Radishes

Radishes are edible root vegetables known for their pungent, peppery flavor (think horseradish). They are from the Brassica family, which means the leaves are also good for eating as a green. They come in a variety of colors, shapes, sizes and flavors—some being much milder than others.

Low in calories and high in nutrition, radishes are packed with fiber and are a good source of vitamin C. They offer a variety of health benefits, soothing sore throats, aiding in digestion, preventing viral infections, and even protecting against cancer.

Storage Tips

Storing Fresh Radishes:

Since radishes store best in the ground, the ideal way to keep them fresh once harvested is to mimic their favorite conditions—cool and damp. Once the leafy tops have been removed and the radishes are rinsed clean, wrap them up in a thin, moistened cloth or paper towel and place them in a plastic bag, leaving the bag slightly open. They will keep this way for 1-2 weeks, but it’s a good idea to check their freshness every few days.

Freezing Radish Greens:

While radish roots do not freeze well, the greens can be frozen. Similar to other greens, radish leaves should first be blanched in boiling water for about 15 seconds and then either placed under cold, running water or plunged into a bowl of ice water to halt further cooking. After patting them dry to remove any additional moisture, they can be frozen.

A helpful freezer tip is to spread the leaves out evenly on baking sheet in a single layer and freeze, uncovered, for 1-2 hours before transferring them to containers or plastic freezer bags for storage. This initial baking sheet step will keep the frozen, leaves separated so that you may remove whatever quantity you need at a time, rather than having to fight with a frozen block of greens every time you want a handful.

Quick Prep Tips

Radishes can be eaten raw or cooked. They are often fermented and pickled to make condiments like kimchi. The leaves can added as greens to soups. If eating raw, they add a wonderful pop of flavor to salads when julienned with a mandoline or sliced into matchsticks. When cooked, their flavor becomes more mellow.

Further Prep Tips

Radish Preparation:

Radishes have a lovely, crisp, crunchy texture. The bigger the radish, though, the less crisp it will be. To increase crispness, soak radishes in ice water for 1-2 hours. Always store radish roots whole and wait to chop them until right before serving.

The more colorful radishes, such as cheriette, French breakfast, or watermelon, are ideally served raw, thinly sliced or cut into matchsticks. They always add a nice burst of both flavor and color to any salad. They can, however, be cooked to mellow that powerful flavor, in which case cheriette radishes can be halved or quartered; watermelon radishes can be diced, and French breakfast radishes can even be left whole.

Larger, long white radishes such as daikon are best suited for stir fries, although they present they are much milder tasting when eaten raw than their previously mentioned cousins. They can be halved and sliced into half-moons or diced.

Radish greens can be combined with other greens in salads or added into soups.