The best is the freshly grated – once grated it starts to loose its bite, and its fresh whiteness. If it is the bite and the colour you are after, grate it directly on the prepared dish. Otherwise you prepare it and store it tightly covered safely in the fridge.
It works with almost anything, most meats roasts, smoked or baked fish, hard boiled eggs and cold cuts. Mostly it is served as cold sauce, but it may be worth while to consider it hot.
GRATE THE HORSERADISH IN A WELL VENTILATED SPACE!! THIS IS IMPORTANT AND QUITE SERIOUS!
Freshly grated horseradish should be sprinkled with lemon juice or wine vinegar, add sour cream or thick yoghurt. Spice up with sugar, mayonnaise, mustard, olive oil, grated apple, hard boiled eggs.. I usually prepare a large batch of the horseradish pulp from the fresh horseradish root, and store it in the fridge – almost forever – but i make sure the surface of the pulp is always covered with a thin layer of sour cream. It helps to prevent oxidization hence keeps the color if not white, then surely not far from the egg-shell (:-))
To process the horseradish from the fresh horseradish root you need
- about 20 cm long fresh horseradish root
- some sour cream
- lemon juice (1/2 lemon?)
- salt, sugar
- grate the horseradish root on the fine grater – if you can, do it outside, as the fumes are very strong and may affect your breathing (only temporary, not to worry). If you are stuck in the kitchen, open the windows, or use an electric grater – these are very fast and easy to handle, but dot not grate as finely and the hand-operated ones
- In a saucepan with heavy bottom heat up the sour cream, drop in the grated horseradish, stir carefully and fast
- add some salt and pepper, also lemon juice, taste
- place the result in a clean jar, and, if not using immediately, store the jar in the fridge.