Horseradish Recipes and Cultivation

Horseradish Pickles, In a Hurry 

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vinegar
1 pint jar sweet pickles
1 jar ground horseradish (sometimes called pure, not the creamed variety) 

Bring sugar, water and vinegar to a boil; turn off heat to cool. Open pickle jar, and pour contents in colander. When drained, slice pickles down the middle or in quarters; don’t slice completely through pickles. Stuff with horseradish and place back in original jar. Pour warm liquid over pickles to top of jar, replace lid and set aside for 2 to 3 days to flavor. The longer they sit, the better they get.

Variation: Omit vinegar and use 1 cup water. Personal tastes vary, so fix pickles to suit taste.

For quart-size jar of pickles, double sugar, vinegar and water. 

E.F. Gierlinger, Clymer, New York, sends a bit more complicated, and spicier, recipe. 

Senf Gurken or Thunder & Lightning Pickles 

6 1/2 pounds ripe cucumbers
3 pints ice water
2/3 cup pickling salt
2 to 4 sprigs dill blossoms, seeds well developed
1 tablespoon white mustard seeds
2 teaspoons fresh grated horseradish
2 pods hot red peppers, medium size
2 1/2 cups apple vinegar (5 1/2 percent)
2/3 cup water
3/4 cup sugar 

Wash and pare cucumbers. Cut in half lengthwise and scrape out seeds. Cut halves in thirds lengthwise, then crosswise. Place in glass or enamel bowl. Mix ice water and pickling salt; cover cucumbers. Cover and let stand overnight.

In morning, drain well. Divide dill, mustard seed, horseradish and hot peppers; place into 5 sterilized 2-quart jars. Heat vinegar, water and sugar to a boil. Add cucumbers and simmer 5 minutes. Remove cucumbers and pack into jars, leaving 3/4-inch headspace. Add boiling solution to 1/4-inch headspace. Seal at once. Yields about 10 quarts. 

Josette Giacobbi, Columbia, South Carolina, is looking for a roasted red pepper spread recipe from a Ball Blue Book.

Norman Stringfield, Newport, Tennessee, and Patsy Blankenship, Moyock, North Carolina, sent the same recipe from the Ball’s Blue Book of Preserving, which sounds exactly like the recipe requested by Josette. 

Roasted Red Peppers 

6 pounds sweet red peppers (about 8 large)
1 pound Roma tomatoes (about 10 medium)
2 large cloves garlic
1 small white onion
2 tablespoons minced basil
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup red wine vinegar