Time to Make the Horseradish!

Horseradish has been used over the centuries as an aphrodisiac, a treatment for rheumatism, a bitter herb for Passover seders and a flavorful accompaniment for beef, chicken and seafood.

More recently, my family has used it as an excuse to get together for a day in the fall.

Apparently, according to the Horseradish institute (yes, there is one - everything has an institute), horseradish has been around since early in Egyptian society. The first step in making horseradish is to dig the roots out of the ground. Or, as we see here, to dig the roots while Uncle Dick supervises.

Then comes the fun part. We all sit around a table out on the lawn with a posse of paring knives and peel the horseradish. Some of the roots get a bit long and stringy, but that is the fun, to grab the good ones ahead of everyone else and see who can peel the most.

This, as all family occasions, is accompanied with liberal doses of chit-chat, gossip, and reminiscence.

Do you remember the time that Don...

Once the roots are peeled and washed, it is time to grind. This year I brought the food processor with me. It was no problem keeping up with the pealing table.

We started with a couple people shoving the roots through an old style grinder but it soon became apparent that my Kitchenaide could easily keep up with the pace set by the pealing table so we left the grinder alone and processed it all.

By early afternoon we had gallons of horseradish pickled and ready to bag and freeze.

Yum! Horseradish. I cannot wait to get home and make a roast!

Of course, there was also plenty of coffee, lunch to eat any time you felt hungry, and a bottle of schnapps to pass. (Well this is, after all, Minnesota!)

Once the production was done, it was time for pictures and cards. It is obligatory that whenever my dad's generation has quorum, they take a "Siblings" picture. The picture at right is one that I took of them standing on the dock out on the lake. I almost broke my neck trying to get to a place I could get this shot, but I think it was worth it.

Not to be out-done by the fogeys, my brothers and I decided that we should also have a "Siblings" picture.

Interestingly, Chip is actually the tallest of us and Denis the shortest. I guess we were just in a mood to goof around.

After the pictures, there was time for some cards, whist and cribbage mostly, and then everyone went off their own ways. What a fun day! We have, however, been running all day long and I am sure that it will be an early night!

I hope that your day was filled with as many wonderful memories!

Don Bergquist - 15-October-2005 - Kensington, Minnesota