How to make pickled radishes
Quick pickled radishes are one of my favorite pickled vegetables. They are a cinch to make and they can jazz up a sandwich or tacos in an instant. Sweet and tangy, you’ll reach for these pretty pink pickled radishes again and again.
This is a great entry point into homemade pickles. It is incredibly easy and there are only a handful of ingredients. They also make a terrific homemade gift to bring to BBQ’s or share with friends and family.
How to make pickled radishes
This pickled radish recipe is quick and easy, making it great for beginners or those who want a quick kitchen project.
- Slice radishes with a mandoline or a sharp knife.
- Combine water and vinegar in saucepan.
- Then add sugar, salt, spices and bring to a simmer.
- Add radish slices to simmering pickling liquid.
- Simmer 1 – 2 minutes and remove from heat.
A mandoline makes quick work of it and is my preferred method for uniform, thin slices. You can also use a sharp kitchen knife.
Combine all of the ingredients for the brine and bring it to a simmer.
The radishes are thinly sliced, so you don’t want to add them before the liquid is simmering. For extra crunchy slices, take them off of the heat immediately and let them cool in the pot before packing into glass canning jars.
Ingredients for radish pickles
A handful of ingredients and about 20 minutes is all that is standing between you and this recipe. You may not even need a trip to the store.
- Sliced radishes – Slice as thinly as you like, but don’t go too thin or your pickles will lack texture.
- Allspice berries – This single spice tastes like a combination of nutmeg or mace, clove, cardamom and cinnamon with a tiny bit of pepperiness.
- Bay leaves – A kitchen staple. If using dried bay leaf, make sure they aren’t old. They will not have much flavor. If you can find fresh bay leaves (sold with the herbs in the produce section), use them.
- Kosher salt – I always use Diamond Crystal salt. For Morton’s salt, reduce quantity to 2 1/4 tsp.
- Water – Making a pickling brine with straight vinegar would be a bit unpleasant. Water dilutes the vinegar brine.
- Apple cider vinegar – Because it’s made from apples, it has a lovely fruitiness that you simply won’t get from white vinegar.
- Sugar – I like a little sweet with my pickles, feel free to decrease or increase a little to suit your preferences.
- Peppercorn – I used white peppercorns, but what I really love is a combo of white and pink peppercorns. If all you have is black, use it.
FAQ’s
Yes. These are refrigerator pickles, so they are not shelf stable. For a canning recipe, check out this post on bread and butter pickles or this post on banana peppers.
You can keep them in the refrigerator for 2 – 3 months.
They are sweet and tangy. You can reduce the sugar to make them less sweet or increase it to make them sweeter.
Pickled radish with apple cider vinegar is the most common, but you can also use plain white vinegar, or a combination of the two.
How to use
If you’ve never had them before, you’re probably wondering what to do with this pickled radish recipe.
To spice up taco night, add half a jalapeño pepper to the jar. If you want them on the mild side, use about a quarter of a pepper. A whole jalapeño will make them pretty spicy, if you prefer a lot of heat.
You could also use Hatch chilies or any hot peppers that you love. They are delicious on chicken tacos, I highly recommend it.
• Burgers – They are delicious on any patty, but especially these pork burgers.
• Sandwiches – Add a few slices to this langostino po’boy for extra kick.
• Pulled pork – The sweet tanginess is a perfect match.
Pickle variations & mix-ins
I purposely kept this recipe simple, but if you want to give it something “extra”, add a few cloves of garlic to the mix. For herbaceous flavor, add a couple of sprigs of fresh dill.
Want some spice, but don’t have chilies? Add a teaspoon or two of red pepper flakes for a bit of heat. A few strips of lemon zest would also be tasty in this mix.
To make more combinations with veggies, add in thinly sliced red onion or carrot ribbons. The possibilities are endless, friends, so go forth and make it your own!
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Pickled radishes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp. peppercorns white, black, pink or a combination
- 5 – 6 allspice berries
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp. Diamond Crystal kosher salt or 2 1/4 tsp. Morton kosher salt
- 10 – 15 radishes about 1 1/2 cups, thinly sliced
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine water and apple cider vinegar over medium-high heat.
- Add sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, bay leaves and salt.
- Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium low.
- Add sliced radishes and cook for 1 – 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat, allow to cool slightly before packing into glass jars.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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