Homemade Horseradish and Beet Sauce Recipe- AKA Khrayn

I have a love for spicy things. Take any bland dish, add some hot sauce or hot peppers or black pepper or red pepper flakes, and you automatically have a dish that is much more pleasing to my palate. I like things hot, but not super hot- my favorite salsa growing up was the mild version, maximum medium. The stuff labeled volcanic- not for me. But a decent amount of spice added as a condiment to a variety of dishes, can only benefit, in my opinion.

I inherited a hunk of horseradish from a friend the other day, and decided to use it to make a delicious beet and horseradish sauce, also known as khreyn (or some variation of that pronunciation) throughout Eastern Europe, a condiment that I love and have bought in the past. It's relatively simple to make, and it lasts a long time in the fridge- months and months- even without any preservatives. While store bought khreyn is made with sugar and vinegar, I make mine with honey and freshly squeezed lemon juice and it tastes great that way. There are spicier and less spicy versions of khreyn- mine is of the mild variety, though if you prefer spicier, just increase the amount of horseradish and you'll be good to go.
I like this condiment on fish and chicken- it's also great on beef. You can put it on veggies or carbs or whatever- it's really terrific everywhere. I especially like it mixed with mayo and spread on bread- delish!

This recipe does make a huge amount- feel free to halve the recipe, or even cut it in thirds if desired.

P.S. Horseradish grows very easily in cooler climates. Growing up in the American Midwest, my mom just stuck a bit of leftover horseradish root in the ground, and it just kept growing year after year after year, and was nearly impossible to kill. If you're a fan of horseradish and have some to spare, just bury a bit in the ground and you'll likely be rewarded with a huge bounty. (Unfortunately it doesn't grow so well in warmer climates like where I currently live or I'd do the same.)

Homemade Horseradish and Beet Sauce Recipe- AKA Khrayn

Ingredients:
1 1/2 extra large beets (mine were the size of a small melon! Use more if your beets are smaller)- 6 1/4 cups chopped
1 chunk horseradish- 1 cup chopped
Juice of 1 1/2 lemons- 1/3+1/4 cup
2/3 cup honey (or replace with sugar or some other sweetener like sucanat or coconut sugar, though you'll likely need 3/4-1 cup if using a different sweetener, since honey is sweeter than most other sweeteners)
1 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions:
1. Peel the horseradish. Chop it up roughly, and measure it out. Put it in the food processor and pulse until it is as small as it can get. It will release mustard oil into the air which will make your eyes tear and might make you cough- that is normal. It passes.

2. Peel, chop, and measure your beets. Add them to the food processor and grind.

3. Add honey, lemon juice, and salt (less than stated at first).

4. Add more honey, lemon juice, and salt as needed.

Enjoy!

Have you ever had horseradish and beet sauce/khreyn before? Homemade, or store bought? What is your favorite thing to eat it with? Do you think you'd ever try making this at home?