Go for Variety
You’ll likely find round cherry belles and oblong French breakfast radishes at your supermarket — both taste peppery and piquant, especially in the spring and summer. Sweeter and milder, large, white daikon radishes are also widely available, as are the very pungent and spicy horseradishes.
Less common varieties, such as watermelon or black radishes, may be available at your local farmers’ market.
Shop and Store
Look for bright, smooth, firm radishes without cracks, cuts, or insect damage. If the greens are attached, they should be vibrant and fresh.
Store greens and radishes separately in the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic bags or tea towels. Use the greens within a few days; radishes will keep for up to two weeks.
Think Outside the Salad
Thinly sliced radishes are great additions to salads, but they can do much more. Try cherry belles or French breakfast radishes topped with butter and salt for a simple but tasty snack. Or cube and roast any variety of radish to mellow its spicy flavor.
Extend their shelf life by making quick pickles, adding radish greens to stir-fried or sautéed veggies, or tossing them into a pesto. (Find some simple recipes at “Quick Pickled Veggies” and “Anything Pesto“.)
Grow at Home
Radishes are hardy cool-season vegetables and grow fairly quickly, making them a popular choice for home gardeners. The smaller, early-spring varieties can mature in as little as 25 days, while daikons and other larger winter types need about two months.
This article originally appeared as “Radishes” in the April 2021 issue of Experience Life.
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