When to dig a horse-radish: tips to truck farmers

So that you always have this vegetable popular in cooking, you need to know when to dig out the horseradish. The fact is that if you choose the wrong harvesting time, you will not get a rich taste from the root. In this article, we will not only tell you how to dig out the horseradish correctly, but also consider options for storing it. After all, it is important not only to disrupt in time, but also to store the product correctly.

Description of the plant

Before discussing the question of when to dig a horse-radish, let's consider the plant itself. This vegetable differs in that, in addition to the chic foliage, suitable for use, it has roots that are popular with cooks. Refers to the Cabbage family and came to us from Asia and America. Specific taste and special flavor made it one of the most popular in our gardens. Likes to grow in places with high humidity. The plant has a wide range of useful properties, including medical ones. Having pronounced antibacterial qualities, it is successfully used in folk medicinal recipes.

When to dig a horse-radish

Speaking about the ideal time of digging out a plant, two different periods stand out:

• The first period, when digging a horse radish root is allowed without compromising taste, is the very beginning of spring. When the snow has melted, and the young shoots have not yet begun to grow, you need to dig it up for later use. Basically in this period it is done for transplant and reproduction.
• The second time period, when digging out the horse-radish is best, is late autumn. It is at this time that it is collected for storage for the winter. A sign that you can begin to collect root crops, are dried leaves that are completely lying on the ground.

The whole process of harvesting is reduced to the following manipulations:

• We prepare a tool suitable for this process (this can be either a special "Kolesov's sword" used to work with root crops and seedlings, or forks provided that the soil is soft);
• Dig out carefully all the plant from the ground, without breaking off the leaves;
• Cut the leaves so that the root has a stem about two centimeters long (this is necessary to organize further storage of rootlets).

Horseradish storage

It's not enough to know when you can dig a horse-radish. A competent gardener should thoroughly prepare for proper harvesting. We list several options for organizing such a process:

1. Cellar. Most often it is here that the vegetable is kept by the majority of the owners. But you need to do it carefully. The temperature of the air in the cellar should be in the region of 0 ... + 2 degrees at a humidity of 80 percent. You can use a pit in which to fold the horseradish, pouring each layer with the help of sand or peat. The latter does not spread mold. It is also allowed to store in plastic bags, but not thin ones. They should keep the temperature and humidity inside well. For this storage, the roots must be washed, dried, and after unfolding in packages, inflate them until they are completely filled. Close it is necessary tightly.
2. Powder. Some prefer to store horseradish in the form of powder. For this, the plant needs to be washed, dried, cut into thin strips and placed in an oven for drying at a temperature of 50 degrees. After that, we grind the root crop into powder and store it in jars.
3. Fridge. If you plan to store the vegetable for a very long time, you can do it in the fridge. Wash the roots, go, put them in a bag. Seal it tightly and place it in the refrigerator. Root will be at your fingertips for a relatively long time, but not more than three months.
4. Vinegar. If you rub the root on a grater and pour vinegar, then this mixture can also be stored in the refrigerator. The horseradish taste is preserved, and it can be used for cooking recipes.

Root application

It is impossible to enumerate all the uses of this amazing plant. The main feature of its use in cooking is that it is not hot-worked. When cooking and stewing horseradish completely loses its specific taste and aroma. If you want to use a shredded product, do not forget to close the lid immediately, so that the horseradish does not lose its culinary attraction.

As a medicinal plant used in a variety of drugs, both separately and in combination with other products. Ascorbic acid, vitamin B, trace elements and organic compounds are far from being the whole list of useful elements that make up the horseradish. It is used to normalize the metabolism, stimulate the work of the gastrointestinal tract, from pain in the joints, etc.

Important information

It is important to remember that, before harvesting, you need to make sure that the plant is not affected by any disease and is not a victim of pest attack. Otherwise, you risk leaving behind a root, which can harm your health.