What You Need to Know About Radishes
Radishes have been around for a very long time. They were thought to have originated in China and the cooler regions of Asia. Although they’ve been cultivated throughout the world for thousands of years, they didn’t make their way to America until the early colonists arrived. Keep reading to discover what you need to know about radishes.
In the ancient world, radishes were held in high esteem. So much so, that they were dedicated to the god Apollo in the temple of Delphi. They also happen to have several health benefits that you might not know about. Here’s more about radishes, and everything you need to know about them. This is where I buy my garden seeds: SeedsNow
Basic Info: What You Need to Know About Radishes
Radishes are an edible root vegetable that is part of the Brassicaceae (mustard) family. They have a mild to hot, peppery flavor, and also a nice crunchy bite to them. They range in different sizes, shapes, and colors while germinating and growing very quickly, without the worry of too many pests and diseases.
Facts
Did you know that the word radish comes from the Latin word radix, which means “root?” Another amazing fact is that over 7 million tons of radishes are produced every year. You can even eat the leaves with the roots, but they have a less satisfying flavor. Did you know that radishes have been used to help with bad breath? While grown in Britain, they were once used to treat kidney stones and intestinal parasites?
Nutrition Info
While radishes vary in size and color, they all share one common thing. Radishes are full of nutrition, especially vitamin C. After having one single serving, your body has ingested 29% of the daily recommended value of vitamin C. Other vitamins and minerals include dietary fiber, potassium, folate, and vitamin B6. It also contains calcium, iron and vitamins E, A, and K.
Health Benefits
There are several health benefits for making radishes part of your regular diet. Check out all of these reasons that may surprise you. Keep in mind that this is not an exhaustive list of all the benefits of eating radishes.
Good For Your Skin
Drinking radish juice on a more consistent basis can keep acne, pimples, and even rashes away. It will also help if you experience dry skin. You can even use it as a paste by applying it directly to help cleanse your face.
Regulate Blood Pressure
Because radishes have a decent amount of potassium in them they help regulate your blood pressure.
Protects Blood Vessels
Radishes help your body produce collagen, which helps strengthen and protect blood vessels, decreasing the chances of you getting atherosclerosis.
Soothes Bug Bites
Applying radish juice directly on a bite or sting, can help with the swelling and reduce the pain.
Improves Immune System
Eating radishes regularly can help keep your body from catching a common cold and cough. It’s also shown signs of preventing early aging and inflammation from fevers.
Detoxifies Our Stomachs and Liver
Radishes are filled with fiber, which helps bile to produce easier, and that’s a good thing for your liver and stomach. It also helps with regulating stool consistency, if constipation or diarrhea is an issue. It also works when you’re dealing with a stomach ache.
Works Alongside Your Metabolism
While radishes work great for your digestive system, they also help with your metabolism, especially with issues such as obesity, acidity, gastric problems, and even nausea. Did you catch that? Radishes can help you with weight-loss too! That’s because they are low in carbs and calories, and filling at the same time.
Protects Our Hearts
Radishes contain a fair amount of anthocyanins that work to protect our heart and help it function properly. Because of this, it reduces the possibility of cardiovascular disease.
Fights to Prevent Cancer
Because radishes contain detoxifiers, vitamin C, folic acid, and anthocyanins, they work together to protect you from certain cancers, such as colon, kidney, stomach, intestinal, and oral cancer.
Types of Radishes
Radishes come in all different shapes, sizes, and colors. These are the most common radishes that you will find.
Black/Spanish
This type of radish is round and black on the exterior. They are spicy in flavor and excellent for pickling.
Cherry Belle
Cherry Belle is the red round radishes that you would find at the supermarket anytime throughout the year.
Daikon
These radishes are white and elongated, able to reach up to 18 inches long. They are very popular in Asian dishes.
French Breakfast
This radish is oblong in shape and is 2-toned in color, with red and white. They are really crunchy and mild in flavor. It’s best to enjoy them when they are raw.
Watermelon
Just like its name suggests, watermelon radishes have a light green exterior and a pink interior. It also has somewhat of a peppery taste to it.
Growing Radishes
Most people grow radishes as annuals and have them harvested before they flower. Their flowers have white, or lilac-colored petals. In as little as four weeks after sowing, they are ready for harvest, so you can plant several radish crops throughout the growing season, planting a new batch every 10 days or so.
Make sure that you use fertile, well-moisturized soil when planting them. You’ll want to plant them at least 1 inch apart and in rows of 12 inches apart, at a depth of 1 inch. They need at least 6 hours of sunlight every day, and only need to be lightly-watered 4 to 5 times a week.
Storing Radishes
When you go to select radishes at the supermarket, if it’s possible, it’s best to pick out ones that still have leaves attached to them. Also, make sure that you pick out ones that appear healthy and fresh. Before you store them in the refrigerator, you should take off the green leaves and wash the radishes.
If you’ve sliced them and plan on using them at a later time, make sure that you keep them in water, so that they stay extra crispy and retain their color.
Cooking the Greens of Radishes
You can steam them, boil them, or stir fry them in your oil of choice.
Preparing Radishes
While most people prefer eating radishes raw, or cutting them up and putting them into a salad, they can also be grilled, roasted and even put in a soup or stew. People even use them to make chutney and curries.
Or you can simply have them pickled. Here are 35 radish recipes for you to check out. You see, there are more ways of preparing radishes than just eating them as a snack.
Garden Gloves
These are my favorite garden gloves: DIGZ Garden Gloves They come in different sizes, that’s what I love the most. These are the best rose bush gloves: DIGZ Rose Bush Garden Gloves I have to get the large size for my hands. These are awesome!
Everything You Need to Know Series:
- Cucumbers: Everything You Need to Know
- Kale: Everything You Need to Know
- Broccoli: Everything You Need to Know
- Mushrooms: Everything You Need to Know
- Lettuce: Everything You Need to Know
- Carrots: Everything You Need to Know
- Tomatoes: Everything You Need to Know
- Potatoes: Everything You Need to Know
Final Word
It’s nice to know that you can plant several radish crops throughout the year so that you can enjoy them every few weeks. Are you surprised at how many health benefits radishes provide? If you know another thing or two about radishes that are important, we’d love for you to share your information with us. May God bless this world, Linda
Copyright Images: Radishes Depositphotos_106652582_s-2019, Radishes Spread Out Depositphotos_73527421_s-2019
You said the leaves/tops are edible……what to do with them?
Hi Sandra, I better go add what you can do with them. They are edible just like any other green leaves, just remember the younger they are the more tender the leaves will be. You steam them just like beet greens, etc. They don’t work well in salads because they are too coarse. I have a cooked radish recipe coming soon. Linda
Thank you…expect those at the store are too old but will try steaming with those I grow.
Ooooo, gotta try the radish greens! I never thought about those!
This year I’m going to try lacto-fermenting radishes (ran across a recipe for it, and I’d love to have radishes around longer).
In the garden–since radishes are quick to grow and harvest, you can interplant them around plants that take longer to grow. I’ve done it around things like broccoli, which will eventually take up more space–but while the broccoli’s “getting there” the radishes pop up, mature, and are gone before they will be shaded or would crowd the broccoli. Also, if you have soil that’s a bit dense, scatter some daikon radish seed in the late summer or fall–the long roots reach down into the soil and loosen it, especially if you just leave the radishes there over winter to rot down and add organic matter to the soil. Plus you can always pull a few and enjoy!
Hi Rhonda, oh I love hearing this! Gardening is so fun!! Linda
Radishes can be planted with carrots, especially if the soil is a bit heavy. The radishes have bigger seeds & are planted about 1/2 inch deep. Radishes help loosen and break up clods as they grow, making it easier for carrots to grow. Carrots have relatively small seeds and are planted at 1/4 inch or less deep.
I space my carrot seeds in their row, then plant radishes along either side of the carrots. I have tried spacing the radishes so that they are within 2 inches on either side of the row of carrots. When I’ve done that, my carrots grew really well…. plus I had radishes to snack on as I went out to feed critters and the goats appreciated the radish tops!
All your gardening articles are working, Linda! I’m outside, playing in the dirt several days a week now. I planted 2 replacement blueberry bushes (darn goats!) & a pear tree this week, am recycling two bunker style feed troughs into container gardens, took another gardening class and am trying my hand at starting some tomatoes, squash, spinach and roselle in a homemade seed starting mix. Thank you for the inspiration!
Hi BDN, thank you for your kind words! I LOVE LOVE LOVE playing in the dirt! Life is so good outside in the sunshine! Linda
I have read that during the depression that people ate radish sandwiches. With the price of
food going up and pay checks not going as far lets hope we don’t have to go back to that
unless we want to. Mom always planted radishes and lettuce at the same time. When she
picked lettuce for wilted lettuce she always added radishes, plus green onions too.
Hi June, I think we are definitely going back to depression meals. The price of food just keeps going up. It’s sad but it’s reality. I don’t remember radish sandwiches, but I want to try one now! Linda
Linda, Not sure you have heard of Reiman Publishing but they have some of the best books out there. They might have some in stock you can order. The one i was talking about is called:
When the banks closed, we opened out Hearts. They have many many more wonder books.
Hi June, I am going to go look for this one, I love it! Linda