how to keep your radishes crisp for over a week
Every week when I go to the market, I pick up a bunch of radishes, among other things. I can’t get enough of them in the summer, and yes, I realize that this blog is named for a radish so it’s no surprise that I am awash in these guys come spring and summer. I love to just bite into them and dip them in soft butter flaked with fleur de sel; I love to generously slice them to my favorite summer salad; I’m a huge fan of the butter-herb-radish crostini – I’ll talk about it next week.
But radishes are great on day one and then are so so, and by the end of the week, they’re soft and have lost their crunch. There’s almost an unpleasant leathery chewiness to them that’s just not appealing.
So how to keep radishes from losing their bite and crunch all week? I believe I’ve found a solution.
As soon as you get home from the greenmarket, separate your radishes from the greens. Using a sturdy vegetable brush, scrub the radishes thoroughly so they are free of any sand and dirt, and rinse them thoroughly in cold water. Get either a large wide mouth glass jar, or, in my case a large gallon-sized resealable bag (if you’ve run out of large jars). Line the bottom of the jar or bag with a layer of paper towels. Put still-damp radishes on top. Put another layer of paper towel and repeat until you are out of radishes. If using a bag, squeeze out excess air and voila! Crunchy, fresh radishes all week (and beyond!) long.
There’s an added bonus: Should you get a random radish craving (like I do), you can just run over to your fridge, and pull a radish out of the bag. No rinsing needed – you can crunch away without any delays.
Wonderful! My husband loves radishes, but we never end up eating them enough. Does this help with the smell they give off after a while?
I noticed that problem too and I asked the farmer at my market about it, and he said don’t wash them until you are ready to eat them. So then I am stuck putting literally ‘dirty’ radishes in my fridge! I like your idea better, The paper towel absorbs any excess moisture— I will try it, thanks!
Lauren – I haven’t noticed a funky smell with my radishes.
Thanks for the tip! I, too, have a husband who loves radishes and I grow them year round. Of course, they are ready to pick all at once, so there’s a couple weeks worth of radishes and the last ones look pitiful. Now you have given them a new lease on life!
Can’t wait for your radish recipe.
Bridget – it’s more of a great snack, hardly a recipe! But it’s a childhood favorite.
What a brilliant idea. I’m going to do this with the radishes I just brought home!
Use the Ziploc veggie bags and don’t wash until you eat. I normally cut the greens out, but still, my radishes stay fresh for 2+ weeks in the veggie bags.
Oh, I almost forgot about this vegetable :) Thanks for reminding me of this great fresh summer crunch! Have a great Sunday! / Emilia
recently i started using the radish leaves in my salads. flavor similar to arugula. if you like them, you can always ask to get extra leaves (since most people ask to have them removed at the green market).
This is a great tip – thanks!
you can also just immerse them in a small bowl of water and keep them in the fridge. they last all week like this for sure!
Dara – that hasn’t worked for me. It changes the flavor of the radish – it becomes more watery and has less bite, which i guess makes sense when you soak it.
I should try this! I love radishes too, but since they are so strong and peppery we can only eat a few at a time. I read that other vegetables like carrots and beets should be stored separately from their green tops. Like the other commenter above I also thought we should wash veggies right before we use them, but this is certainly worth a try. I suppose the paper towels would absorb any excess moisture. And when they do lose their bite by the end of the week, I drizzle them with olive oil, add salt and pepper, and roast them in the oven! (though I doubt the idea of turning on the oven in this heat would appeal to anyone right now)
Thanks for the tip!
That’s just what I do! I usually put them in a Tupperware container, rather than a plastic bag. But the paper towels seem to be key.
Cara – I have a glass jar, normally, but they were all filled with things, so ziploc it was!
I love these kinds of tips, simple as they may be but these are the things that make life in the kitchen a little easier. I do something similar with cilantro and parsley. I wrap them in paper towels and put them in a bag and they hold up way longer.The other one I just love is to use an empty soda or water bottle and when you cut up the greens on onions, put them in the bottle and put it in the freezer and you have fresh cut-up greens that you just shake out of the bottle onto whatever you ned. I throw away so much less with this method and they are ready anytime you need them.
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One of my favorite fruit is Radishes .Daily i eat radishes.
Mine have just expired :(. I’ll follow your tip in the future. Thanks for your advices!
Cook them…they are wonderful cooked, sweet and crunchy. Delish!!
Thanks for the tip, this has been one of those vegetable mysteries to me until now!
William – so glad I could help :)