Radish is a he althy vegetable with many uses in the kitchen. With us you will learn everything about harvesting radishes, storing them and preserving them.
Radish (Raphanus sativus var. niger) forms tasty, hot root bodies and can usually be stored well after harvest. We provide important tips for harvesting and storing he althy radishes.
Harvest radishes
The harvest of radishes usually succeeds without any special effort. Here you can read when the best time to harvest is, how to recognize radishes that are ready to harvest and what to do with flowering radishes.
Harvest time and procedure
The harvest time of radishes differs greatly depending on the variety. In our article on radish varieties you can read which radishes are particularly suitable for summer cultivation with a harvest between April and July or winter cultivation with a harvest from September to March in a cold greenhouse. You can tell that radishes are ready for harvest by the size of the plant and the root collar, which usually protrudes above the ground. This should not be torn and at best feel fresh and unwoody. Basically, the younger the radish, the milder, juicier and crispier it tastes. Late harvested radishes are often acrid, woody or furry.
Radishes are harvested by hand - in loose soil, the roots can simply be grabbed by the leaves and pulled out. On heavy soil, a spade is recommended to loosen the soil and harvest unbroken radishes. Immediately after harvesting, the radishes should be washed gently for the peel and processed or stored.
Radish is blooming: What to do?
Radish is a long-day crop. This means: It blooms as soon as the length of the day exceeds a certain number of hours. This is usually the case from July, which is why radishes should be harvested by then. The hardy winter radishes, sown from August, on the other hand, usually only flower in the second year. When the radish is in bloom, it stretches - the beet becomes tough, woody and dry. Flowering radishes are therefore no longer harvested, but the flowers areand young pods edible. Alternatively, you can let the plant bloom and harvest your own radish seeds from the pods in autumn.
Prepare radish
Radish is consumed in comparatively small amounts in our part of the world. The colorful vegetables can be used in many ways.
Can you eat radish raw?
In Europe, radishes are almost exclusively served raw. The often practiced prior s alting pulls out not only water but also some of the stinging sharpness. Incidentally, the leaves can also be prepared like spinach or made into pesto.
Can you cook radish? In addition to radish soup, radish salad, cream radish or classic s alted Bavarian radish, radish can be fried or boiled and served with rice, curry, noodles or meat dishes. In Asia, there are numerous radish recipes with boiled, pickled, fried or sour-fermented radish.
Cutting radish
Particularly in Bavaria, it is customary to cut the radish as an accordion. The root is cut vertically deep and as thinly as possible so that it can be fanned out and s alted at the end - of course without a piece breaking out or being cut off crookedly. An old saying goes that a man may not marry until he can cut the radi properly. Alternatively, the sharp root is first half-scored horizontally from top to bottom at small intervals, then turned and cut at an angle of 45°, also up to half. It is then s alted and served shortly afterwards.
Storing and preserving radishes
Radishes can be stored well if they are quickly cooled down to 0 to 1 °C after harvesting and kept at high relative humidity, ideally more than 97%. As with radish (Raphanus sativus var. sativus), the shelf life increases when the leaves are removed. Radish with leaves can be kept for about three to seven days under the above conditions, until the beets become limp due to water loss. The robust winter radishes, on the other hand, can be kept fresh for up to six months without leaves under optimal storage conditions.
To preserve radishes, you need mason jars and a broth according to your taste. Rice vinegar, sweet and sour with apple cider vinegar, is popularbrine or kimchi stock. Pickled radish, for example, is used in sushi and numerous other Asian dishes.
Are radishes he althy?
Radish is considered an extremely he althy, low-calorie vegetable. Each 100 g of fresh radish contains around 30 mg of vitamin C as well as numerous minerals and sugar compounds. Raw, freshly grated radish stimulates the bile and, thanks to its mustard oils, has an antibiotic and digestive effect. Radi with a hearty meal reduces a feeling of fullness or flatulence and supports fat digestion. In addition, fresh radish can be used to make cough syrup or syrup to soothe a sore throat and cough.
However, not all people tolerate radish. It can also cause nausea, especially if you have a sensitive stomach.
The fodder radish (Raphanus sativus var. oleiformis) is a close relative of the garden radish. We present the deep-rooted green manure plant and its cultivation in the profile.