Radishes, radishes, everywhere…

It is spring at Singing Whale Farm and our returning CSA members know what that means! It is going to start raining radishes! As farmers we love these guys because they grow fast and you can start them early. But I know I sometimes have trouble using them up before they go bad because there are usually so many!

Radishes are awesome in salads, sandwiches, and roasted. This year I have decided that I need some way to make their shelf-life last a little longer, and find some different ways to use them, so I gave this refrigerator pickle recipe a try. I admit to being very intimidated by the formal canning process so refrigerator pickles seem like an easy (and quick!) way to get my produce prepped!

Sweet and Spicy Pickled Radishes

Now I love, love, LOVE me some tacos, so when I found this recipe from the RebootedMom (https://www.rebootedmom.com/sweet-and-spicy-pickled-radishes/) I knew I would need to try it. They are touted as the perfect topping for any type of taco, and was betting they would be awesome on sandwiches as well!

Start with about a pound of radishes. I had what looked like a standard bunch, but I didn’t weigh them.

After you clean them up, slice them thin and dice up a jalapeno pepper. Next you chop up a bunch of cilantro. The recipe calls for 1/4 cup, but I tend to eyeball my herbs (with admittedly varied results). I was prepared to stick them into one 16oz canning jar. But pretty soon it became clear that I would need 2, even if I packed them tight.

• 

Meanwhile on the stovetop combine I combined vinegar, sugar, and salt. Heat until all the sugar and salt are dissolved completely then let it cool down to room temperature. While I was waiting for things to cool I went out to mow the yard. By the time I was done it was cool.

Next you pack the radishes, diced peppers, and cilantro into your jars! Two 16 oz jars worked out just right. (Note: I didn’t double any of the recipe, I just tried to split things evenly between the two jars!). Then you put in the mustard seeds and the red pepper flakes. Again, eye-balled the red pepper. Luckily that did not come back to bite me!

When the vinegar solution was completely cool I poured it over the top of the radishes. You want to completely cover them, so if you have extra space, you top off the jar with some more vinegar.

I then set them out at room temperature for about 24 hours to really bring those flavors out, and then stuck them in the fridge! Easy peasy! The brine turned a really neat red color.

• 

• 

Best part of this recipe? Took me about 20 minutes of “work” if that. Super easy!

Recipe:

• 1 lb radishes sliced thin
• 1/4 C. cilantro chopped
• 1 ea. jalapeno stem removed, finely diced
• 1 C. vinegar or more as needed
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 Tbsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. red pepper flakes optional
• 1 Tbsp mustard seed

Keeps in the fridge for 7-10 days.

Final result? Tasty! So far I have had them with brats, avocado toast, veggie burgers and quinoa salad and it worked great on all of them! Ironically have not made any tacos this week, but I am betting they will work as described. They have more kick than I was expecting thanks to the pepper, but they mellow out after a few days in the fridge.

I had a lot of fun with this recipe and am looking forward to pickling a lot of stuff this season, so check back for more recipes that will be shared on the blog! Meanwhile if you want to see some other interesting recipes you should head on over to RebootedMom.com (https://www.rebootedmom.com/) for interesting articles on Food, DIY, Gardening and more!