What To Do with Radishes

I always grow too much radish. And plant it in a hurry, under the weight of all the other things that I have to get done once planting season comes around. I promise myself that every year will be different, but goodness do I have a ways to go. We end up tackling fencing and pig rotation when we’re in the middle of setting up new beds and the greenhouse, which generally leads to chaos, never mind a loose pig or two.

Of course, it isn’t a surprise that I haven’t yet mastered the perfect radish–like peppers, I tend to encounter a few challenges along the way. They bolt before I get a chance to get my irrigation in—or I forget to thin them. By the time I get around to dealing with radishes, I’m usually munching on the snap peas that I’ve planted in the next row. Growing vegetables is like this—it’s challenging, especially if you’ve opted to use organic seeds. Every year I learn a little more—there’s no better teacher than getting your hands dirty.

So when I do grow a good radish, I make it count. Sure, I slice them into a salad or drench them in a solid french onion dip. But if you’re looking for some other ways to preserve radishes, consider these options:

1. Freezing your radishes: While the quality isn’t comparable to a fresh radish, you can freeze your radishes. They need to be sliced and then blanched prior to freezing, of course. Using parchment paper, line them up on a pan and freeze them separately before storing—they last about 2-4 months in the freezer. Note: Thaw them in the fridge, not at room temperature.

2. Pickling: Pickling radishes is a lot of fun, but it is important to note that the shelf life for radishes is about 2-4 months, unlike other preserves. You can pickle the radishes as well as the radish’s seed pods, which is especially handy if you’ve forgotten about your radishes in the garden (like me!) and let them go to seed. See my video and post about pickling here.

3. Roasting: One of my favourite things to do with radishes is to roast them. A little olive oil, with a little salt and pepper, tossed and roasted in the oven. Thrown in an arugula salad and you have the makings of a wonderful salad.

4. Seed saving: It is really easy to preserve radish seeds. I do this every year. I cut the radishes down once they develop seed pods. I bunch them together and tie them upside-down in the greenhouse until they dry out. I then clip the seed pods and store them in amber jars until next year (paper bags will also work). Done right, you should never have to purchase radish seeds again!