The little round reddish-pink globes called radish are the most fun seed to sow in your garden for children and adults alike! Depending on the breed, this root vegetable grows very fast! Enjoy radish on a tossed salad, fermented and in Greek-inspired bowls, cook them down like a potato, or stir into a stir fry. There are many ways to enjoy this root vegetable though it’s not the most requested vegetable on your child’s plate. Read on to find out why we love to grow them in our garden.
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Why growing radish is fun
Radish is a very fast growing crop that can be grown in many seasons including pre-last-frost-date spring! An early crop for us impatient gardeners who are ready for fresh, homegrown vegetables earlier in the season.
Children enjoy growing this crop because:
- the seeds are big enough to handle while sowing for most little hands
- the turn over time is just 22 days for some breeds (3 weeks!)
- the seeds germinate fast keeping the attention span of observing children daily
- harvesting radish is fun to gently wiggle by the leaves to loosen the roots
How to actually ENJOY them as food
Radish are traditionally a very earthy, spicy, and “green” tasting food.
Admittedly, this one is an acquired taste! But there are some ways to enjoy radish as the nutrient-dense root vegetable food it is while tasting good too.
Radish tend to lose their earthy, spicy taste when cooked down:
- Roasting with other root vegetables with butter (or oil of choice), salt and pepper, and fresh herbs
- Sautéing in butter, oil, or bacon grease with peppers, onions, garlic, carrots, peas makes a delicious stir fry
- Thinly sliced make a great addition on a fresh tossed salad for crunch if you do like the spicy, raw radish
- Fermented radish and carrots are delectable in a Greek-inspired rice bowl
How can I preserve radish to enjoy later?
The most important part of gardening (in my opinion) is the ability to expand my preservation methods!
… to keep enjoying the harvest long after the growing season is over.
Fresh is best but preserving comes in a very close second place.
- Fermenting radish is a great way to keep these nutrient-dense super foods readily available to eat for many months.
Added bonus: the pre and probiotics found in fermented foods are fantastic for gut-health.
- Pickling radish is also an option you can look into. It is one I have not tried yet but maybe this spring is the time.
- Dehydrating radish is another option for long term storage.
- Freezing radish by washing, slicing, blanching, bagging, then freezing to use later.
These are all commonly used methods for preserving this root vegetable. Pressure canning is not advised.
What breed grows the fastest?
Cherry belle radish are ready to harvest in about 3 weeks.
The icicle breed looks similar to a parsnip but are just really long, like a carrot, and white. The icicle variety tends to be even spicier than cherry belle. Fermenting is a great option for icicle.
Can I eat the radish greens?
Yes! You absolutely can eat the greens too.
The greens are edible both raw and cooked.
Add the greens to:
- tossed salad
- soups like this sausage, kale, and potato soup
- casseroles
- steamed or sautéed as a side dish or creamed like spinach can be
- pesto
- roasted with the bulbs
The green tops are high in magnesium and vitamins C and K, to name only a few of their health benefits.
Because they are a root vegetable, be sure to rinse your vegetables VERY well to get off all the dirt, soil, and grit. Nothing ruins a meal quite like the crunch of dirt.
Are radish a good option for keto diets or low carb diets?
YES! Radish are a great option if on a low carb journey like a ketogenic diet.
Radish have a low net carb content. For every 100 grams of radish, the net carb content is about 1.8 grams. Not too bad if you’re keeping score and tracking macros.
Radish, in summary:
While this root vegetable may not be a super favorite amongst gardeners’ taste preferences, radish do make a great option for early garden goodies and gardening with littles in tow.
Radish can be enjoyed many different ways from cooking to fermenting or eating raw dipped in some RANCH dressing. Even the green tops can be eaten and both bulb and greens offer a ton of nutritional value.
Radish are also good for those on a low carb or ketogenic diet as radish contain a low net carb content.
SHOP THIS POST FOR SEEDS AND MORE
Non-GMO Heirloom Champion Radish by Survival Seeds (a small business)
Organic Cherry Belle Radish Seeds by Back to the Roots
White Icicle Radish Seeds by Gardeners Basics
Lids for short fermentation times (regular mouth)
Lids for short fermentation times (wide mouth)
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