Pink Horseradish (Chrein/Chrain)

A fiery, flavorful condiment with a pop of pink! This bold and vibrant pink horseradish (chrein/chbrain) is perfect for adding heat and a bit of sweetness to any meal. Made with fresh beets and horseradish root, it’s tangy, pungent, and super easy to prepare. With a food processor shortcut, you’ll have it ready in minutes—no grating required.

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Recipe

Servings: 10

Calories per serving: 18

Total Time: 15 minutes

Pink Horseradish (Chrein/Chrain)

Ingredients:

• 200g fresh horseradish root, peeled and chopped

• 220g raw beets, peeled and chopped

• 1 tsp salt

• 2 tsp sugar (adjust to taste)

• 4 tbsp apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar)

• 1–2 tbsp cold water (optional, for texture)

Instructions:

1. Prep: Peel and roughly chop the horseradish and beets.

2. Process: Add horseradish, beets, salt, sugar, and vinegar to a food processor. Pulse until finely ground or your desired texture is reached.

3. Adjust: If too thick, add 1–2 tbsp cold water for a smoother consistency. Taste and tweak vinegar or sugar as needed.

4. Rest: Let it sit for at least 15 minutes before serving, or refrigerate overnight for deeper flavor and color.

Nutritional Value (per serving):

• Calories: 18

• Carbohydrates: 4g

  • Fiber: 1g

  • Sugars: 2g

• Protein: 0g

• Fat: 0g

  • Saturated Fat: 0g

  • Trans Fat: 0g

• Cholesterol: 0mg

• Sodium: 235mg

• Potassium: 114mg

• Vitamin A: 0%

• Vitamin C: 4%

• Calcium: 1%

• Iron: 2%

• Magnesium: 1%

Storage Instructions:

Store in a sealed glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Stir before serving. The flavor intensifies over time.

Bonus- Plant horseradish

Bonus- Plant horseradish

Ingredients

Process

Process

Process

Process

Rest

Enjoy

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Prompt

I got myself a Ninja food processor after my old one started smelling a bit like burnt plastic. I had to try it! I also got horseradish root which I wanted to use before it passes away. So I asked ChatGPT to help me recreate a childhood flavor (Pink Horseradish (Chrein/Chrain)):

I want to make the pink traditional passover horseradish. I have beets and horseradish root. Also wondering if I can take a piece and plant so that I have more in the future

It provided a recipe:

Perfect—you're all set to make traditional pink Passover horseradish! Here’s a classic recipe using fresh beets and horseradish root, plus info on planting for the future.

Traditional Pink Horseradish (Chrein) for Passover

Ingredients:

• 1 medium beet, peeled and cooked (boiled or roasted)

• 1 cup freshly grated horseradish root (peeled first)

• 2–4 tablespoons white vinegar (adjust to taste)

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1–2 teaspoons sugar (optional, to balance heat)

Instructions:

1. Prepare the beet: Cook the beet until soft, then peel (if not already), and grate or finely chop it.

2. Grate horseradish: Peel the horseradish root and grate it in a well-ventilated area—the fumes are strong!

3. Mix it up: Combine grated beet and horseradish in a bowl.

4. Season: Add vinegar, salt, and sugar if using. Stir well and taste. Add more vinegar if you'd like it sharper or more sugar to mellow the heat.

5. Let it sit: Transfer to a jar and refrigerate for at least a few hours (or overnight) to let flavors meld.

Can You Plant Horseradish?

Yes! Horseradish is actually really easy to grow.

• Look for a piece with a bud or “eye”—usually near the top of the root.

• Cut a 2–3 inch section with some taper, ideally from the thinner end.

• Let it dry for a day or so (optional, helps prevent rot), then plant at a 45° angle, about 2 inches deep with the top just below the soil surface.

• It prefers full sun and well-draining soil. It will grow vigorously once it gets going.

Note: It can spread like crazy, so plant it in a container or an area where it’s okay to let it take over.

Want a printable or blog-ready version of the recipe?

Since I wanted this to taste exactly like my childhood memory, I googled recipes in Hebrew and found a few with higher rating. So I asked for similar ingredients and portions:

Portions I saw are as follows: שורש חזרת - 200 גרם סלק - 2 מלח - 1 כפית סוכר - 2 כפיות סוכר חומץ - 4 כפות

Also raw beets, grated. And I will use food processor instead of grating horseradish and beets to make my life easier.

It gave me a new recipe:

Perfect—those proportions sound great, and yes, using a food processor is totally legit and saves your eyes and hands from a horseradish assault. Based on what you shared, here’s the streamlined version using raw beets and your food processor:

Pink Horseradish for Passover (Chrein)

Traditional style, made easy

Ingredients:

• 200g fresh horseradish root, peeled and chopped

• 2 medium raw beets, peeled and chopped

• 1 tsp salt

• 2 tsp sugar

• 4 tbsp white vinegar (or adjust to taste)

Instructions:

1. Prep the roots: Peel and roughly chop the horseradish and beets.

2. Process: Add everything to a food processor and pulse until finely ground (or smoother, depending on your texture preference).

3. Taste & adjust: You can add more vinegar for sharpness or a touch more sugar if it's too fiery.

4. Jar it: Spoon into a clean jar, press down to remove air pockets, and refrigerate. It’ll deepen in color and flavor after a few hours.

Notes:

• This keeps well in the fridge for a couple of weeks.

• If it gets watery, just stir it before serving.

• The beets give that classic rosy color and mild sweetness, while the horseradish brings the kick.

Want me to format this for your blog, or just post-ready for X with a link-in-comments note?

Since I had small beets, I wanted the quantities in weight for more accuracy:

Can the beets quantities be in weight?

It gave me the update:

Yes, definitely—using weight is more precise and helpful, especially when beets vary so much in size.

If the original recipe says “2 beets”, a typical medium raw beet weighs about 100–130g each, so a good range for 2 beets would be 200–260g.

To keep it in line with the 200g horseradish, you can go with:

Beets (raw, peeled): 220g

That gives a balanced color and mild sweetness without overpowering the horseradish kick.

Let me know if you want this rephrased cleanly for posting or blogging.

I then decided, why not grow horseradish myself? I asked:

The horseradish root I bought has no top and bottom those were chopped, but has a few eyes on the side. Is it like potato? Can I plant that?

It gave me planting instructions:

Yes—you're on the right track! Horseradish is a bit like a potato in that you can plant it from a section with eyes, even if the top and bottom were chopped off.

Here’s what to do:

How to Plant Horseradish from a Root with Side Eyes

• Choose a piece of root that has at least one or two eyes (little bumps or buds).

• Cut a 2–3 inch section that includes the eyes. If possible, pick a piece that's slightly tapered—it helps guide the growth direction, but it's not essential.

• Let it dry for a day (optional, but helps prevent rot).

• Plant it at a 45° angle, about 2 inches deep, with the eyes facing slightly upward.

• Water well and give it full sun.

• Be patient—it takes time, but once it’s established, horseradish is super hardy and often comes back year after year.

Just be aware: once it takes, horseradish can be invasive if not contained. A deep container or a dedicated garden corner is a good idea.

Want to turn this into a garden tip post or side note for your readers?

Back to recipe, I didn't have white vinegar:

Can I use apple cider vinegar for the chrein

It said yes:

Yes, you can absolutely use apple cider vinegar for the chrein!

It’ll give a slightly fruitier and mellower tang compared to white vinegar, which some people actually prefer. It might slightly deepen the pink color too.

Just make sure it's plain apple cider vinegar (not sweetened or flavored), and adjust to taste. You may want to start with 3 tablespoons instead of 4, then add more if needed—it can be a little softer than white vinegar in sharpness.

Would you like me to update the recipe version to reflect that option?

As I was making, it felt a little dry:

I feel it needs more liquid.

It gave me a few suggestions:

Totally normal—raw beets and horseradish can soak up more liquid than you'd expect, especially if you like your chrein a bit smoother or juicier.

Here’s what you can do:

If It Feels Too Dry:

• Add 1–2 more tablespoons of vinegar, or even a splash of cold water if you don’t want it sharper.

• Taste as you go—you can balance with an extra pinch of sugar or salt if the vinegar starts to dominate.

• Let it sit for 10–15 minutes—sometimes the beets release a bit more moisture once it's resting.

You could also add a tablespoon of beet juice or cooking water (if you happened to boil any beets) for a nice color and flavor boost.

Would you like me to reformat the recipe now with all the adjustments you've made?

Then I started feeling creative, so I asked:

Will balsamic vinegar work

And ChatGPT kinda said no:

Balsamic vinegar can work, but it will change the character of the chrein quite a bit:

Pros:

• Adds a rich, slightly sweet and complex flavor.

• Deepens the color (might turn it more reddish-purple than pink).

Cons:

• The sweetness and dark color can overpower the beets and mute the horseradish punch.

• It won’t have the sharpness and brightness that white or apple cider vinegar bring, which is part of traditional chrein’s kick.

Verdict:

If you love balsamic, try it in a small test batch first—maybe sub in just 1 tablespoon balsamic and the rest apple cider or white vinegar, so it enhances without dominating.

Want me to add that as an optional variation in the recipe write-up?

Scroll to the top or click below to get to the final recipe.

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