Beet Horseradish (Cwikla) (Video)

This beet horseradish is sweet, tangy and hot – roasted beets and freshly grated horseradish root, the way we made it back home. You might know it as cwikla (ćwikła) in Polish, hrin in Ukrainian or chrain on the Passover table. Short on time? Canned beets and a jar of horseradish get you there in 10 minutes. Let me show you how.

I grew up eating beet horseradish next to kholodets and holubtsi (stuffed cabbage rolls). It cuts the richness of heavier food, so it shows up at every holiday feast. Where I grew up, horseradish grew like a weed – you just dug up a root in the garden and made your own. Now you don’t need to get the shovel out – you can find the root in the produce section, usually near the ginger.

What Is Cwikla?

Cwikla (ćwikła) is the Polish name for this beet horseradish relish. In Poland it’s a must at Easter, served with ham, kielbasa and hard-boiled eggs from the Easter basket.

It’s Western Ukrainian too. Where I’m from, beets themselves are called tsvikli (цвіклі), so at home we called this cvikli with horseradish. Same grated beets, same horseradish kick – just a different name depending on whose table you’re sitting at.

Hrin – the Ukrainian Beet Horseradish I Grew Up With

In Ukrainian it’s hrin (хрін), which simply means horseradish, and in Russian it’s khren. At our house, hrin with beets sat next to kholodets and holubtsi on every holiday table. The beets make it sweeter and milder than plain grated horseradish, so it goes with almost anything rich.

Ingredients for Beet Horseradish (Cwikla)

Five simple ingredients. Amounts are in the recipe card below.

• Beets: Regular red beets. I roast them – they stay sweet and dry, so the relish stays thick. Boiled beets work too. Skip pickled beets – they already have vinegar and spices.
• Fresh horseradish root: Look for a firm root with no soft or green spots. A freshly dug root is much spicier than one that’s been in the fridge for a month, so taste as you add it. No root? A jar of prepared horseradish works – see the shortcut below.
• White vinegar: It keeps the color bright. Apple cider vinegar works, but the color comes out a little duller.
• Granulated sugar: Regular white sugar balances the vinegar and the heat.
• Kosher salt: If you only have table salt, use a little less – it’s saltier by the spoonful.

How to Cook Beets for Beet Horseradish

Scrub the beets and leave the skins on. They’re done when a knife slides into the center easily. While they’re still hot, run them under cold water and the skins slide right off. Let them cool completely before grating – you’ll be waiting for them to cool before mixing anyway. Roasting gives the sweetest flavor. You can cook them up to 3 days ahead and keep them in the fridge.

Instant Pot: Large beets (about 3 inches) take at least 45 minutes on high pressure, then a quick release.

How to Make Beet Horseradish

You’ll need a box grater for the beets – use the star side (the small, star-shaped holes). A food processor purees beets into liquid, so skip it here. For the horseradish, either the box grater or a food processor works. Fresh horseradish is extremely spicy and the fumes burn your eyes, so open a window or turn on the range hood first.

1. Cook the beets – roast or boil them (times are in the chart above). While they’re still hot, run them under cold water and the skins slide right off. Let them cool completely before grating – you’ll be waiting for them to cool before mixing anyway.
2. Grate the beets – use the star side of a box grater, not a food processor. The processor turns beets into liquid.
   

   

3. Squeeze out the juice – squeeze the grated beets in cheesecloth or press them in a fine-mesh sieve until they stop dripping. Expect to lose more than half the weight. Squeezing keeps the relish thick instead of watery.
4. Peel the horseradish – scrape off the brown skin with a vegetable peeler, down to the white root.
5. Grate it fine – use the star side of a box grater, or a food processor. In the processor, switch to the S-blade after grating and run it until it’s super fine. Keep your face back when you open the lid – the fumes are strong. Grate it right after the beets are squeezed – the longer the horseradish is exposed to air, the more heat it loses.
   

   

6. Add the horseradish a little at a time – start with about three-quarters of it, stir and taste. Keep adding until it’s a little spicier than you like – it mellows within an hour and even more by the next day.
   

   

7. Season – sprinkle in the salt and sugar, pour in the vinegar and stir until the color is even.
   

   

8. Rest, then taste – give it 5 minutes so the salt and sugar dissolve. Then adjust: a pinch of sugar if it’s too sharp, a pinch of salt if it tastes flat, more horseradish if you want it hotter.
9. Spoon it into a jar – pack it into a clean jar or container with a tight lid.
   

   

10. Chill overnight – the flavors blend and the heat mellows a little. It’s ready to serve the next day.

Marina’s Pro Tips for theBest Beet Horseradish

• Control the heat with the vinegar – it stops grated horseradish from getting hotter, so add it sooner for milder and later for hotter.
• Make it a bit spicier than you want – it mellows within an hour and even more overnight in the fridge.
• Grate the root right before you mix – the longer it’s exposed to air, the more heat it loses.
• Taste after it rests – undissolved salt and sugar make the first taste sharper than the finished relish.
• Loosen it with vinegar – water thins the flavor along with the texture.

Quick Beet Horseradish Relish

During the holiday season, I keep a couple of cans of cooked beets (not pickled) and a jar of extra-hot horseradish in my pantry, so I can whip this up in 10 minutes. The swap amounts are in the recipe card.

Here’s what changes:

• Grate the canned beets fine – drain them, then use the small holes of the box grater.
• Press out the juice – canned beets are wet, so press them in a fine-mesh sieve until they stop dripping. That keeps the relish thick.
  
  What can I do with the beet juice?

  Stir it into borsch or a vinaigrette for extra color.
• Keep the seasoning the same – same vinegar, sugar and salt as the fresh version.
• Pick a hot jar – a freshly opened jar has the most heat. I use Beaver Hot Cream Horseradish.

What to Serve with Beet Horseradish

It’s made for rich food. Put it next to kholodets, cabbage rolls, ham, kovbasa or cold roast beef on a holiday spread. It’s just as good with potato pancakes, beef stew or a slice of farmer’s bread with butter. Stir a spoonful into sour cream and you have a quick sandwich spread.

Chrain for Passover

Chrain is the Jewish name for beet horseradish, from the Yiddish word for horseradish. It’s the classic topping for gefilte fish at the Passover seder, and it’s just as good with brisket.

More Recipes to Serve with Beet Horseradish

Kholodets (Meat Aspic)

The classic holiday aspic – and the first thing I spoon beet horseradish onto. →

Cabbage Rolls

Tender holubtsi in tomato sauce, with sour cream and a spoonful of cwikla on the side. →

Ukrainian Borsch

More beets, in the soup every Ukrainian family makes. →

Olivier Salad

The creamy potato salad that shares the holiday table. →

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Beet Horseradish (Cwikla) (Video)

5 from 1 vote

Beet horseradish (cwikla) with roasted beets and fresh horseradish root - sweet, tangy and hot. Plus a 10-minute shortcut with canned beets.

Author: Marina | Let the Baking Begin

Course: Condiment

Cuisine: Ukrainian

Keyword: beet relish, spicy beet relish

Calories: 21 kcal

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes

Servings: 16 servings

Ingredients

• 2 medium-large beets about 1 lb (460 g); cooked, grated and drained, they make 1 cup (236 g)
• 2-3 oz fresh horseradish root 55-85 g, peeled
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) white vinegar
• 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 tsp (12 ml) kosher salt Morton; use a little less if using table salt

Shortcut swap

• 30 oz (850 g) canned whole beets about 2 cans, drained, in place of the fresh beets; grate and squeeze to 1 cup (Note 3)
• 1/3-1/2 cup prepared horseradish 80-113 g, extra hot, freshly opened, in place of the fresh root

Equipment: The pans and tools I use are in my Amazon shop.

• Box grater star side for the beets
• Fine-mesh sieve
• Food Processor optional, for the horseradish
• Instant Pot optional, for cooking the beets
• Glass jars with lids

Instructions

1. Cook the beets - cook 2 medium-large beets, whole and unpeeled, until a knife slides into the center easily (Note 1).
   To roast: wrap each beet in foil and roast at 400°F, 50-60 minutes for medium beets or 1 1/2 to 2 hours for large ones.
   To boil: cover the beets with cold water, bring to a boil and simmer, 35-45 minutes for medium beets or 1 to 1 1/2 hours for large ones.
   In the Instant Pot: set the beets on the trivet with 1 cup of water and cook on high pressure, at least 45 minutes for large (3-inch) beets, then quick release.
   To peel: while the beets are still hot, run them under cold water and the skins slide right off.
   Let them cool completely before grating.

2. Grate the beets - grate the beets on the star side of a box grater into a bowl. Don’t use a food processor - it turns the beets into liquid.

3. Squeeze out the juice - squeeze the grated beets in cheesecloth or press them in a fine-mesh sieve until they stop dripping. You should have about 1 cup (236 g). This keeps the relish thick instead of watery.

4. Peel and grate the horseradish - peel 2-3 oz fresh horseradish root and grate it on the star side of a box grater, or in a food processor until super fine. The fumes burn your eyes, so open a window. Grate it right after squeezing the beets so it keeps its heat. (Note 2)

5. Add the horseradish - stir in 2-3 oz fresh horseradish root, starting at the low end. Taste and add more a little at a time until it’s a little hotter than you like - it mellows within an hour and even more by the next day.

6. Season - add 2 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup white vinegar. Stir until the color is even.

7. Rest and taste - let it sit 5 minutes, then adjust the sugar, salt or horseradish.

8. Chill - spoon it into a clean jar, cover and refrigerate overnight before serving. (Note 4)

Recipe Notes

1. Note 1 - Beets: Roasting gives the sweetest, driest beets. Cook them up to 3 days ahead and keep them in the fridge.
2. Note 2 - Fresh horseradish: It’s very strong, so grate it by an open window or under the range hood. A freshly dug root is much spicier than one that’s been in the fridge for a month. Make it a bit spicier than you want - it mellows within an hour and even more overnight. Vinegar stops it from getting hotter, so add the vinegar sooner for a milder relish.
3. Note 3 - Shortcut: Use the canned beets and extra-hot prepared horseradish from the shortcut list in place of the fresh beets and root. Grate and squeeze the beets the same way, to about 1 cup (236 g). Keep the vinegar, sugar and salt the same. A freshly opened jar is hottest; the longer a jar sits on the shelf, the more heat it loses, so taste and add more.
4. Note 4 - Storage: Keeps up to 1 month in the fridge in a sealed jar - the horseradish and vinegar preserve it. Use clean tools so nothing but the beets and horseradish touches it, and serve with a clean spoon. It isn’t tested for canning, and freezing kills the heat.
5. Note 5 - The formula: For every 1 cup of grated, squeezed beets: 1/4 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup sugar, 2 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/3 to 1/2 cup extra-hot creamed horseradish (or 2-3 oz fresh root). Double it for 2 cups, and so on.

Nutrition Facts

Beet Horseradish (Cwikla) (Video)

Amount Per Serving (2 Tbsp)

Calories 21

% Daily Value*

Sodium 300mg13%

Potassium 56mg2%

Carbohydrates 5g2%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 5g6%

Vitamin A 4IU0%

Vitamin C 2mg2%

Calcium 4mg0%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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