Horseradish is a delicious food that can be used on hamburgers, steaks, fresh sauerkraut, and even fish. It’s a spicy root vegetable that belongs to the mustard family, and you can eat it fresh or prepared.
In a grocery store, you can usually find both types of horseradish in either the produce aisle or the condiment aisle. Different stores stock horseradish in different areas, but usually horseradish in the grocery store is found in the condiment aisle.
Different Types of Horseradish and Where To Find Them in the Grocery Store
Before you go to the store to find horseradish, you should be familiar with the different types:
Prepared Horseradish
Prepared horseradish consists of grated fresh horseradish roots, vinegar, water, and salt. You can easily make your own recipe if you’d like, and it can be kept in the refrigerator for up to three to four weeks. Prepared horseradish is an ingredient of horseradish sauce. Look for it in the condiments aisle.
Horseradish Sauce
Horseradish sauce contains prepared horseradish and other ingredients, such as cream, sour cream, or mayo, to give it a creamier texture and a less pungent taste. Grocery stores usually keep horseradish sauce in jars or bottles in the condiments section. Sometimes, fresh horseradish sauce can be found in the produce section where it can be kept cold.
Horseradish Powder
Horseradish powder is horseradish root that has been dried or dehydrated. It is found in the condiment aisle because there is no need to refrigerate it. In fact, to make horseradish sauce, you simply mix this powder with some water and it’s done. Horseradish powder can also be used to make cocktail sauce and even a Bloody Mary.
Fresh Horseradish
Many grocery stores sell fresh horseradish for people who wish to make their own horseradish products. It is usually available in the produce section around other root vegetables, such as carrots and potatoes. Some stores even make their own creamy horseradish sauce, which can also be found in the produce section.
How To Tell if Fresh Horseradish Is Good
Horseradish can go bad, but if you notice tiny black flecks in the root, you can simply cut those out. That being said, you should discard horseradish root if it is soft and mushy, or if it smells bad, or if it has any type of mold on it.
Does Horseradish Have To Be Refrigerated?
It is recommended that both horseradish root and horseradish sauce be kept in the refrigerator. You can also freeze horseradish sauce, but it is not advisable to freeze fresh horseradish root. The root should be kept in a closable plastic bag, and it can stay good in the fridge for one to two months. Horseradish sauce should be kept in a tightly closed jar, and it will stay good in the fridge for four to six months.
How Long Does Horseradish Last in the Refrigerator?
When a refrigerated product contains horseradish, you have to familiarize yourself with how long it can stay in the fridge. Here are the recommended time frames for refrigerated horseradish:
- Horseradish root: one to two months
- Prepared horseradish: three to four weeks
- Horseradish sauce: four to six months
Always check and adhere to the expiration date on the product.
Horseradish Substitutes
As you can imagine, there are numerous substitutes for horseradish:
Wasabi
Just like horseradish, wasabi is a member of the mustard family and has a pungent flavor. It is usually made into a wasabi paste and used in sushi and other Japanese dishes. Real wasabi is rather costly to produce in some areas of the world and is often called Japanese horseradish. Horseradish and wasabi are interchangeable in most dishes.
Mustard
You can replace your horseradish with mustard seeds that have been ground up with a mortar and pestle. Use it in a one-to-one ratio, which means one teaspoon of horseradish can be replaced with one teaspoon of ground-up mustard seeds.
Ginger Root
You can replace horseradish root with ginger root, but the taste—while good—is not exactly the same. Ginger has a mellower flavor than horseradish, but if you need a quick substitution and can mince/crush the ginger, it will get the job done.