- 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 white vinegar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 tsp kosher salt Morton; use a little less if using table salt
- 30 oz 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
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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. -
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.
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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.
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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)
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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.
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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.
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Rest and taste - let it sit 5 minutes, then adjust the sugar, salt or horseradish.
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Chill - spoon it into a clean jar, cover and refrigerate overnight before serving. (Note 4)
Recipe Video
- Note 1 - Beets: Roasting gives the sweetest, driest beets. Cook them up to 3 days ahead and keep them in the fridge.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.