Horseradish is a root vegetable that is part of the same plant family as mustard, cabbage, wasabi, broccoli, and radishes. It grows in the ground between 12 and 18 months until the roots are big and bulky and the green leaves are above the ground are about 3 feet tall. The flavor and heat or zing of horseradish only happens when the root is grated or ground up either by chewing it or using a grater. It’s used as a condiment and ingredient for many foods from meats, poultry and fish to vegetables and even fruits and relishes.
Eau Claire, Wisconsin is an ideal location to grow horseradish because of the healthy soil and because Eau Claire is located near the 45th parallel, half way between the North Pole and the Equator and gets lots of sun during the summer and is cold in the winter.
Horseradish is grown from seed stock that is cut from the root where it is about one-half inch in diameter, and then is cut into 8-10 inch long pieces. Those finger-sized roots are planted in rows that are 36 inches apart, while the plants are about two feet apart to provide the best spacing for the harvester to efficiently harvest the horseradish without churning up too much of the soil. Horseradish is planted in the Spring and in the Fall, and it stays in the ground to grow between 12 and 18 months depending on the soil and weather in the year. Then it’s also harvested in the Spring and the Fall.
Each acre has 7,000 horseradish pieces planted for best spacing for horseradish to grow
Huntsinger Farms grows the Big Top Western variety of horseradish because it produces a bulky hearty root in the Eau Claire soil and weather. Big Top Western gets its name from the big leafy greens that grow on top of the soil while the root grows down under the soil. Horseradish greens grow to about 3 feet tall when the root is ready to harvest.
Once the horseradish roots are harvested, the tops are cut off and then piles of horseradish are conveyed into the cooler between 30 days and 8 months to stay damp and cold before it’s processed. The cooler is kept at 37 to 38 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. Then it’s cleaned again and ground up to put into jars that you see at the grocery store.
Horseradish grows best in fields that are rotated with other crops to create the best nutrients in the soil for horseradish to thrive. Huntsinger Farms grows 700 – 900 acres of horseradish every year and then plants corn, soybeans, and alfalfa in that soil for the next six years, rotating the crops every year to return the soil to the best possible dirt to grow horseradish in that time frame.
