Radishes are one of those plants recommended to beginner gardeners because they are easy to grow and can be picked in just over a month.
But one thing you learn quickly as a new gardener is not to plant food you don’t like eating.
A lot of people feel that way about radishes. They hate them. Or don’t know what to do with them.
For me, radishes remind me of my dad and the garden. He was an avid gardener, and there was never a time throughout my childhood we were without a garden.
Radishes were one of those things that could be plucked from the garden and popped in your mouth, with a quick wipe on your t-shirt to get any dirt off.
Learning to Love Radishes
When I started to garden, I grabbed as many radish packets as possible and started sowing them in gaps and on the edges of the garden beds. Not because I remembered loving the taste of radishes but because of the memories they evoked.
I have read many comments from first-time gardeners complaining that they had filled their beds with radishes only to find they did not like them.
But being as stubborn as I am, I was not willing to give up on the humble radish so easily.
I had only ever eaten them raw as a kid, and I soon discovered there were more ways to eat radishes, so I gave them a try.
I discovered I like them sliced and added to stir-fries, I am not a huge fan of them roasted, but Dan loves them that way. I like them sliced and added to coleslaw and salads, Dan doesn’t.
But I absolutely love them pickled.
I have always liked pickles. Well, gherkins. I have always liked gherkins.
I ate them on burgers when others picked them off, and we ate them regularly throughout my childhood. We are Dutch, after all, and the things we ate always seemed a little strange to others.
Anyway, this last year I pickled beetroot (ho-hum), fennel (yum), carrots (gross), nasturtium seeds (double gross), pickling cucumbers (double yum), and radishes (OMG, so good!)
I like to add pickles, or fermented sauerkraut if I have it, to heavier style meals mainly consisting of meat and starchier vegetables. The pickles seem to cut through the heaviness.
I have also been known to eat them straight from the jar.
What?
Don’t judge me.
Give Radishes a Go
These Quick Radish Pickles are not processed (water bath canned), so they will only last in the fridge for about a month. Mine never last that long. You can water bath them if you have a lot, and then you can keep them for up to a year. I don’t like the texture, so quick pickling suits me better.
I have found radishes an easy crop to sow in small patches in garden beds between slower-growing crops like carrots and brassicas. These patches are enough to yield a smallish jar full of pickles, and I have become so used to making a quick brine that it takes no time at all.
You can use one variety or a combination. The radishes you see in the photo above are Pink Celebration, Zlata Yellow, and Purple Plum.
I am so pleased I stuck with the radishes and didn’t give up on them. They are such an easy crop to grow, great for my confidence when other things are struggling.
I hope you give them a go too.
Quick Radish Pickles
Ingredients
Method
- Wash jar, sterilise if you prefer
- Slice tops and bottoms off radishes
- Wash radishes well, then slice thinly
- Peel and slice garlic cloves
- Layer radish slices, garlic and dill (if using) in jar, pack down tight
- To make brine, add vinegar, water, sugar, peppercorns and salt to a small saucepan
- Stir over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved
- Pour hot brine over radishes making sure to cover them
- Put on a vinegar proof lid and allow to cool before placing in fridge
- Allow to sit for at least four days for the flavours to infuse