They Turn Horseradish Roots Into Profits

2022 - Volume #46, Issue #1, Page #07

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In 1980, Katie Stoltzfus sold her first horseradish made with a hand grinder using horseradish that grew on her and husband Sam’s Pennsylvania farm.
  “One thing led to another, then we added labels and got more efficient,” Sam recalls. “Then we sold big roots and made money and had lots of fun.”
  With its big leaves nearly 4-ft. tall, neighbors thought the horseradish plants looked like tobacco plants. But Sam notes horseradish is a lot healthier and more lucrative. Until 2010, the couple grew their own horseradish and sold the biggest roots with attached greens to clients in New York. They ground up the smaller roots and sold the prepared horseradish in jars. When their children left home, the couple quit growing it and started buying 1,000 lbs. (annually) of horseradish roots from an Ill. farmer.
  The roots are stored in a cooler and processed in batches. Sam cleans the roots in a barrel with pressure washer jets, and he cuts out black spots by hand. Then he grinds the roots with a heavy-duty grinder that runs on diesel. The ground horseradish falls into a plastic-lined bucket with a gallon of vinegar. Anyone who has ground horseradish knows that the fumes can be noxious, but Sam says the vinegar, fans and a shield on the bucket help keep them manageable.
  When the bucket is about 3/4 full, he adds more vinegar, seals it with a lid and returns it to the cooler. Sam can process about eight 5-gal. buckets of roots in an hour.
  From there Katie bottles the ground horseradish according to customer orders. Some want it with distilled vinegar, others with apple cider vinegar and a little salt and sugar. She adds red beets to some and mustard to others. She also has a “super tonic” recipe.
  “We ship all over,” Sam says. Pints sell for $4.50 and quarts sell for $7.50, plus $15 for shipping.
  Sam says he and Katie are blessed to make a healthy product that is high in Vitamin C and known to have many nutritional benefits.
  Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Irishtown Shop, Samuel Stoltzfus, 3184A Mill Lane, Gordonville, Penn. 17529 (ph 717-687-8194).

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They Turn Horseradish Roots Into Profits FARM HOME Food In 1980 Katie Stoltzfus sold her first horseradish made with a hand grinder using horseradish that grew on her and husband Sam’s Pennsylvania farm “One thing led to another then we added labels and got more efficient ” Sam recalls “Then we sold big roots and made money and had lots of fun ” With its big leaves nearly 4-ft tall neighbors thought the horseradish plants looked like tobacco plants But Sam notes horseradish is a lot healthier and more lucrative Until 2010 the couple grew their own horseradish and sold the biggest roots with attached greens to clients in New York They ground up the smaller roots and sold the prepared horseradish in jars When their children left home the couple quit growing it and started buying 1 000 lbs annually of horseradish roots from an Ill farmer The roots are stored in a cooler and processed in batches Sam cleans the roots in a barrel with pressure washer jets and he cuts out black spots by hand Then he grinds the roots with a heavy-duty grinder that runs on diesel The ground horseradish falls into a plastic-lined bucket with a gallon of vinegar Anyone who has ground horseradish knows that the fumes can be noxious but Sam says the vinegar fans and a shield on the bucket help keep them manageable When the bucket is about 3/4 full he adds more vinegar seals it with a lid and returns it to the cooler Sam can process about eight 5-gal buckets of roots in an hour From there Katie bottles the ground horseradish according to customer orders Some want it with distilled vinegar others with apple cider vinegar and a little salt and sugar She adds red beets to some and mustard to others She also has a “super tonic” recipe “We ship all over ” Sam says Pints sell for $4 50 and quarts sell for $7 50 plus $15 for shipping Sam says he and Katie are blessed to make a healthy product that is high in Vitamin C and known to have many nutritional benefits Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Irishtown Shop Samuel Stoltzfus 3184A Mill Lane Gordonville Penn 17529 ph 717-687-8194

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