TheKitchenSinkRecipes.comfar beyond the cucumber

far beyond the cucumber

April 21 2011 by Kristin at The Kitchen Sink in Miscellaneous,Recipe,Side,snack » 17 comments

I’m sure there’s some way to spin these radishes—quick pickled in a brine that’s equal parts sweet, sour, spicy and salt—as Passover- or Easter-friendly. Nary a speck of leavened bread! A lovely addition to your seder, tucked up against a piece of gefilte fish! A punchy addition to your otherwise ham-and-scalloped-potatoes laden Easter spread! A pre-Easter lunch bite with a hue to match the eggs hidden around the yard!

But, really, I was just in the mood to make pickles. And that’s the only story I’ve got for these radishes, so I suppose I’ll stick to it.

I’ve been a pickle person for as long as I can remember. It started out with the jar of Gedney’s (It’s the Minnesota pickle!) that could always be found in the refrigerator door—as a kid, I loved to spear a cold wedge and crunch my way through it. My tastes matured to Claussens at some point during my teens. Then, there was vinegar. Balsamic, cider, champagne and—ohhh—sherry. When I started to cook, I couldn’t get enough. I remember paying too much for a wee bottle of sherry vinegar, complete with a cork stopper, after I moved into my first post-college apartment in DC. I didn’t have a dishwasher and my mini-stove had only two burners, but—by god—I had that sherry vinegar.

Then came the pickled produce that ranged far beyond the cucumber. Onions. Cherries. Carrots. Cauliflower. The possibilities, clearly, were endless. But, the radish option didn’t hit me until Sunday, when the urge to quick pickle struck (don’t pretend like it hasn’t happened to you!). The sunny day, the April dateline, and the bundle of daffodils on the coffee table combined to make radishes a natural choice.

So my radishes was soaked in water, to remove the dirt stubbornly clinging to the bulbs; trimmed of their greens, aside from a tiny sprig that I left intact where possible; and quartered. The resulting wedges filled a little lidded pot. I scattered in some fennel seeds and, if I’d had a a bulb of fennel on hand, I would’ve added some thin slices of the bulb, along with some of the fronds. Alas, my crisper drawer was fennel-free, so I made do with the seeds. Over all this, I poured my favorite quick pickle brine—the mere thought of which makes my lips pucker and my mouth water. That’s the sign of a good pickle. Trust me, I should know.

After a hour in the fridge, these pickles were mine.

Spicy, Quick Pickled Radishes

2 to 3 cups radishes, trimmed, soaked to remove any dirt and quartered
1 teaspoon fennel seeds*
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup cold water
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons sugar
healthy pinch red pepper flakes

Place the quartered radishes in a jar or container with a lid; top with fennel seeds. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, water, salt, sugar and red pepper flakes; stir until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Pour the vinegar mixture over the radishes. Cover the jar or container with its lid and refrigerate for at least an hour and up to one week.

*Unless you’re crazy for fennel seeds, I would suggest scaling the fennel seeds back or omitting them if you plan to let the radishes pickle for a day or more. The seeds impart a nice, subtle hit after a short brine, but they become a little overwhelming after a day or so.

17 comments so far. »
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Rosa says on April 22 2011 at 1:38 am:

A great way of preparing raddishes!

Cheers,

Rosa
Caroline says on April 22 2011 at 5:15 am:

I love pickling things. My favorite right now is red onions. What’s your favorite brand of pickles? There are so many small-run good pickle companies right now!
Ashlae says on April 22 2011 at 5:38 am:

Such beautiful photos! I decided a few days ago that I’m going to start pickling. This post gave me just the push I need to go to the Container Store and get a few jars.
Jacqui says on April 22 2011 at 8:52 am:

Love this idea! Sometimes I never know what to do with radishes besides on salads!
laura @ glutton for nourishment says on April 22 2011 at 9:40 am:

yum! i love radishes and i love pickles, so this is a no-brainer. sounds great.
Sean says on April 22 2011 at 9:50 am:

I’m the founder/moderator for Punk Domestics (www.punkdomestics.com), a community site for those of use obsessed with, er, interested in DIY food. It’s sort of like Tastespotting, but specific to the niche. I’d love for you to submit this to the site. Good stuff!
Molly says on April 22 2011 at 10:21 am:

I am a pickling fiend. In fact, my husband just got me a pickling book for my birthday last week. I also do a pickled radish, Japanese style, with rice vinegar and ginger. This looks tempting for these last few days of Passover — minus the fennel seeds, and I’m good to go. Thanks for the recipe!
Contests, Camps and The Week That Was – April 22, 2011 · Dismount Creative says on April 22 2011 at 4:01 pm:

[...] clear of food-related posts here because it’s way outside my comfort zone, but don’t these pickled radishes look good? Perhaps something to try this [...]
Kasey says on April 22 2011 at 4:44 pm:

I’m a relative newbie to pickling but I’ve been intrigued (been making quick pickles, pickled beets and spicy pickled green beans). Radishes are definitely now being added to my list!
Nicole @ the dirty oven says on April 23 2011 at 8:34 am:

MMMM pickles. I love the idea of the spicy, peppery radishes pickled into lovely goodness.
Thanks for sharing.
Bianca says on April 23 2011 at 2:26 pm:

Delightful! I was just saying to my friend that I want to pickle the hell out of summers bounty! This just made the list!

Happy Easter:)
cathy x. says on April 24 2011 at 4:40 am:

such a great idea! i’m not afraid to sow all those daikon and china rose radish seeds now (was a bit stuck last year when i had a few kilos and no idea what to do with them all) thanks for the recipe!
Maria @ Scandifoodie says on April 25 2011 at 1:56 pm:

I really must get more into pickling. These radishes seem like a perfect way to start!
Barbara says on April 26 2011 at 12:47 pm:

If you’ve seen my post this week, you’ve gotta know I’m making these ASAP!!
Tessa says on April 26 2011 at 2:20 pm:

Wow! These look awesome. I love a pickle – I’ll have to try these soon!
Neil Butterfield says on April 30 2011 at 11:30 pm:

Interesting pickles here. Something worth trying, thanks for sharing.
Caroline says on May 10 2011 at 7:28 pm:

I am on a radish kick! These look awesome!