[Jeffrey] Horseradish grew wild outside of the cities in eastern Europe, and foragers would gather their own. The root thrives in cool soil, which is why its harvest schedule of early spring and fall lines up with prime gefilte fish holidays (Passover and Rosh Hashanah). There’s a wider culinary wisdom to it, however, similar to the Japanese practice of eating wasabi with sushi. Wasabi and horseradish root both contain antimicrobial properties that kill off any bad bacteria. When grating or processing horseradish, you should know that the fumes released when the skin is pierced are, well, intense, to say the least. The gas released by horseradish is actually the same used to make mustard gas. Making horseradish in small quantities doesn’t need to be this dramatic. Just make sure to keep your windows open, and when first opening the food processor, definitely look away. Feel free to play with the ratio of beets to horseradish for a milder or spicier final product. Godspeed.

Serving Size

Makes About 1 Quart Relish

Ingredients

• 12 ounces beets (about 4 small to medium beets), scrubbed well

• ½ pound coarsely chopped peeled horseradish root

• ¼ cup sugar

• ¼ cup distilled white vinegar

• 1 cup cold water

• 3½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

1.Place the beets in a small saucepan and add water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for about 10 minutes, until the beets are fork-tender. Drain, then place in a bowl of ice and water. When cool enough to handle, peel and quarter the beets and transfer them to a food processor along with the horseradish pieces.

2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the sugar, vinegar, and cold water and bring to a slow boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar, for 3 minutes, then remove from the heat.

3. Add the lemon juice and salt to the food processor. With the motor running, slowly pour in the vinegar-sugar mixture. You do not want the relish to be soupy, so add the liquid a bit at a time and stop at the point when the beets and horseradish are fully coated, shiny, and moist. You may need to stop and stir a few times to ensure that the horseradish is fully ground. Run the processor until the horseradish and beets are evenly ground and as fine as your processor can get them.

4. Transfer the relish to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving with gefilte fish. Horseradish relish will keep in the refrigerator for about 3 months.

Excerpted from the book THE GEFILTE MANIFESTO by Jeffrey Yoskowitz & Liz Alpern. Copyright © 2016 by Gefilte Manifesto LLC. Reprinted with permission from Flatiron Books. All rights reserved. Photography by Lauren Volo.