This is the journal of my endeavours to grow a range of fruit, veg and flowers from seed, grow organically, and my attempts to create a personal paradise with 1/2 acre of maintained gardens and 1/2 acre wild meadows. Northern Ireland's average daily high temperatures are 18 °C (64 °F) in July and 6 °C (43 °F) in January. Soil type: Clay

Friday 29 April 2011

What do Radishes taste like?

Experimenting... back in Oct I put some radish seeds in a wheelbarrow I use as a mini raised bed, using plastic bottles cut in half to protect the plants from the cold. Three of the radishes survived our harsh winter. I remember Holly saying on her blog that she popped a radish straight into her mouth from the garden....

Well, I went inside, washed the radish, took a big bite.... yuck (hot, burning flavour)... come to think of it, this may be the first time I've eaten a radish. Ever see a child eat a black sweet (candy) & then try to get it out of its mouth. That was me! 
However, I've decided to grow radishes this year and I'm gonna like / eat them! Suppose I can grate them into salad.
 
Radish experiment - growing from Oct 2010 until April 2011.
One radish harvest.
The other two radishes that survived the winter, when I pulled up the green leaves that looked healthy (pictured), there was not a radish in sight.

Radish planting back to normal, seeds sowed outside April 2011.

10 comments:

  1. Kelli, I'm going to be posting about Radishes tomorrow... Your over-wintered ones have bolted I think. When they do this they become tough and bitter. In fact there normally will be no real "bulb" at all, just a woody stem. In my humble opinion, radishes that have taken months to grow are probably fated to be under-par. I think they need to be grown quickly. This way they will be juicy and tangy, a little peppery but almost sweet too. Don't give up; have another go. Now is an ideal time for sowing them.

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  2. Last year my radishes didn't grow - I planted them too late, I think. This year I planted a few different heirlooms, and I could really tell a difference in their tastes. It's hot now, so they've gone to seed. But they were good while they lasted - not hot, just juicy and sweet. Better luck next year!

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  3. Older radishes do get bitter and hot, but eat them as they appear and Yum, they are delicious in salads!

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  4. Young radishes, grown fast, are a treat to eat. When they get a little bigger, I like to slice them thinly and toss them through a salad. The look like jewels, all white and crispy with a red margin. Pretty, tasty and crunchy.

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  5. I have to agree with what everyone has said. They are very good when not grown over the winter. Try spring radishes. They're so good!

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  6. I was going to ask the same thing but I googled it and found this page
    http://www.gardenersnet.com/vegetable/radish.htm
    seems easy.

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  7. Radish if grown too long will be very hot. Hope your spring grown radish will grow much quicker and taste yummy.

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  8. Hi Kelli, I am trying radishes for the first time this year. I sowed them last weekend, so hoping for a late spring/early summer harvest. Good grief I hope the last of our frosts are done! Good for you for trying a bite of your winter sown radish..I mean, if you don't try you don't know..right? :)

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  9. Nice post Kelli. Radishes prove that when something is eay to grow there's got to be a catch! I think if you cook them it diminishes the heat, but then I don't have any recipes to recommend. And just in case you think I am immune I seem to have accumulated at least four ackets of different radish seed. The one I am hopeful of finding recipes for is Mooli (Daikon radish) As I haven't even sown them yet, don't hold your breath!

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  10. Good helpful comments everyone - thanks very much! I've learned alot about radishes & will keep at it!

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