
Sometimes we like to make hot stuff. Like horseradish and wasabi-style hot stuff. The only problem is that it seems impossible to find organic varieties of either. Instead of continuing on a never ending wild goose chase, we just made our own. Horseradish is useful for creating shrimp cocktail sauce, adding kick to a sandwich, or spicing up scrambled eggs. Bonus: horseradish root is beneficial to both the circulatory and respiratory systems. Are you ready to kick it up a notch?
INGREDIENTS [Yields 2 cups]
2 c. fresh horseradish root peeled and diced
1/3 c. water
4 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 tsp. sea salt
Use a sharp knife or vegetable peeler to remove the tough outer layer from the horseradish root. Take a 6” section of the shaved root and chop it into small chunks.
Add the chunks to the food processor along with the 1/3 c. water and pulse until the horseradish is well-ground and pulpy.
Empty the horseradish into medium bowl and add white wine vinegar and salt. Mix with a spoon to combine. The longer that you wait to add the vinegar, the hotter the horseradish will get. If you prefer it to be milder, immediately add vinegar. Mix it well and allow it to marinate.
Refrigerate in an air-tight jar. It stays fresh for up to 6 weeks. Warning: it gets increasingly hotter as time passes.
PrintHomemade Horseradish

Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 15 mins
- Yield: 2 1x
Ingredients
- 2 c. fresh horseradish root (brown outer skin removed & cut into small chunks)
- 1/3 c. water
- 4 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp. sea salt
Instructions
- Add horseradish and water to food processor.
- Pulse until well minced.
- Transfer the horseradish to a medium size bowl and add the white wine vinegar and sea salt.
- Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks.
Notes
Note: Waiting to add the vinegar makes the horseradish hotter. If you would like a more mild horseradish, add the vinegar immediately.
Note: Be careful when touching the horseradish root. Do not touch your eyes or breathe in the air when food processing.
Nutrition
- Calories: 241
- Sugar: 38g
- Sodium: 3869mg
- Fat: 3g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 54g
- Fiber: 16g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
sue
January 5, 2021i am going to try this out!
Bev
March 22, 2019Trying this recipe for the 1st time sounds good fresh horse radish saved my fatherinlaws life once .when he was told to take when he was very sick coming down very sick so iam trying this one for the 1st time is better then the brought stuff in the chops these days
★★★★
thefitchen
April 2, 2019Awesome! I hope you enjoy! Horseradish can work magic lol.
Bev
March 22, 2019Trying this recipe for the 1st time sounds good fresh horse radish saved my fatherinlaws life once .when he was told to take when he was very sick coming down very sick so iam try this one frsh is better then the brought stuff in the chops these days
★★★★
Cynthia
February 4, 2019Great I’m going to the store and get my ingredients. Last time I went they only had sauce so I went home without any. I’ll let you know how it turns out. My brother said he can never find any hot enough so I also sent it to him. Thanks for the recipe.
thefitchen
February 5, 2019This is definitely hotter than store-bought! Actual horseradish root can be difficult to find, but most Asian markets stock it, as well as Whole Foods, Fresh Thyme, etc.
Leigh
December 31, 2018I think our horseradish root was defective, ours is mild at best. Bummer.
I would recommend making this before you need it and or maybe add vinegar slowly or none at all. And note to self … I should have bought some as a back up.
Sorry…
For us maybe next time no vinegar – however if we do not add vinegar will it turn brown?
Ugg. I wonder if horseradish is the same as Chile peppers… some are hotter that others?
thefitchen
January 3, 2019I’m sorry your horseradish didn’t turn out as hot as you wanted! This recipe usually creates some potent stuff. If the horseradish is exposed to air for too long, it can lose it’s heat quickly. But I would also assume that some horseradish is hotter than others, just like chiles.
Maggie Calmels
January 11, 2019no, i think ,I think it depends how fresh it is,today i bought \some , lets c what happen
Jerome Fritz
April 10, 2019Loved tip about waiting to add vinegar!
★★★★★
thefitchen
April 11, 2019Glad it helped! :)
Todd Ericson
December 31, 2018Just made some of this horseradish. It is by far the best horseradish I have ever had but warning very hot yummy yummy.
★★★★★
thefitchen
January 3, 2019Yes, it’s very hot! Glad you enjoyed. :)
Deborah
October 4, 2018Hello. Could you use apple cider vinegar in place of the white wine vinegar?
thefitchen
October 6, 2018I’ve never tried using ACV in place of white wine vinegar but I would assume it would work just fine.
Sam
July 16, 2018I loved your pictures, really helped me with following your recipe correctly! Thanks for sharing!
thefitchen
July 18, 2018Yay! I’m glad to hear that!
Kieran
April 1, 2018Love this recipe. As a person with a corn allergy, I can’t use any of the pre-made versions as they all use distilled white vinegar which is corny. Thanks for sharing.
★★★★★
thefitchen
April 2, 2018Ahhh yay! I’m so glad you found an alternative that works for you.
Erica
February 3, 2019Distilled white vinegar is derived from corn ??
thefitchen
February 4, 2019Yes, it is. That’s just the process for making horseradish. I haven’t found any other way to make it work.
Anne
March 31, 2018We add the vinegar as we process the root. If it were any hotter it would melt the plastic container.
I don’t think waiting to add it would make any difference.
Jeff
December 11, 2016When it reads, wait longer………..how long? Hour, overnight, etc
thefitchen
December 12, 2016Hi Jeff – You could add the vinegar immediately or wait 15 minutes to an hour to add it.
Oliver Bierhoff
September 26, 2016Wow cuz this is really excellentexcellent job! Congrats and keep it up
Leora
April 16, 2015Hi! can’t wait to make some! Question…I can’t have vinegar of any kind. Do you have an idea for a sub? Lemon juice? thanks :)
thefitchen
April 20, 2015Hi Leora –
Unfortunately, I don’t think lemon juice would work the same in this recipe. The vinegar is important in the process and lemon would create a different end result. :/ You could try it and see how it turns out, but it will probably be a little different!
Kitty
February 24, 2015The text under the photos contradicts the text in the recipe instructions. One says the horseradish will be hotter if you wait before adding the vinegar, and the other says it will be hotter if you add the vinegar right away. Would you please confirm which is correct? :-)
thefitchen
February 25, 2015Hi Kitty –
Thanks for pointing that out, our mistake! The longer you wait to add vinegar, the hotter the horseradish will get. The recipe has been corrected. Thanks again!
Thom Foote
October 31, 2014You forgot to warn people NOT to take a big whiff of it while they are preparing it. Also, I was under the impression that you waited long to add the vinegar if you wanted hotter sauce. I’ll follow your directions though.
★★★★
Eileen @ Phoenix Helix
December 5, 2013This recipe looks delicious AND it fits the paleo autoimmune protocol. So, thank you! I just started a weekly Paleo AIP Recipe Roundtable through my blog, and I would love it if you linked up this recipe. I’m trying to expand resources for the AIP community. Here’s the link: http://www.phoenixhelix.com/2013/12/04/paleo-aip-recipe-roundtable-5/
thefitchen
December 5, 2013Eileen, thank you for getting in touch with us! We love your website and what you’re doing. Two thumbs up from us :). I just submitted our link for the horseradish. We’ll make sure to submit any recipe that fits your guidelines when they come up. Thanks again!