Every season , I get a few of my radish plants flush and seed . Some I leave tocollect come for next time of year , and some I just forget about in the shadower of other plant life .
So it ’s always a good surprise when I find a Byzantine muss of vine like this in the garden and they end up being over - ripened radish plants — plants that had grow over 4 feet tall , full of footling bloodless blossoms and slender green pod .
At this microscope stage , most people consider the plant done for the season . The radishes themselves have grown too woody or fibrous to eat , and the leaves have withered or become damaged byaphidsand other cuss .
But gardenersin the know , know that this is n’t the ending of the works . Far from it .
Those pointy green come pods are actually a last hurrah from the radish plant life , a harvest well deserving the wait because the pods are so unambiguously delectable .
You read that right : you may eat radish seed pod .
Read more:11 Vegetables You Grow That You Did n’t Know You Could rust
What do radish seeds look like?
Radish seeds forge inside thin , elongate fuel pod on magniloquent , unsloped stems that reach 4 to 5 animal foot . A single flower stalking can produce several twelve seminal fluid pods in various stages of maturity , so it does n’t take very many radish plants to succumb a sizeable harvest home of pods .
Each radish fuel pod is 1 to 2 inches in length with a minute cylindric form that tapers to a spot .
If you leave the cod to mature on the stems ( a few weeks after they seem ) , they ’ll dry up , change state yellow or browned , and split open to reveal diminutive black or chocolate-brown seeds .
Related : How to Save and Store Seeds For Next Year ’s Garden
revelation : If you give away from my article or make a leverage through one of my links , I may receive committal on some of the intersection I recommend .
What types of radish plants produce edible seed pods?
All radish plants form edible come cod ( even wild radishes , if you come across them on a hiking ) , and there is even an heirloom variety calledRat ’s Tail radishgrown specifically for its large , tender seminal fluid pod .
But I ’ve let all case of Raphanus sativus — from the heftywatermelon radishesandJapanese daikonsof wintertime to the popular and petiteFrench BreakfastandEaster Egg Blendvarieties of spring — flower at the oddment of the season , and they produced scrumptious pods for weeks .
How long does it take for radishes to seed?
Radishes sown from springiness to summertime will flower from mid - summer to decrease . In soft winter climates , radishes can be sown in fall for an early natural spring harvest — after which theplants will bolt and produce seed podsin belated spring .
The nappy green pods appear a few weeks after the Raphanus sativus are past their picking bloom , so if you sowed more daikon than you may eat , you ’re assure of a incentive crop at the end of the time of year .
By compile and consume the seed pods , you could stretch the harvest full point for radish much longer than usual . Think of it as no - waste material horticulture ! ( Which is one of my favoritelazy horticulture strategiesfor dumbfound more food out of my garden without planting more plants . )
How do you harvest radish seed pods?
assemble the fuel pod when they ’re still fresh and dark-green , but after the come inside get going developing . The radish pods will bulge a chip ( kind of like pea plant pods ) and arise fleshier , which makes for good eating .
you could reach - pick pods in the garden by pulling them off the stems , or cut off the entire stalk to glean the pods in your kitchen .
Most stalks will have radish pods in all stages of maturity , and personally , I only go for ones that are well - formed , as they bundle in more tone .
What do radish seed pods taste like?
Radish pod taste just like the radishes they spawn from , but more hard in flavor . They ’re spicy and crunchy and are best eat raw , either straight off the stem or pickle in a jar .
Seed pods from wintertime Raphanus sativus tend to be milder in smack than seed pod from outflow and summer radishes , but their grain is the same — crispy and not stringy at all .
Sometimes I snip off the tip if it ’s particularly long and pointy , but the entire pod is edible .
Read next : Winter Radishes vs. Spring radish : What ’s the Difference ?
What do you do with radish seed pods?
Radish pods can be used anywhere you ’d normally use radishes : leafy salad , greaser toppings , pitas and wrap .
But my preferred manner to eat them is to pickle them first . They taste amazing on their own , and even more amazing as a side sweetheart to a bed of Elmer Rice and some grill kernel .
you’re able to chop up a handful of pickled radish cod to use like capers in an omelet or dome bowl , or spit them on a toothpick to garnish a blooming mary and bring a peppery pungency .
Try this : Quick Pickled Sweet ‘ n Spicy radish
Make a few jars of radish seed pickles to have on mitt as last - hour gift and potluck contribution — nobody ever have it off what they are , and I love explaining how the intact radish plant ( from the roots to the greens to the seeds ) is edible !
This recipe is a favorite fromThe No - Waste Vegetable Cookbook . Have you checked out my in style book ? I have more formula for radishes , radish leaves , and the tops and tails of many ordinary veggie that becomeextraordinary once you realize what you’re able to actually utilize from them .
Pickled Radish Seed Pods
Makes 3 cups
Ingredients
1 cupful water1/2 cup Sir Tim Rice vinegar1/2 cup white wine vinegar1/2 cupful sugar1/2 tablespoonful kosher salt2 heaping cup radish seed pods
Instructions
In a small saucepan over intermediate heat , combine the water system , rice acetum , wine-coloured vinegar , sugar , and salt and arouse until the grain are dissolved . Let the brine cool to way temperature .
backpack the radish pods into jars and pour the seawater over them , making sure the pods are fully submerge .
hole at elbow room temperature , out of direct sunshine , for at least 4 hours before serving . For best flavor , pickle overnight in the fridge .
When you ’re done with the pickles : What to Do With Leftover Pickle Brine
Just because your radish plant have begin flowering does n’t mean they ’re done for the season . Harvest the immature source pods ( yes , they ’re comestible ! ) and pickle them for one last hurrah from your crop .
Nutrition information is n’t always exact .
Did you make this recipe?
This station update from an article that to begin with appear on April 22 , 2013 .
View the Web Story onpickled radish source fuel pod .
