In our family, horseradish comes into play in December, namely for Christmas. It is a tradition to serve roast turkey with fresh homemade horseradish apple dip, among other foods. Now I can’t even think of a Christmas dinner without the horseradish dip. And yes, it has to be made from the fresh horseradish plant.

Since I was a kid, we always had a horseradish plant tucked somewhere in the garden. Then, come the day before Christmas, and my dad would take a shovel and dig some up. Of course, this was all good and dandy when it was not below zero and the ground frozen solid. However, the horseradish had to be dug up, no questions asked!

This fresh horseradish apple dip recipe is an old traditional recipe from north Croatia and is quite different from what you would find today, generally dairy-based. I learned it first from my grandma, who would grate and mix the fresh horseradish every Christmas and not have one tear in her eyes from the pungent aromas. On the other hand, I need a whole box of kleenexes when grating the horseradish.

About the Horseradish Plant

So why such a fuss about the fresh horseradish?

Simply because the taste is non-comparable to any store-bought sitting on the shelf for days and already wimpy plant. The fragrance and flavor of a fresh just dug-up horseradish is very, very strong and highly intense. You really need to be careful when grating it, as it will “clear your sinuses” in no time. No heavy breathing when grating!

Every Christmas, I considered myself “lucky” if I got the task of making the horseradish sauce. If you are indeed lucky and have a super-strong blender on hand (like Vitamix), you can use that. However, do be careful when opening the lid. Don’t go peeking immediately. Also, note that the texture will be mushy, more like a sauce.

Although we have the horseradish plant in the garden all year long, the only time we pick the roots is December through March. Other times, the plant needs to grow, and the roots shouldn’t be picked as the intensity of the flavor will not be entirely produced.

If you can buy the fresh horseradish with the green stem (see the photos) and have a garden, you can plant the top part of the horseradish. Just cut the root about 1.5in from the white part of the stem and place it in the moist soil. The green part should be sticking out of the soil. In a year, you should have your homegrown horseradish.

In the summer, the plant has huge leaves with a lovely subtle fragrance. For example, you can use them in grilling by wrapping the fish in them.

The Flavors of the Horseradish Apple Dip

There are many different recipes for the horseradish dip, but mostly dairy-based. In some recipes, the horseradish is cooked in a dairy and flour base.

I love the pungent, clear-the-sinuses flavor paired with apples and a good-quality dessert wine.

The wine tones down the intensity of the flavor, and the apples add sweetness and creaminess.

If you want to preserve the horseradish intensity when serving dinner, try to make the sauce right before dinner or at least an hour before. The flavor intensity dissipates with time. Also, to prevent the apples from oxidizing too much, grate them directly into the wine and sugar mixture and then add to the grated horseradish.

The dip’s freshness and intensity complement the Christmas dinner prefectly, as it efficiently cleans the palate after each bite. The only downside is that I feel I can always eat an extra mouthful, as the horseradish reduces the heaviness of it all.

How To Make the Fresh Horseradish Apple Dip

It is effortless to make the dip. You can consider several options, namely manual vs. mixer vs. blender.

The texture of the dip depends on the option chosen. So, if you go with the manual option, as I did in this post, you will get a more pronounced sauce structure, and it will not necessarily be creamy and liquid. However, it will not be dry either.

On the other hand, if you choose to use a food processor or a blender, you will end up with a creamy, smooth, and more sauce-like texture.

Traditionally, it should be grated and have a stronger texture. My grandma would always make it by hand, so if not in a hurry, I usually opt for this method.

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