but also consider options for storing it. After all, it is important not only to pluck in time, but also to properly store the resulting product.
Description of the plant
Before discussing when to dig horseradish, let's look at the plant itself. This vegetable is different in that, in addition to chic foliage suitable for use, it also has roots that are popular with cooks. Belongs to the Cabbage family and came to us from Asia and America. Specific taste properties and a special aroma have made it one of the most popular in our gardens. Likes to grow in places with high humidity. The plant has a wide range of useful properties, including medical ones. Having pronounced antibacterial qualities, it is successfully used in folkmedicinal prescriptions.
When to dig up horseradish
When talking about the ideal time to dig up a plant, there are two different periods:
- The first period when digging up the horseradish root is allowed without compromising the taste, this is the very beginning of spring. When the snow has melted, and the young shoots have not yet begun to grow, you need to dig it up for later use. Basically, during this period, this is done for transplantation and reproduction.
- The second time period when digging horseradish is best is considered late autumn. It was at this time that it was collected for storage for the winter. A sign that you can start harvesting root crops are dried leaves that lie completely on the ground.
The whole harvesting process comes down to the following manipulations:
- we prepare a tool suitable for this process (it can be either a special "Kolesov's sword" used to work with root crops and seedlings, or a pitchfork, provided that the soil is soft);
- dig carefully the whole plant from the ground, without cutting off the leaves;
- cut the leaves so that the root has a stem about two centimeters long (this is necessary to organize further storage of the roots).
Storing horseradish
It's not enough to know when you can dig horseradish. A competent gardener must thoroughly prepare for the proper storage of the crop. We list several options for organizing such a process:
- Cellar. More oftenIn total, this is where most owners store this vegetable. But this must be done carefully. The air temperature in the cellar should be in the region of 0 … + 2 degrees with a humidity of 80 percent. You can use a hole in which horseradish is put, pouring each layer with sand or peat. The latter prevents mold from spreading. It is also allowed to store in plastic bags, but not thin ones. They should keep the temperature and humidity inside well. For such storage, the roots must be washed, dried, and after unfolding them in bags, inflate them until they are completely filled. Close tightly.
- Powder. Some prefer to store horseradish in powdered form. To do this, the plant must be washed, dried, cut into thin strips and placed in an oven to dry at a temperature of 50 degrees. After that, grind the root into powder and store in jars.
- Refrigerator. If you plan to store the vegetable for a short time, you can do it in the refrigerator. Wash the roots, sort, put in a bag. Seal tightly and place in the refrigerator. The root crop will be at your fingertips for a relatively long time, but no more than three months.
- Vinegar. If you grate the root and pour vinegar, then this mixture can also be stored in the refrigerator. The taste of horseradish is retained and can be used for cooking recipes.
Using the root crop
It is impossible to list all the uses of this amazing plant. The main feature of its use in cooking isthe fact that it is not amenable to hot processing. During cooking and stewing, horseradish completely loses its specific taste and aroma. If you want to use the grated product, then do not forget to immediately close the container with a lid so that the horseradish does not lose its culinary appeal.
As a medicinal plant, it is used in many medicines, both separately and in combination with other products. Ascorbic acid, vitamin B, trace elements and organic compounds - not the whole list of useful elements that make up horseradish. It is used to normalize metabolism, stimulate the gastrointestinal tract, relieve joint pain, etc.
Important information
It is important to remember that before harvesting, you need to make sure that the plant is not susceptible to any disease and has not become a victim of pest attack. Otherwise, you run the risk of storing a non-root crop that can be harmful to he alth.
