Make Hot Horseradish
If you want to make hot horseradish, the best route to take is to prepare your own fresh horseradish. When dealing with this unpeeled, fresh root, you have the opportunity to completely control its flavor and, more importantly, its level of heat. Whether you want ground horseradish with a little heat or you're a glutton for punishment who likes to have their taste buds rocked, you can control how hot your horseradish turns out during preparation.
Instructions
1. Wash the horseradish root, then peel the root to expose its white interior. Cut it into smaller pieces to fit into a blender or food processor. A meat processor is also suitable for a blender, arccording to nutrition specialist Janet Hackert. If you don't have any of these machines, you can dice it by hand.
2. Add vinegar after the horseradish has blended to the desired consistency. It is during this stage of preparation that you can control the heat of the root. Add vinegar immediately after blending for mild horseradish. Wait three minutes for a noticeably hotter flavor, according to Hackert. Horseradish.org, a website devoted to the root, states that oils known as isothiocyanate are released when horseradish is ground. Vinegar stops this reaction and stabilizes the flavor. Hackert suggests adding two or three tablespoons of vinegar for each cup of horseradish. Add salt to taste.
3. Put the mixture into jars or other storage containers and refrigerate. Freeze the horseradish for long-term storage. Refrigerated horseradish will maintain a quality taste for four to six weeks, while frozen horseradish can last over six months, according to Global Gourmet's Judy McCann.
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