Pickling is fun, I know this. There are so many different recipes and endless combinations of vegetables. Every air tight mason jar is a blank canvas for your creative mind. It can be suspiciously easy or extremely complicated, depends on the recipe. My An Ma’s (Grandma) pickled recipe is easy as cake and so darn delicious. Then there’s kimchi, which used to have me staring at the ingredient list and instructions for an hour before deciding to go take a nap instead. Every country has their own version of pickles, most require some type of radish or crunchy vegetable.

When I saw that radishes were in season, I thought it was time to put all my pickle jars to use. Below is a recipe that’s not only simple but will be perfect for all your summer condiment needs. After a day or so, the red pigment will seep out from the red radishes, turning the brine and radishes into a beautiful shade of pink.

I use them to perk up any salad with their crunch and beautiful color. They also go great with steak or BBQ meat - if you want a tart kick to go with the meaty bites.

These easily overlooked condiments should be celebrated instead of being considered a forever sidekick. So go ahead, pickle all the things.

Pickled Radish

makes enough for (2-3) 12 oz jars

Ingredients

1 medium daikon (white radish), thinly sliced

5 red radishes, thinly sliced

1 purple radish, thinly sliced

1 medium cucumber, thinly sliced

2 tbsp salt

2 cups white distilled vinegar

2 cups water

1 cup sugar

(2-3) 12 oz pickle jars

Preparation

After washing, thinly slice the radishes in circles.
In a bowl, add the salt to the sliced radishes. Mix well and let sit for 5-10 minutes.
The salt will extract the water from the radishes after 10 minutes. Drain the salt water and rinse with cold water.
In a separate bowl, add distilled vinegar, water and sugar together. Mix until sugar is fully dissolved.
Arrange your radishes in the pickle jars. I like to alternate between all 4 to showcase all the different patterns and colors of the radish.
Pour the brine over the radishes. Make sure there is enough liquid in each jar to fully submerge all of the radishes.
Let the radish marinate for at least 4 hours before serving.
Served cold and enjoy the refreshing crunch.

Good to know

Technically, these are good to go after 1 hour in the brine but I like to leave mine for at least 24 hours. It makes them extra crunchy!