So we are finally to that time of year where the last of the harvests are getting brought in and processed.
All of the big cabbages we had not eaten fresh up until now, were dealt with a few days ago out on the deck with Phoebe and Nell. Using just a regular knife I sliced them all up, the girls shredded them, and between each layer went salt, caraway seeds, and bits of the last dill left in the garden.
When we started, both were real enthusiastic about this, but the day was chilly and their hands started to get cold.
About half way through Phoebe had to stop and just keep her hands tucked into her pockets.
For the 5 gallons of cabbage we used about 2 tablespoons of caraway seeds and a cup of pickling salt.
I used a couple of washed, full sized uncut leaves to seal the top, over which I put a ceramic plate and a gallon Zip-loc bag full of water to hold it all down.
After 4 hours the salted layers of cabbage had given up enough water to cover it all with two inches of water. By 8 hours the water level was up to the top of the bag holding it all down. 6-8 weeks from now it will be done and we can eat it fresh, freeze some, and can some as well. All of my kids like sauerkraut which is fun for me. Phoebe will just eat bowls of the stuff, while the others like meats cooked in it.
Yesterday I got an email from the friend who had sent me horseradish crowns the fall before asking me to dig some up and send him photos so he could see how one year roots looked. The plants themselves had grown quite large leaves, but I had no idea what they looked like underground.
Once I got started, I just decided to get them all up and try my hand at processing them.
Apparently, every one of those broken root tips, left underground, will give a whole new plant, leaving me to the conclusion that future propagation is not going to be an issue.
I doubled the size of the area they previously occupied, cutting the leaves from the tops, and cutting the roots off of the crowns, re-buried the crowns to regrow next year, leaving me with a good sized hand full of roots. At this point I could faintly smell the standard horseradish smell.
In the house I scrubbed the roots clean, and ate a small piece broken off of one of the root tips. Tastes really nice and sweet with that traditional hot aftertaste expected, but not overpowering.
Then I did something the person who gave me the roots specifically told me never to do, just because he said not to do it. <grin> Never ever ever process horseradish in the house. Well, with that kind of a challenge thrown down, how could I not do it inside?
I have never been maced, but I would imagine it would be something like it. I fed all of the roots through an antique bread crumb grinder I had purchased at a garage sale a few years before. For a nice fine grind on the roots it worked really well, and it also released an incredible, endorphin releasing cloud of stinging horseradish essence. The collar of my shirt was soaked with tears that had been streaming down my face, and my nose was running like a 3 year old with a cold virus. The rush was not unlike eating super hot peppers, without the mouth and throat burn. I was able to function through it all and really enjoyed it. The rest of the family was not very thrilled and stayed well away from the kitchen until I had it all packed away cleaned up.
All I did was grind it, mix it with salt and sugar, regrind it, and mix in some white vinegar, pack it into a pint jar, and it was done. All told, that hand full of roots yielded about 2/3 of a pint. I had a bunch of it on a hamburger last night, and you know what? It was divine.
