The Other Radishes
(Page 2 of 3)
August/September 2002
By Doreen G. Howard
Pickled pleasures
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Radishes make great pickles, and you can prepare them overnight. Start with 2 cups of sliced or chunked firm radishes. Put them in a mixing bowl and sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt over them. Cover and chill for 30 minutes. Drain accumulated liquid and rinse to remove the salt. Pat dry with paper towels and return to bowl. Add 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar, a dash or two of ground black pepper and a couple drops of sesame seed oil. Refrigerate at least 8 hours and enjoy.
Since they mature rapidly, exotic radishes prefer a stress-free growing environment, in addition to cool temperatures. Start with fertile soil that has plenty of organic material incorporated into it. Dig a 1-inch layer of compost into the bed and work the soil to a depth of at least 8 inches. Japanese daikons will grow 20 inches or more into friable soil. Don't be surprised to see up to one-third of the radish growth above ground, though. Such growth is typical of Asian radishes, including Chinese varieties.
Sow seeds and grow exotic radishes as you would small red ones. Maintain a steady supply of soil moisture, so plants are never stressed. Thin plants to stand 6 inches apart (8 inches for daikons) after two sets of true leaves appear. Flea beetles and root maggots, the two major radish pests, can be avoided by placing floating row cover over the bed.
If podding radishes are grown, don't cover them when flowering begins. They need insects and air movement to pollinate flowers that create the pods. Instead, spray in early morning with neem seed oil if insect pests appear. Don't use neem oil after 10 a.m., since beneficial pollinating bees will be present and the oil may burn plant leaves in full sun.
MOTHER EARTH NEWS
Contributing Editor Doreen Howard has been growing, researching, cooking, eating, speaking and writing about vegetables for more than 20 years. She is currently working on a new book entitled
Beautiful Heirloom Vegetables and Fruit.
Gallery of exotic radishes Note: The numbers in parentheses indicate which of the companies listed on Page 48 offer each variety.
JAPANESE DAIKONS
Sharper flavor and much larger than Chinese radishes
'All Seasons,' also called 'Tokinashi' 65 days. Can be planted in spring or fall. Great for pickling. (3, 4) 'Sakurajima Mammoth' 70 to 140 days. Fall-planted. Largest radish in the world, can grow to 100 pounds. Mild and sweet. Also fed to livestock. (4) 'Miyashige' 60 days. Fall-planted. Will bolt—go to seed prematurely - if spring-planted. Sweet, brittle, tender flesh. (4, 5) CHINESE
Beautiful colored flesh: delicious eaten fresh out of hand
'Bartender Red Mammoth' 70 days. Does well in hot weather. Nine-inch roots with red skin and crisp, pink flesh. (1)
