Fermented Radish Recipe: a Simple and Delicious Snack (2024)

Lacto-fermentation is a fantastic way to preserve many vegetables and radish are no exception. Read on to find out how to take usually spicy root vegetable to a whole other dimension of flavor with fermented radish.

Fermented Radish Recipe: a Simple and Delicious Snack (1)

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How to ferment radish, THE RECIPE:

INGREDIENTS

As many washed and cut radish as you can get into a wide-mouth quart or pint jar

2 tbsp salt(Redmond Real Salt)

1 quart of filtered water

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INSTRUCTIONS

Start by washing and cutting radish (no need to peel them. The good stuff is on the skin!) You may cut radish as thin or as thick as you’d like. Do not use whole radish unless the radish is very small.

Layer radish slices as tightly as you can and fill in any gaps.

Then add a quart of water to a sauce pan on the stove and let get very warm but do not boil.

Next, add in salt to the pan and let the salt dissolve. Carefully pour brine into your carrot jar until at the start of the rim.

Over the sink, hold the jar and add in a ferment weight. Some brine may spill out so be careful if it is still hot. Make sure all radish are covered with brine and none have floated up around the weight. You may not need the entire quart of salt water.

Add a lid, I preferthese types of lids, as metal lids and rings will rust due to the salt, if you are not opting to use a pickle pipe (read on for more information on these). If you do choose to use the pickle pipe, add that plus one single jar ring to the jar.

Set on a plate in case of leakage on the counter to rest for at least 24 hours but I have found the radish are most flavorful when they’ve rested for 3 days.

When you have test-tasted with a clean fork and like the flavor, remove the ferment weights and/or pickle pipe, add a rust-proof lid, and put the radish into the refrigerator. This almost completely slow down the fermentation process and allow you to enjoy your fermented radish snack for a few weeks or months. If they last that long!

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Added flavor options for your fermented radish:

2-3 sprigs of fresh dill plus 2 diced garlic cloves for dill pickle flavor
one sliced fresh jalapeño for a little spicy kick
1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
some diced onion
play around with different flavor mixes!

A FEW EXTRA NOTES ABOUT FERMENTATION:

The kind of water you use is important. If you’re on municipal water, it may be chlorinated. Let your water sit in a jar for about 30 minutes for the chlorine to evaporate from it before using it as a brine in this recipe. Using filtered water is the best option when available.
The type kind of salt is important. It needs to be free of iodine and any anti-caking agents. (No table salt.)

Alternatively, you can boil your water. Let it cool down significantly before adding salt and pouring brine into your jar.

You will want to untwist your jar’s lid daily to let out any gases. This is “burping” the jar.

Alternatively, you may choose to use a pickle pipe for less daily maintenance in fermenting as the jar will burp itself.

When radish are ready, you may notice the water a little cloudy with white specks in it. This is fine. I’ve noticed my ferment weights become a little slimy with it too. It is just the bacteria and yeast working together.
There should not be any mold present. As you untwist the lid every day, look for signs of mold and any radish who have escaped the brine.

Fermented Radish Benefits

Your vegetable plus salt minus oxygenresults in a fantastic environment for good bacteria like lactic acid bacteria to grow. This bacteria will repel undesirable microorganisms.This is lacto-fermentation or sometimes called pickling.

Basically, fermented radish are GOOD FOR YOU! A healthy, probiotic snack.

Fermentation is one of the oldest methods of preserving foods to extend shelf life but found that the bacterias in fermented foods have big probiotic benefits for the gut. Good gut bacteria puts up a big fight with bad bacteria in the gut. Adding more good than bad bacteria to your gut is always a smart idea.

Also, see my disclosure statement on health facts.

What do fermented radish taste like?

Fermented radish are kind of hard to explain as far as taste goes. But one bonus is that during the fermentation process, the radish lose some of their spiciness making them much easier to eat “raw”.

The salt allows the radish to keep most of their crisp texture and it also pulls out interesting flavors from the radish that the raw spiciness can hide.

I’ve always made fermented radish with small red radish who lose their color during fermentation as well. The brine will become a pink color. This is normal and okay to still eat your fermented radish.

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How to best enjoy fermented radish

Add these tasty little treats to your:

garden fresh salad
alongside a sandwich (or on the sandwich!)
eat them plain
dip them in ranch dressing made with homemade ranch seasoning
add to a Mediterranean-style bowl of rice and protein and other fermented vegetables
The possibilities are many!