When most people think of horseradish, they see it as something that comes out of a jar. That’s a real pity, because horseradish is easy to grow and homegrown tastes a thousand times better than what you’ll find on supermarket shelves.
For a start, the horseradish cream that you buy in a jar is often packed with MSG, which doesn’t interest me at all. For me, fresh is the only way to go!
It’s incredibly quick and easy to use in the kitchen. It has a clear, fresh taste straight out of the garden that packs a much bigger flavour punch than store-bought stuff.
Once it’s ready for harvesting, you can simply peel and grate it to add a real zing of flavour to a host of different dishes.
It’s delicious paired with meat, as it adds lots of heat and flavour to give your meals something quite special.
Here are my top three pairings for horseradish:
1 Steak
It’s a perfect partner for steak, either grated freshly onto it, or mixed to make a creamy accompaniment. Grate horseradish and combine it with mayonnaise, or add it to a mixture of mascarpone and finely chopped tarragon – it’s delicious!
2 Salmon
Something about this combination really sings. Personally, I like it with thinly sliced cuts of cold-smoked salmon. Mix grated horseradish with mascarpone and a little lemon juice or lemon zest for your five percent extra magic, right there!
3 Lamb
Use horseradish as you would a hot mustard with a cut of lamb. It’s also delicious grated and mixed with some finely sliced mint, then added to your lamb rack or chops.
Simon’s gardener Ken says:
“If you’d like to grow horseradish, try it in a large pot with good potting mix. Put it anywhere with decent light, preferably morning or all-day sun.
“Don’t forget to water it during dry periods, although if you forget, I doubt it will die!
“Horseradish is very easy to grow, in fact, it might be too easy! For this reason, it needs to be kept out of the garden or it may take over.
“I’m planning to plant a new herb garden at Simon’s place because I need to eradicate the horseradish that’s spread right through the existing garden! If you dig it up in autumn to harvest the roots, be very careful not to drop any pieces, it might establish itself somewhere before you realise. It’s a great herb, and easy to grow – just don’t let it escape on you!”
