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Overcast Horseradish: a German tradition
More than 50 people attended a horseradish demonstration on April 9, at 10 a.m., at the Franklin Square Museum in Franklin Square. The event was hosted by the Fosters Meadow Heritage Center and sponsored by the Franklin Square Historical Society. Attendees were shown how horseradish used to be made by the German families of Fosters Meadow — a Long Island pastureland and farming community settled by a German population in the mid-1800s, which is now home to parts of Elmont, Rosedale, Valley Stream, Laurelton, Springfield, Franklin Square, West Hempstead and Jamaica.
Anthony Schmitt, an Elmont resident, led the demonstration, which was established by Raymond Hoeffner, a descendant of Fosters Meadow and Heritage Center Committee member. “We thought it would give us all the opportunity to meet again, make more family connections, and share stories in a less formal way,” Hoeffner said. “And the bonus was we got to make horseradish.” The horseradish was donated by the Rottkamp Brothers farm, in Upper Brookvile, and the Philip Schmitt Farm in Riverhead.
When Fosters Meadow residents made horseradish, they did so on dirt floors in their barns, and with no electricity, Hoeffner said, so Schmitt’s demonstration was executed in the same way. Hand grinders and potato peelers were used to peel the horseradishes. Attendees were asked to bring their own three- to five-ounce jars, washed and cleaned, since running water was another amenity that couldn’t be used during the demonstration.
Helene Christ, one of the Forsters Meadow Heritage Center’s founders, along with her husband, George, celebrated her 90th birthday on Saturday, during the horseradish event. Following the demonstration, Dr. Paul van Wie, director of the Franklin Square Historical Museum, gave the group a tour of the Franklin Square Historical Museum.
Make your own
horseradish:
n 4 cups of chopped/grated horseradish
n 3/4 cups of sugar
n 1/3 cup of evaporated milk
n 1 1/3 cups of vinegar
n Mix it all together
Recipe courtesy Anthony Schmitt’s family
