How To Avoid The Unpleasant Bitter Bits Of Fresh Horseradish

For the most part, people who buy or grow horseradish root know they're in for an eye-burning, sinus-clearing experience when they begin to prepare it. Adding a spicy kick to things like cocktail sauce, Bloody Marys, and roast beef sandwich spreads, horseradish is famously pungent. So, it might come as a surprise that you can actually soften the sharp bite of the fresh stuff, especially when you're working with larger pieces of the root.

The bigger the horseradish is, the higher the odds are that it's going to have an especially tough and bitter core. There's already plenty of bitterness in this veggie, and by cutting out the core (as well as any green spots), you'll be doing your tastebuds a favor. You'll still have the kick you expect with fresh horseradish, but nothing downright unpleasant. 

Once the core is removed, you can grate, pulverize, or chop the root for use in recipes. For this part you might want to cover your mouth and nose, and open the windows too, because it may be stronger than you realize. Once the horseradish is cut open, those strong fumes emerge quickly. But that pungency is what we love about it, right?

Because fresh horseradish is so fiery, many recipes call for prepared horseradish. This jarred condiment typically contains the grated vegetable mixed with vinegar and salt. You can easily make your own, but if you're looking for a milder flavor, add your vinegar right away. The vinegar works to neutralize the naturally occurring allyl isothiocyanate which is present in the root and is what makes horseradish taste spicy. The longer you wait to add your vinegar, the spicier the horseradish will get. Adding water and sugar as well will help to balance the flavors. 

Combining horseradish with something creamy like heavy cream, sour cream, or mayonnaise, can also cool and soften the strong root. Creamy horseradish sauce is a classic condiment for serving with roast beef and prime rib, and is excellent on sandwiches. You can add some to mashed potatoes or, if you've made it with sour cream, dollop it on top of a baked potato. Coat your salad greens in a little creamy horseradish and you've got an instant, memorable salad dressing. Really, you can add prepared or creamy horseradish to anything you'd like to have some zing to it. You can even use it to garnish sushi. (As it turns out, the wasabi served with your sushi probably is probably horseradish anyway.)