The History of Huntsinger Farms - Wisconsin Horseradish Grower

  

Founded in 1929 when Ellis Huntsinger started growing horseradish and other vegetable crops on a few acres of land near a fresh water spring south of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Huntsinger Farms now grows corn, soybeans and other forage crops on approximately 5,000 acres of prime Wisconsin farmland.

In the early days, Ellis prepared and bottled the horseradish by hand in an old milk shed behind his house and sold it it locally to help augment his income during Wisconsin’s long cold winter months.

Prepared horseradish is traditionally ground and mixed with vinegar as a natural preservative since the fresh root, once washed and grated, would otherwise soon turn dark and lose its characteristic bite. Refrigeration is also necessary in order to keep prepared horseradish white in color and to retain its sharp flavor.

Ellis Huntsinger discovered that the addition of fresh sweet dairy cream helped further enhance the flavor, heat, and longevity of prepared horseradish. This discovery helped him expand his horseradish sales to markets throughout the United States.

Today, Silver Spring refrigerated horseradish is the number one retail brand in the United States and has also been distributed as far away as Japan, Europe, and Australia.

Currently owned by Ellis Huntsinger’s granddaughter and her two sons, the company has been family owned and operated for over 90 years and through four generations. A talented management team and an exceptional group of employees remain dedicated to providing the service and product quality that have been key to our success.