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One of the interesting traditional Russian alcoholic drinks is Khrenovuha. I first tried it in a restaurant with Russian cuisine when I was in Rostov. I liked the relevance of this drink to dishes so much that I wanted to try making horseradish at home.
Another recipe for homemade alcohol was sent to me by subscriber Alexander S. Personally, I will definitely use it next fall.
What is crap
Horseradish is called a strong tincture. This colloquial name is more common than others. And sometimes it is called horseradish, horseradish vodka or horseradish tincture. And the name came from the name of the main component – horseradish. Making a tincture is easy at home.
Horseradish has been known for a very long time. Previously, it was even issued to workers engaged in hard work. For preparation, vodka, alcohol or moonshine was used. I usually make a drink on my moonshine, and horseradish in the garden grows so much every summer that you even open a factory.
Ingredients for the drink
To prepare the tincture, I use only pure moonshine from sugar-yeast mash. It must be distilled at least twice as strong as possible. This is done so that no foreign substances affect the taste and aroma of the future drink.
One day before use, moonshine must be diluted with water to a strength of 40-42%. When insisting, he will inevitably lose a couple more degrees.
Horseradish is better to dig at the end of summer, when it is already ripe. If you collect it earlier, the drink will not have a rich, peculiar aroma. You can collect horseradish and save it for a long time by freezing it in the freezer.
I noticed that thin roots are usually “angrier and more vigorous” than thick ones. I also try to select them for a drink. For a liter of horseradish, I take two roots about 1 cm thick and 15-20 cm long. Horseradish should be washed well and dried with a napkin.
The second, almost obligatory, ingredient is honey. It requires two tablespoons per liter. It will also add interesting flavor notes to the drink. You can use any natural honey. In some cases where the presence of a honey flavor is undesirable, fructose can be used.
How to cook horseradish at home
To make a drink, I usually use a two-liter jar with a wide mouth. It is inconvenient to load the ingredients into the bottle.
Horseradish needs to be peeled and grated on a coarse grater, then the tincture will be ready very quickly, in almost 5-6 days. But I like to just cut the roots with a knife.
You will have to insist longer – 8-10 days, but then it is easier to filter such a tincture. Grated or chopped horseradish should be poured into a container for infusion.
Advice. It is better to dissolve honey in advance in a small amount of moonshine, and then pour it into a jar of horseradish and fill it with the rest of the alcohol.
The jar of tincture must be tightly closed and kept in a warm, dark place, stirring every day. After the drink is infused, it must be filtered through a cotton filter (cotton is laid out on the bottom of the sieve).
Some other ingredients can be added to the main ingredients, which can change the taste properties of the drink. Depending on preferences, the following products can be included in the composition of horseradish:
- garlic;
- mustard;
- ginger;
- celery;
- carrot.
The quantity is also determined according to personal preferences. Some of these ingredients can also color the drink, making it more attractive to look at.
The usual horseradish and honey horseradish has a pale green color. Sometimes, to tint it, you can add sugar color to the composition.
Advice. Making color is easy. I boil the rich sugar syrup down in a clean pan and then wait for the sugar to melt and caramelize. This makes it brown.
A small piece of such burnt sugar, the size of a match head, can color a liter of drink and at the same time practically does not change its taste.
How to store and how best to drink horseradish
Ready horseradish must be bottled, which are tightly closed. It should be stored in a cool place, preferably at a temperature not exceeding +5°C. Then the drink can be consumed for five years.
It is better to serve it to the table very chilled. Horseradish is used as an aperitif for a hearty meal. As an independent snack for this drink, cold cuts, salted or smoked fish, lard, cheese are suitable.
A hand-made horseradish will turn out to be no worse than a factory one, and the pleasure from getting the result will turn out to be no less than from drinking the drink itself. Anyway, I always enjoy making drinks more than drinking them.
Excessive alcohol consumption is harmful to your health. Take care of yourself!
What tinctures do you prefer? Do you have any secret ingredient when making horseradish?