Quick Pickled Radish Recipe

Another delicious pickle you may not find on supermarket shelves is pickled radish. Its texture, flavor, and beautiful color make it a perfect candidate for pickling. Making pickled radishes is easy and quickly done. This condiment can be used in a variety of dishes. Whether you want to enhance salads and sandwiches or enjoy it as a side dish to dishes like this miso-glazed tofu, you will be glad to have a jar of pickled radishes in the fridge! 

I still wonder why many of my favorite pickled vegetables are not more common: Here in Germany, it is hard to find anything but the classic pickled cucumbers and jalapenos in regular grocery stores. My favorites, like pickled onions, garlic, beets, or red cabbage, are impossible to find. The same goes for pickled radishes. Well, if the situation is similar for you where you live, we are lucky that it’s so easy to make these pickles yourself! So let’s get right into this pickled radish recipe. 

Ingredients needed to make Pickled Radish: 

• Fresh radish 
• Vinegar (White wine or apple cider) 
• Water 
• Salt 
• Sugar 
• Optional: Other spices

For this quick pickle recipe, you don’t need any fancy ingredients. I am using my trusted red radishes today as I like their mild flavor. Also, they will turn a light pink, and with their round shape, they make such a beautiful confinement. You can use other types of radishes for pickling as well. Another classic with a stronger flavor is daikon, which you can use to make the Vietnamese pickle Do Chua. 

As for vinegar, a neutral white wine vinegar works well for pickling. Alternatively, you can use a mild apple cider vinegar. I was out of white wine vinegar, so apple cider vinegar it is today!  

Other than that, water, plain white sugar, and salt are the only ingredients needed to make the pickling liquid. If you want to add extra flavor to your pickles, you can add any spices or herbs you like. Mustard seeds, peppercorns, or chili flakes are classics. Sometimes, I like to add a bay leaf to my pickles, but today, I am keeping it simple. 

Pickled Radish Recipe: 

Making pickled radishes is super straightforward. Aside from the aforementioned ingredients, all you need is a pot and a clean jar. A mandoline will also make the process much easier. 

First, thoroughly wash the radishes and discard the greens. Cut off the stems and roots before slicing the radish into thin slices. A mandoline will help you get even slices. You can also change the shape and pickle the radishes by julienning them or even leaving them whole. I like the shape of the thin circular slices as a condiment, but there is no right or wrong here! Cut radishes will pickle quicker than when leaving them whole. 

Place the radish, together with any additional spices of your choice, in your clean pickling jar. Mason jars work well for pickling. 

Make the Brine: 

Add the water, vinegar, sugar, and salt to your saucepan. Bring to a boil. Stir until the sugar and salt dissolve and your brine is hot. Pour the hot liquid into the jars until the radish is submerged. Close the jars and let them cool to room temperature before storing them in the refrigerator. The pickled radish is, when thinly sliced, ready to eat after 45 minutes of pickling. 

FAQ: 

For this dish, I combined Chioggia beets with my herb oil, pickled radish (the pink slices), crispy parsnip chips, and vegan beet cream cheese.

I hope you enjoyed this quick pickled radish recipe. I love having my refrigerator stocked with an entire shelf of delicious pickles. Let me know what you think in the comments below!

A few more Recipe Suggestions:

• Cashew Cream Cheese
• Mixed Herb Pesto
• Dandelion Capers
• Pickled Cauliflower
• Wild Garlic Pesto
• Quick Pickled Carrots
• Fig Chutney

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