I ended up planting some of these late in the season when I read that radishes were amazing for the garden. I don't like radishes, never have, but I thought I'd give them another try when I read how beneficial they are to a garden. I didn't have any red varieties but I had the Daikon so I decided to throw a few seeds in the ground to act as the perimeter around some lettuce.
A few months later, actually it was late October, I decided to clean out most of the garden. When I pulled these radishes out I was blown away at how big they were! I had to break one of them in half because I wasn't able to pull it out myself. It was probably 6 inches wide and almost 2 feet long. Crazy.
This is the huge one I pulled out in 2 pieces. There's probably still a little bit left in the ground! |
Then I left all the radishes just sitting in my picking bucket for a while, just like any good gardener and canner would do.
This weekend I pulled the last of my carrots except those few I left in the ground for next spring. While leafing through my favorite canning book I came across a recipe called Gingery Quick Pickled Daikon and Carrot. The recipe was fairly simple and something I could pull off quickly and easily- hence the name! I figured the radish would still be usable as it had been outside and it is sort of a root crop, right?
All the daikon I pulled from the garden |
Recipe from the Pickled Pantry by Andrea Chesman (my favorite canning book)
Ginger Quick Pickled Daikon and Carrot
Makes 1 quart
Ingredients
I pound daikon (about 16 inches in length), peeled and cut into matchsticks
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
1 tablespoon pickling or fine sea salt
1 cup distilled white vinegar
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
3 thin slices peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
Instructions
1. Combine the daikon, carrot, and salt in a bowl and mix well. Cover with ice water and let sit for at least 2 hours, or up to 6 hours.
2. Combine the white vinegar, water ,sugar, ginger, and garlic in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove fro the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
3. Drain the vegetables and pack into a clean 1-quart canning jar. Pour the cooled vinegar mixture into the jar to cover the vegetables. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours, and preferably 1 day. The pickles will keep for several weeks.