Horseradish tincture on vodka (alcohol, moonshine) is remembered for its rich spicy-burning taste, which is softened by the slight sweetness of honey and the sourness of lemon. The aroma is well captured notes of horseradish and ginger. Another advantage of this recipe is that it is quick to prepare – the drink will be ready in 6-7 days. Such horseradish stimulates appetite and helps digestion; this is a great option for fatty and meat dishes of Russian national cuisine.
Fresh horseradish root is required, harvested in August-September or early spring, while the plant is in a dormant period. It is advisable to use the root as soon as possible after digging, so that it does not lie for a long time, then the taste and especially the aroma of horseradish will be richer. Canned horseradish loses its properties, therefore it is not used for infusion.
Any neutral alcoholic base without aging is suitable: store-bought vodka, ethyl alcohol diluted to 40-45%, or sugar or grain moonshine (distillate) of double distillation. Theoretically, you can make a tincture of horseradish on gin, but not everyone likes the combination of fir-tree notes of juniper with the sharpness of horseradish and ginger.
horseradish tincture recipe
Ingredients:
- vodka (alcohol, moonshine) – 1 l;
- horseradish root (peeled) – 60 g;
- ginger root (peeled) – 25 g;
- cloves – 1 bud (optional);
- black peppercorns – 4 pieces (optional);
- liquid honey – 1 teaspoon;
- lemon juice – 1 tablespoon.
Spices enrich the aroma and taste, but you can do without them. Honey should be liquid, buckwheat or linden is excellent. Lemon juice gives a slight acidity, well balancing organoleptic.
Preparation
1. Wash the horseradish root, peel, cut into medium strips (2-3 cm thick).
2. Peel the ginger root and cut into cubes with a side of 1-2 cm.
3. Put ginger and horseradish into a container for infusion – a glass jar. Add cloves and black peppercorns if desired. Pour in the alcohol base.
4. Close the jar tightly, put it in a dark place at room temperature for 5 days. Shake once a day.
5. Strain the resulting tincture through 2-3 layers of gauze or a kitchen sieve.
Horseradish root and ginger can be insisted repeatedly on the same amount of alcohol, increasing the exposure time to 8-12 days. Strain when the taste suits.
6. Pour 50-100 ml of liquid into a cup, dilute honey and lemon juice in it (stir until the consistency becomes homogeneous). It is advisable not to heat so that the honey retains its beneficial properties. Pour the finished syrup into the tincture, mix.
7. Taste horseradish tincture. Sweeten with additional honey if desired.
If the drink turned out to be too spicy, it can be diluted with pure vodka or moonshine.
8. Close the jar tightly. Transfer to the refrigerator or cellar for 1-2 days to stabilize the taste. Precipitation may occur (depending on honey).
9. To make horseradish transparent, it is enough to filter it through cotton wool or a coffee filter. Filtration will change the color, but will not affect the aroma or taste in any way.
10. Pour the finished tincture into bottles for storage and close tightly.
Away from direct sunlight, the shelf life of horseradish tincture is up to 3 years. Fortress – 34-37% vol. Serve well chilled.
PS The correct recipe for classic horseradish is in a separate article, there is a minimum composition of ingredients.