Horseradish: Nature's Tear Duct Opener

 

Back at home and it's time to dig up the horseradish and either process it or spread it out and replant it to get bigger roots for next year.  Horseradish as a garden crop is either loved or hated by the people who grow it.  It is darn hard to kill off, which is fine, as long as you want it where you planted it.  When I put in a new asparagus bed a few years back, I had to dig up some horseradish to make room.  I thought I got all the roots, but it turned out I must have missed some.  Because I didn't want to dig up my asparagus roots, I'm now kind stuck with a patch of horseradish growing up right in the middle of it.  If even a tiny piece of horseradish root is left behind, it can grow to a good size patch of horseradish in a couple of years.  The nice thing with having a plant that keeps going and going and going is that horseradish is a great medicinal, especially for those of us who live in cold climates.

Horseradish is a member of the Cruciferae or mustard family.  This is a rather large and useful plant family that includes brussel sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, watercress, and many more.  The family gets the name Cruciferae from the fact that mustard have four petaled flowers that some thought was in the shape of a cross.  Horseradish, like most mustard, are not cold sensitive which means they can be planted just as soon as the ground can be dug, the leaves stay green long after the first hard freezes, and they sprout out of the ground early in the spring before the frost is gone.  It's a good growing plant for those of us that may have long hard winters.

It is medicinally great for those long, hard winters too.  As most people know, nothing opens up clogged airways like breathing in freshly grated horseradish.  It is great for the cold and flu season.  An older, but still useful way of working with horseradish is as a mustard plaster.  This is a way to irritate a certain area of the body to bring blood to the surface.  This blood brings more oxygen and therefor quickens healing to an infected area.  It can help in cases of kidney stones (put the plaster over the kidney area in the back) lung congestion ( put the plaster on the chest), bladder infections (put the plaster over the lower stomach)...you get the idea.  Wherever blood needs to be brought to (except near the eyes) mustard plaster can work wonders.  For those who have never had a plaster before, smear the area you are going to cover with petroleum jelly, animal fat, or a thick layer of vegetable oil, bruise or chop up you horseradish or other mustard, place on the affected area, and cover it with plastic wrap or a damp, thin towel.  Always be careful with plasters as they can burn the skin.  Use common sense and if it hurts, stop using it.  Also, it's probably not a good idea to use on very small children.  I use horseradish on chilblains, rubbing the root over my feet if I just can't seem to warm them up after I was out shoveling snow all day.  It can be rubbed over arthritis pained areas to provide pain relief but should not be used on broken skin.  Horseradish can also be used for bladder infection, as it is a diuretic (makes you pee) and is anti-microbial.  It is also good to help lower high blood pressure as it opens up the blood vessels and makes them flow easier.

Horseradish, like almost all members of the mustard family is high in sulfur, and sulfur was the premier antibiotic before we learned about penicillin.  Doctors still prescribe sulfur tablets for sinus and bladder infections.  Sulfur is one of the first antibiotics used for livestock that may have a minor infection.  Natural sulfur dissipates quickly one it is exposed to air, which is why garlic, onions, and horseradish smells so strong right after they are cut.  It also is destroyed by heat.  So if you use horseradish as an antibiotic, the only two ways it works is if you chew a fresh cut piece of it and swallow the juices (not a pleasant experience for many) or if you can suspend the sulfur in a medium.  Fortunately suspension of sulfur is quite easy.  Cover you bruised or chopped horseradish in a vinegar that is 4% or stronger for a couple of months or more.  Remove the root and your sulfur is suspended in the vinegar.

Which brings me to what I am making today; Fire Cider, also known as Cyclone Cider.  This is a great cold and flu stopper and some people drink it all winter long around here as a precaution.  It is quite easy to make and most of the ingredients can be grown right in the garden.  Traditional fire cider is made from unfiltered, organic apple cider with the mother still intact.  This is because you are about to put a whole mess of anti-microbials into it and it's nice to have the vinegar mother to help replace any good bacteria that may be flushed out of the system by this powerful healer. 

The base ingredients are; fresh onions, garlic, horseradish, ginger, and cayenne.  Grate or chop all your ingredients (measurements are not required, just what works with what you have) and put them in you cider vinegar.  If you use a big glass gallon jar you can keep adding ingredients as you go and don't have to strain out the old stuff until the jar starts getting filled up with too many solids.  Most people around here keep a perpetual jar of it going and add to it all winter.  From there you just put a few tablespoons into a glass of water a few times a day and drink it down when you are feeling sick, feeling a cold coming on, or just feel run down enough that your immune system may need a boost.  You can even use it as a base for salad dressings or any sauce that does not need to be cooked (heat destroys sulfur).

Once you have your base ingredients, you can add what feels right to you.  Such as I add watercress and nettle leaf because they are so high in minerals, which can help the body heal.  I have heard of people near the sea adding seaweed for the same reason.  I have added turmeric from the spice cabinet for its anti-microbial properties.  I have threw in a couple handful of rosehaws at some times or pot marigold at others.  Sage, burdock root, fresh echinacea root, or astragalus are good additions.  When being mixed with water, raw honey can be added for its healing properties.  That's the neat thing about making your own medicine, you make it with what you have and what works best for you.

Cider acts as an antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal. It has immune stimulant properties as well as increasing white blood cell, T cell and NK cell counts. It increases the blood flow and the amount of oxygen delivered to the tissues, as well as aiding the removal of waste products.  Its no wonder so many families have some version of this healing concoction ready as the cold months begin.