Up until last week, I couldn’t have told you what a root of horseradish looks like. I’ve been shopping at the same Whole Foods for over 10 years, averaging at least one trip per week, and I’ve probably walked by the basket of horseradish roots over a thousand times.

It wasn’t until we got slammed with a mega heat wave here in the Midwest that I began giving horseradish some thought. Because I’ve been eating so many salads lately, I’ve been searching for a way to change up my usual dressings. Horseradish, with its fiery clean-out-your-sinuses kick, is the perfect way to liven up any ho-hum dressing.

Instead of buying prepared horseradish, I thought I’d whip out the food processor and make my own batch for a fun challenge. But really, it was no challenge at all! This condiment is one of the easiest I’ve ever made. If you’ve got a cutting board, a knife, and a food processor, you can make homemade horseradish in a flash.

WARNING: This is important, so pay attention. I learned something the hard way making my own horseradish. As soon as you drop the chopped root into the food processor, complete the rest of the recipe at an arm’s length away.

I’ll tell you what I did so that you don’t do it, too. After grinding up the root in the food processor, I took the lid off carefully, thinking that the strong fragrance would be overpowering. I didn’t smell anything at a distance and thought I had a “bad root” that had been in storage too long or something. So I leaned my head over the open bowl and took a big whiff.

After the initial shocking few seconds where I was sure someone had lit a match up my nose, I began to tear up like I’ve never teared before. Picture yourself chopping up a really strong onion. Got it? Okay, now intensify that by about a dozen and you’ve got the horseradish sensation. Needless to say, I think my sinuses will be clear for a long time.

So my warning is simple: work at an arm’s length away and whatever you do, don’t deliberately smell the horseradish! Trust me. I don’t think there’s such a thing as a bad root. Even if you don’t smell anything right off the bat, you’re good.

Now that we’ve got that squared away, let’s get cooking.

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How to Prepare Horseradish

First, you want to start with a root of horseradish that’s firm and about 5-6 inches long, like this one:

Peel the root with a vegetable peeler. Cut the root into small cubes (about 1/2-inch). You should have about 1/2 cup of cubes. They’ll look like this:

Place the cubes in a small food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Remove the lid carefully and DO NOT get your nose or eyes close to the bowl. (See above for the official warning!) Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and 2 tablespoons of water. (You can also add a pinch of salt if you’d like.) Process until mealy. If you’d like a looser/smoother condiment, add more water 1 tablespoon at a time and process until you reach your desired consistency.

Even though my horseradish is more on the mealy side with quite a bit of texture, it blends very well into dressings, sauces, and scrambled eggs. It just sort of disappears and leaves nothing but flavor behind.

Store the horseradish in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It should last a good 2 weeks, maybe more. I recommend storing horseradish in a glass jar. Plastic containers absorb flavors. You might never get the scent of horseradish out of your plastic Tupperware!

Homemade Horseradish

Makes about 1/2 cup

1 (5-6 inch) horseradish root, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1/2 cup cubes)

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons water (or more if desired)

Pinch of salt (optional)

Place the horseradish cubes in a small food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse until finely chopped. Remove the lid carefully and DO NOT get your nose or eyes close to the bowl. (Trust me on this one!) Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Add the apple cider vinegar and water. Process until mealy. If you’d like a looser/smoother condiment, add more water 1 tablespoon at a time and process until you reach your desired consistency.

Store in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator.