Radishes are a springtime favorite. Here’s everything you need to know to make the most of radish season, including what to expect from different varieties, how to select them at the farmers market, and ways to use the bulbous roots as well as the leafy greens—so you don’t waste a bite of these valuable root vegetables.
How to Select and Store Radishes
Classic red radishes are available at supermarkets year-round, but check farmers markets in spring and early summer for a slew of vibrant varieties. Select very firm radishes with bright leaves; skip any with leaves already removed, which makes it trickier to gauge freshness. (If you really prefer bagged radishes that have already been trimmed, give them a gentle squeeze to be sure they are very firm.)
Storage: Remove the leaves and clean the radishes as soon as you get them home. Left attached, the greens will continue to draw moisture from the root. Separated from their greens and stored loosely in a bag, radishes will keep for about a week in the fridge. (Don’t clean the delicate leaves until you’re ready to eat them, which you should do within a day or two of purchase. Keep reading for tips on how to use the greens.)
Radish Varieties
There are dozens of radish varieties. Here are a few favorites to experiment with in the kitchen.
The Watermelon Radish is an heirloom-variety beloved by chefs. It reveals its bold fuchsia flesh when sliced.
How to Use Radish Greens
Like radish roots, radish tops boast plenty of vitamin C and glucosinolates, compounds that may protect against cancer, so don’t toss them. Snip off the greens when you get home, and then either refrigerate or rinse well and prepare as you would kale or chard.
Toss radish greens into veggie-packed pastas and stews, swap them for basil in plant-based pesto, or blend them into smoothies for added nutrients and zing.
Prep Tips
For extra-crisp texture, drop raw radishes in an ice water bath before slicing and serving.
Use a mandoline to shave radishes into super thin rounds, and add them to salads or crudités platters for pretty presentation.
Not into the peppery bite of raw radishes? Try roasting, stir-frying, or sautéing and pureeing into velvety-smooth soups. Cooking radishes tames their heat while retaining some of their trademark crunch.
Do You Need to Peel Radishes?
No, you don’t need to remove the skin from radishes, but always give them a good scrub to remove dirt and any residue.
Easy Quick-Pickled Radishes
Just a handful of quick-pickled radishes will jazz up sandwiches, veggie burgers, tacos, and more. To make this simple yet flavor-packed DIY condiment, just soak radish slices in 1 cup vinegar and ¾ teaspoon sea salt (plus spices, if desired) for 1 hour, then drain.
Radish Recipes
Ready to get cooking? Try one of these fresh and tasty radish recipes from Forks Over Knives!
Radishes are most often served raw, halved and sprinkled with salt, shaved into salads, layered over butter-smeared baguettes, or shredded into slaws. They also can be marinated with olive oil and lemon and mint for a refreshing salad, and they can be pickled with a classic vinegar-sugar-salt mix.
Radishes are most often served raw, halved and sprinkled with salt, shaved into salads, layered over butter-smeared baguettes, or shredded into slaws. They also can be marinated with olive oil and lemon and mint for a refreshing salad, and they can be pickled with a classic vinegar-sugar-salt mix.
Sliced radishes can be subbed for pickles on sandwiches, and thickish slices can be enjoyed with any type of dip. Beautiful watermelon radishes are at their best when thinly sliced with a sharp knife and featured in plated salads.
Sautée: Use in place of other strong greens like Swiss chard or mustard greens, like in this chickpea, pancetta, and shallots dish. With eggs: Or, take those sautéed radish tops and add scrambled eggs, like this scrambled eggs on toast recipe (swap in for the mustard greens).
Today, radishes are used in a variety of Mexican dishes, including salsas, tacos, and enchiladas. They add a crunchy texture and a spicy flavor to these dishes, and they can be eaten raw or cooked.
Winter radishes stay crisp and don't turn woody, even when large. Use them in a similar way to turnips and swedes, in stews, soups and stir-fries. Most have a mild flavour, although some varieties can be hot, so check packets for details. The roots can also be eaten raw, sliced or grated in salads.
Radishes will last two to four days at room temperature, so the counter or pantry is a great option if you plan to consume them quickly. In the fridge, meanwhile, they should stay good for one to two weeks. For long term storage, consider freezing your radishes for up to six months.
They're a quick and easy side dish on their own, but they're also a great addition to stir fries, frittatas, scrambled eggs, rice bowls, quesadillas, tacos, and the Leek and Radish Green Tart on page 181 of Love and Lemons Every Day.
Garden radishes are usually ready for harvest three to five weeks after planting. You can pull them any time they reach a usable size. They will get fibrous and develop a strong taste if left in the ground too long.
Because of the presence of a wide variety of nutrients, radish makes an ideal dish for raw and cooked consumption. Some of the benefits of eating radish include: Improves bowel health: Because radish is rich in fiber, it adds considerable bulk to bowel movements that alleviates constipation symptoms.
To store whole radishes, place them in a sealable plastic bag and put them in the refrigerator. Radishes are high in moisture, so the plastic bag will keep radishes from losing water to the surrounding environment, keeping the humidity high inside the bag, says Bryan Quoc Le, Ph.
If the planting does not get one inch of rain each week, soak the soil thoroughly at least once a week. If your soil is sandy, it is important to water more often than once a week. An inch of water will wet a sandy soil to a depth of ten inches, a heavy clay soil to six inches.
Seeds germinate best at 55-75ºF and require 5-10 days to emerge. Seeds should be planted ½ inch deep. Maintain a uniform and moist soil surface to ensure good plant stands. Planting and Spacing: Radishes grow best when temperatures do not exceed 80ºF.
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