Easy Pickled Radishes Recipe
I love fresh radishes more than almost any vegetable in my garden, and the only thing I love more is a jar of pickled ones. You only need fresh radishes, a Mason jar, and about 45 minutes to make this simple vinegar, salt, and sugar brine that keeps in the fridge for up to a month. They're perfect for topping tacos, adding to salads, or simply enjoying as a crunchy snack.
Ingredients
- 2 bunches of fresh radishes
- 2 cups water
- ¾ cup white distilled vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Optional Ingredients:
- 2 teaspoons onion granules, or ½ fresh diced
- 2 teaspoons garlic granules, or 3 minced fresh cloves
- 1 teaspoon celery seed
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
Instructions
- Rinse the radishes under cold water to get any dirt off.
- Cut off the root end.
- Slice them thinly on a mandolin or quarter them.
- Add the water, vinegar, salt, and sugar, and the optional pickling ingredients together in a medium-size pot.
- Bring it to a boil and them cool it completely to room temperature, which takes about 30 minutes.
- Once cool, cover the prepared radishes with the pickling liquid in a mason jar. Screw on the lid and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.
Notes
The most important tip I can give you for perfectly crunchy pickled radishes is to let the brine cool completely before pouring it over the radishes. I always wait until it's no longer warm to the touch because hot brine will soften the radishes instead of keeping them crisp. Trust me, you don't want that!
Cut the radish to match the plate it is going on: Thin mandoline slices for tacos, salads, and sandwiches. Quarters for a snack jar or anything that needs to hold up against a warm bowl of rice. Same brine, different cuts, different jars.
Boil the brine for a full minute: The boil is not about safety. It is about dissolving the salt and sugar completely and letting the peppercorns and celery seed bloom in the hot liquid. A rushed brine leaves grit at the bottom of the jar and a flat aromatic layer through the pickle.
Ignore the rotten-egg smell on day 2. Radishes throw sulfur once they start to pickle, and the first time the lid comes off, the smell is going to seem like something has gone very wrong. Nothing has gone wrong ok? Open the lid over the sink, let the jar breathe for a minute, and the smell blows off. The radishes themselves taste like radishes.
Do the optional aromatics: Onion granules, garlic granules, celery seed, and peppercorns are labeled optional on the recipe card, but every jar I make at home gets all four. They take a plain quick-pickle and make it something savory, seasoned, and worth setting on the table next to a piece of grilled fish or a bowl of rice.
Make-Ahead: You can make these pickled radishes up to 3 days ahead of time.
How to Store: Screw the lid on tight and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks. In addition, you can pickle these and store them on the shelves following my Bread and Butter Pickles Recipe.
How to Freeze: I skip the freezer for pickled radishes.
Nutrition
Calories: 15kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 0.2gFat: 0.1gSaturated Fat: 0.01gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.01gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.03gSodium: 585mgPotassium: 18mgFiber: 0.2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 2IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 9mgIron: 0.2mg