One of my favorite quick pickles, pickled radishes are a cinch to make and add a peppery crunch to sandwiches, salads and more!
Are you a radish fan? I am. I adore the peppery bite and satisfying crunch of a good radish. I have fond memories of evenings with French family when the pre-dinner apéritif was nothing more than a bowl of radishes served with butter and salt. You cut an X in the bottom of the radish and spread on the softened butter. A sprinkle of flaky sea salt and that was it. Slice, spread, sprinkle, crunch. Ambrosia.
Alas, I am the only radish-lover in my family. So when spring arrives and vibrant bunches of radishes begin to appear at the grocery stores and farmers markets, I put one, no two, bunches in my basket only to find a few days later that they are practically untouched. That’s when I turn to my produce-saving solution, quick pickling.
Pickling tames radishes’ bite and gives them a notable funkiness. I love adding pickled radishes to tacos, sandwiches and especially grain bowls. I opt for Asian flavors, like ginger and rice wine vinegar, when making quick pickled radishes. That way, they are perfect for adding a puckery, crunchy element to one of my favorite meals: Asian-inspired brown rice bowls.
Quick pickling takes only a few minutes of your time and is one of the best ways to turn rapidly aging produce into a delicious condiment that will add flavor and interest to your lunches and dinners all week long. So don’t let those radishes languish in the back of the refrigerator – pickle them!
By the way, is there anything dirtier than radishes? Mine always come home from the store or farmers’ market utterly filthy. I soak them in cold water to get rid of the worst of the grit and then rinse and dry them before using.
Ingredients
- 2 bunches radishes, washed well
- 1 1/2 cups rice wine vinegar
- 1-inch piece ginger root, peeled and cut into matchsticks
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 2 dried red chiles
- 2 TB sugar
- 1 TB pickling or sea salt
Instructions
- Trim the bottoms and stems off the radishes and cut each radish into six or eight wedges depending on the size.
- Divide radishes evenly among two clean pint jars. Divide the ginger among the jars and add a dried chile to each jar. Add 1/2 tsp mustard seeds to each jar.
- Combine rice wine vinegar, sugar and salt with 1 1/2 cups water in a small saucepan and heat stirring just until sugar and salt are dissolved.
- Pour brine into jars.
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
