Growing Vegetables

Horseradish root looks like an old dog bone. You can make horseradish sauce by peeling the root and blend­ing it with vinegar. Grind together three parts horse­radish cubes with one part white vinegar and a little salt. You can refrigerate the sauce for up to three months or freeze it.

How to plant

Buy a root at the store, stick it in the ground, and it should grow within a few weeks. It can be that easy. For more plants, buy a root with several crowns at the top end. Cut off each of these little crowns along with a wedge of the main root 2 to 3 inches long and plant them about 1 foot apart. Set the cuttings small end down and big end 2 inches below the soil sur­face. Plant them in a sunny place in loose, rock free soil so the roots can grow uninhibited.

Harvesting

Roots grow most in late summer and early fall, so the best time to harvest is in October or Novem ber. From late fall through spring, dig up roots with a fork as you’re ready to use them. Once your plants are fully established, you can probably dig some outer roots year round. Freshly dug roots are most flavorful.

In containers

The horseradish root is too large to be practical for containers.