# HOT Radishes....



## emulkahi1 (Apr 22, 2006)

Pulled and took a bite out of one of my icicle radishes today...WOW ! Those suckers are HOT  ! Did some reading about it and discovered that this is what happens when they grow too slowly? I planted them around the middle of April I think, so they've been in the ground for about 6 weeks. Some of the larger ones are about the size of a good-sized carrot.

Oh well...I guess it is a learning experience, and they will make good compost if nothing else. But I wanted to ask you all if there is anything one can do w/ HOT radishes :help: ? Hmmm...They might make a good substitute for hot peppers in my next batch of chili? (seriously though....lol).

Erin


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

Pickle 'em!

Pony!


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

To grow mild radishes, one needs mainly a lot of one thing, water. Grow them IN water if you have a chance! Otherwise, they'll always be hot.

Martin


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## emulkahi1 (Apr 22, 2006)

Thank you both for your replies! Hmm...I thought I kept them well-watered, but maybe my definition of that is still not enough for the radishes (apparently not, given their flavor--lol). I will definitely keep that in mind next year...or maybe even later this season, if I try for a late season crop.

Pony...So pickling them will make their 'hotness' bearable? If so I will give it a go, as some of the radishes sure are nice looking and it seems a shame just to toss them into the compost.

Thanks again :baby04: !

Erin


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

emulkahi1 said:


> Pony...So pickling them will make their 'hotness' bearable? If so I will give it a go, as some of the radishes sure are nice looking and it seems a shame just to toss them into the compost.
> 
> Erin



Well, once I pickled some nice and large, but WAY too hot daikons I grew last year, they tasted pretty darned good pickled and not at all good fresh.

None left. 

Pony!


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## mistletoad (Apr 17, 2003)

People have been commenting on how sweet our radishes are, but to me the big ones (some got the size of a turnip! lol) are hot. I saute these in a little olive oil and all the heat goes away. I absolutely love them this way and was disappointed that the latest radish harvests have been mild and normal sized.


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## Bluegirl (Dec 13, 2004)

It has always been my experience, the larger the raddish the hotter. I pick small.


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## culpeper (Nov 1, 2002)

Best idea of all is to send them to me! I love hot radishes!! Meantime, if that idea doesn't appeal to you, try cooking them.

Steam peeled radishes until tender, then serve with butter or hollandaise sauce. The taste will resemble that of asparagus. 

Braised Radishes
20 radishes
1 shallot, diced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or several pinches dried
salt and pepper
white wine or apple juice

Trim the leaves from the radishes leaving a little of the green stems, and scrub them. If the leaves are tender and in good condition, wash them and set aside. Leave smaller radishes whole and halve or quarter larger ones. Pour a tablespoon of white wine or apple juice into a small saute pan. Add the shallot and thyme, cook for 1 minute over medium heat. Add the radishes, a little salt and pepper and water just to cover. Simmer until the radishes are tender, 3-5 minutes. Add the leaves if using them and cook until they are wilted and tender, about 1 minute more. Remove the radishes to a serving dish. Boil the liquid until only about 1/4 cup remains, pour this over the radishes and serve.

Pasta with Radishes and Radish Greens
2 bunches radishes with green tops
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
350g short pasta such as penne, cooked, drained, with 1/4 cup cooking water reserved
1/3 cup freshly grated Romano cheese plus more for passing at the table

Separate the greens from radishes. Wash greens and spin dry in a salad spinner, or drain in a colander. Wash and trim the radishes. Thinly slice radishes so you have 2 cups. Save any extra radishes for another dish. Put half the oil in a wok or large frypan over medium heat. Add onion and cook just until it begins to soften. Add radishes and greens. Cover and cook 7 minutes or until greens wilt and radishes become translucent. Season with salt and pepper. Add drained pasta to pan along with remaining oil and toss. Add reserved cooking water as needed, a tablespoon at a time to avoid dryness. Toss with cheese and serve. Pass additional cheese at the table.

Steamed Radishes with Lemon Dill Butter 
500g radishes, trimmed and sliced thinly
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons lemon juice or to taste
4 teaspoons finely chopped fresh dill

Steam radishes until tender. In a large frypan, melt butter over moderately low heat, add radishes, lemon juice, dill, salt, and pepper. Heat until radishes are heated though, stirring.


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## uncle Will in In. (May 11, 2002)

We've been growing them for over fifty years, and still haven't figured out what makes them hot. I do know the best way to eat them is by the hands full with bread and butter. If you get butter on your tongue you will never have a problem with them being too hot. One of the mildest ones we ever raised were planted in late July. It was hot and dry, but those radishes were sweet and tender. None were hot. ???????


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## turtlehead (Jul 22, 2005)

Culpeper, those look great and different from anything I've ever tried. I didn't plant radishes this year. Dangit.


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## hengal (Mar 7, 2005)

So does anyone really know how to make a radish hot?? I was just wondering this the other day. All the "fresh" radishes I've ever gotten from the store, big or small, didn't have much of a bite to them. Were they just too old? I'm hoping that when our radishes are done they have some heat to them.


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## MELOC (Sep 26, 2005)

maybe they were grown in a hydroponic system.


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## culpeper (Nov 1, 2002)

Radishes are in the same family as mustard - which partially explains why they're hot. Slow-growing makes them hotter, and usually more 'woody'. They're one vegetable that should be hurried along for best results.


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## hisenthlay (Feb 23, 2005)

I recently read that if you let them in the ground too long in the spring/summer, they will get hotter/bitter. Supposedly if you pick them when they're smaller, they are less hot.

Culpeper, those recipes look great. I just posted a question on the cooking forum on how to use all my radishes. If you don't mind, I'm going to copy your response here to over there, and maybe get the ball rolling on some more good radish recipes. Thanks for the great ideas!


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## rranch (May 19, 2006)

Grown in WA rads (water logged)  are probably the ones your getting with the lack of bite. We diffentely have mild rads until the end of Aug or Sept.


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