These fermented pickles using radishes are easy to make and will improve any food you serve it with. Full of sweet lemony flavors, pickled radishes are the best pickles to have in the fridge.
Lately, I’m having a bit of a crush on pickles. I eat pickles at least once a day and I simply can’t get enough. I just love how pickled foods improve everything else you serve it with.
This fermented pickled radish recipe could not be easier. You simply slice the radishes in half, wash them, and place them in a jar together with slices of lemon and garlic. It takes only a few minutes to prepare but here’s the hard part: Waiting for them to pickle. But it’s worth it because these easy pickled radishes are absolutely amazing. They add such a beautiful color and flavor to your plate no matter whats it pairs with. (Mmm … maybe not with ice cream…)
It’s also a great gift. I would love to get a jar of homemade pickles. Wouldn’t you?
Quick pickles vs fermented pickles
So, what’s the difference between quick-pickled versus fermented? A quick pickle is a vegetable that’s been soaked in a vinegar base to take on some of that sour vinegar flavor. The vinegar helps preserve the vegetables for a few weeks.
A fermented pickle, sometimes named a Lacto-fermented pickle, gets its flavor by developing bacteria that exists on the surface of all vegetables. No vinegar involved.
The Health Benefits Of Fermented Pickles
Fermented foods have been getting a lot of press lately. We’ve learned about how fermented food and a healthy gut flora promotes health. Healthy gut flora aids digestion, improves immunity, and clears the skin.
Also, the bacteria in your gut are like your own personal army, boosting mood and combatting anxiety and depression!
The brain is assumed to be the main organ that regulates mood. It is, but there’s a powerful brain-gut connection and we’re just starting to learn the profound impact it has on our emotions. In fact, the gut has lately been called by the nickname “the second brain.” That’s because it’s the second-largest concentration of neurons in the body.
I could talk a lot about the connection between gut and brain but let’s hear the experts. 🙂
The Surprising Link Between Gut Bacteria and Anxiety (Huffington Post)
Mental Health May Depend on Creatures in the Gut (Scientific American)
Gut Bacteria Might Guide the Workings of Our Minds (NPR)
How To Make Fermented Pickles Using Radishes
Wash and rinse the radishes well, keep the leaves and stems. Slice the radishes in half lengthwise and place them in a sterilized jar. Slice the lemon and garlic, and place them between the radishes.
Make sure you squash them all inside like packed sardines. Pour water and salt into the jar, and seal the jar. Allow the radishes to pickle for at least 2-3 days but ideally up to 4 months.
How Long Do Pickled Radishes Last?
Pickled radishes will last for nearly 4 months, untouched, in the fridge. Once opened, use within a period of 1-2 weeks and keep refrigerated.
Make It Your Own
If you’re feeling creative, pickling is a great place to play around with flavors. You can add chili flakes, mustard seeds, or fresh herbs. Pickling is fun. Mix things up to find your own special combo!
Tips and tricks
- Sterilize the jar by boiling it in water for 30 seconds.
- Pickles are best made with hard vegetables, including most root vegetables.
- Make sure that the vegetables are weighted down into the saltwater.
- Use distilled water.
- Be precise when calculating the salt and water in the recipe. Too much salt will kill the bacteria, preventing fermentation.
SALT TO WATER RATIO: One tbsp fine sea salt per 3/4 cup of water.
If you like this, you would love these recipes:
EASY PICKLED RADISHES
Materials
- 1 bunch radishes
- 1½ lemons, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced
- Water
- Salt
Instructions
- Wash and slice the radishes in half.
- Place the radishes, lemon, and garlic in a hot, sterilized 1-pint jar.
- Pour the water and salt into the jar. For every ¾ water cup, add 1 tbsp salt.
- Seal the jar. Allow the radishes to pickle for at least 2-3 days.
Enjoy!
