Pickled Radishes

I was recently faced with a quandary from my garden bed harvest: 

What do you do with a boatload of radishes? 

I turned to my vintage (read: saved from the garage sale pile from my parents' 2012 move) cookbooks for an answer. While the radish jelly in "Joy of Cooking" 1962 version looked tasty (or disgusting) I opted for pickling. Pickles? GOOD. Radishes? GOOD. It's like stepping up to bat and pointing to the left field bleachers. Get ready spectators, you're about to experience a home run.

The recipe couldn't be easier.

Radishes, halved or quartered: stems, leaves and roots removed

5-10 peeled garlic cloves (per quart canning jar)

I tsp ground pepper or whole peppercorns per jar

1tsp sugar per jar

1tsp Kosher salt per jar

2 cups vinegar per jar

Drop quart glass jars and lids into boiling water for 3 minutes to sanitize. For the amount of radishes I harvested, I used 2 quart jars.

Cut stems and roots off your boatload of radishes (I steamed and puréed the leaves for additions to baby food) and half or quarter the radishes.

Add garlic, salt, sugar, pepper to the jar.

I used 5 cloves because its what I had on hand.

Add the radishes to the jar.

I added some pepper on top.

Pour the vinegar over the radishes. Seal the jars and shake until the sugar dissolves.

Put them in the refrigerator for at least a week, shake once a day.

They're tasty and super easy. I've been adding them to salads and I bet they'd be awesome on a sandwich or burger if they were sliced thinly or added to coleslaw for a pickled flavor.

Radishes germinate in 3-5 days and are ready to harvest after 30 days. They'll grow in almost any climate and they need full sun. They are low risk/high reward and will make your neighbors think that you know what you're doing.