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Quick Radish Pickles for PICNIC WEEK

Quick Radish Pickles for PICNIC WEEK

Just 5 ingredients to make the perfect pickle: QUICK RADISH PICKLES | @TspCurry

These quick pickles take only as long as boiling water and slicing a few veggies. ~ 

Once upon a time on a picnic, my mom forgot the chocolate for s’mores… and from that time on, there was a laminated checklist on the inside of our cupboard door that looked like this:

  • Hot dogs & buns
  • Ketchup
  • Canned pork & beans
  • Marshmallows & graham crackers & CHOCOLATE!
  • Roasting sticks, plates, water, matches, newspaper

The point of this list is not to tell about my mother, the chocoholic, but actually to kick off PICNIC WEEK here on TeaspoonOfSpice.com. This week, we’re sharing picnic recipes and tips on planning that perfect picnic for the park, beach or where ever the summer weather takes you.

Tip #1: Make a laminated Picnic Basics checklist

Ratio of salt + sugar + vinegar to make the perfect pickle: Quick Radish Pickles | @TspCurry

I have planned and carried out probably 101 picnics in my life (more than half as a mom – but there was also that Easter picnic I planned for friends when I was wooing my husband… Have you ever tried to fit an Easter ham into a picnic basket?)

These days, my laminated How to Pack a Picnic (which I have taped inside my cupboard)  looks more like this:

  • Sandwiches
  • Bean Salad (Because they’re so easy to throw together with any veggie on-hand + 1 can of beans.)
  • Pickles
  • Fruit
  • Peanuts in Shell (while waiting for the picnic to be served, kids can eat and toss the shells on the ground – thrilling if you’re 4!)
  • Dessert or s’mores
  • Water jug with plastic reusable cups
  • Napkins, spoons, wet wipes & PLATES!!

(Can you tell what I’ve often forgetten? More than once my kids have eaten bean salad out of their drinking cups and then complained their water tasted like bean “juice”!)

Quick Pickled Radish | TeaspoonOfSpice.com

Tip #2 – Pack the Pickles

Yes, pickles: We can’t have a picnic without pickles. Usually, I make a variation of these quick radish pickles. Just make a simple pickle brine with a ratio of 1:1 water to rice vinegar (Use rice vinegar because it’s a little less acidic for kids’ tastes) and 1:3 salt to sugar.  Then, add ANY spice in your spice drawer. Hey, make it an experiment…if it doesn’t work, all you’re out is the time it takes to boil water and a bit of salt, sugar and vinegar. In the following recipe, I used a bit of fenugreek seed that was collecting dusk in my spice drawer – just to see what the perplexing spice tasted like – but you could easily use coriander seeds or even sesame seeds or another spice.

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Quick Radish Pickles | @TspCurry

Quick Pickled Radishes


  • Author: by Serena Ball, RD
  • Yield: 4-6 servings 1x

Description

These no-cook quick radish pickles take only as long as boiling water and slicing a few veggies; the snappy recipe is adaptable to any vegetable on hand.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 bunch radishes (or one large watermelon radish like I had from my garden!)
  • 1 1/4 cup water
  • 1 1/4 cup rice vinegar
  • 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon sea kosher salt
  • 1 piece (1/2-inch square) fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
  • 1 pinch crushed red pepper
  • (optional)1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (and/or sesame seeds and/or mustard seeds)

Instructions

  1. Cut radishes into quarters – if small; if large slice into half circles. Place in a large glass bowl.
  2. In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients except radishes. Heat to boiling and pour over radishes. Cool. Store in the refrigerator.

Quick Radish Pickles | TeaspoonOfSpice.com

And sometimes, there’s no time even to boil pickle brine – so come back tomorrow for my recipe for even quicker Quick Pickles. (I promise this will be a true ‘Ah-ha’ recipe!)

Have you ever made quick pickles?

Annemarie Rossi

Tuesday 7th of June 2016

I'm so happy to see this recipe! My farm share goes a little crazy with radishes this time of year, and I need to pickle some. Can't wait to try this.

Serena Ball

Tuesday 7th of June 2016

You will LOVE these Annemarie. I make them with carrots, pickles even celery. (: (And the fenugreek is TOTALLY optional!)

Meme

Monday 14th of July 2014

Oh I don't think I've ever seen a watermelon radish; I'll have to look out for them next time I'm at the store. These look really easy and tasty though - great recipe!

Serena Ball

Monday 14th of July 2014

I have seen them in some stores, but also try a farmers market too....or even if you have a little dirt or container somewhere, try growing Meme. I've NEVER been able to grow radishes, til I tried watermelon radishes. They grew - and grew big. They aren't woody and are spicy, but not too hot to eat. I'm so in love!

Jennifer@Nourished Simply

Monday 14th of July 2014

I never thought about pickling radishes. They look too pretty to eat!

Serena Ball

Monday 14th of July 2014

They do yield a jar of gorgeous NATURALLY pink pickling brine. But nope, not too pretty to eat. (: Thanks Jennifer!

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