Easy Lacto-Fermented Radish Recipe

Often I hear of gardeners planting “too many” radishes and they don’t know what to do with them all. Some may find them to be too spicy for their palate or for their children’s for that matter. Well, soon you will see that there is no such thing as “too many” with this lacto-fermented radish recipe. The fermentation process takes away the spice that some don’t particularly care for and your kids may even end of loving them as well. I’m serious, my two year old daughter can’t get enough of them! Before we dive into the recipe, lets go over some frequently asked questions about lacto-fermentation.

What is Lacto-Fermentation?

Lacto-fermentation is an ancient process that most traditional societies throughout history have used to preserve their food. The salt water brine ensures that no harmful bacteria can survive while the lactobacillus (the good bacteria) is able to thrive. The lactobacillus is able to then feed off of the natural sugars that are present on your vegetables/fruits and in doing so produces lactic acid. This lactic acid is what creates a healthy and safe environment for your vegetables and acts as a preservative.

Why Lacto-Fermentation?

The health benefits of eating lacto-fermented foods have been proven over the ages. Its unfortunate that is seems we have lost this simple old practice in our modern world, but it seems to be making a come back and for good reason!

The lactobacillus found in the ferment is a probiotic that helps us digest our food. It adds good bacteria to our gut that is pivotal to our health and having a healthy immune system. In a way, the bacteria “pre-digests” our food making it easier on our bodies to process and actually makes the vitamins and nutrients more bioavailable.

Another benefit of course, is just how simple, easy and fast it is to preserve your harvest this way! Canning is a food preservation method that definitely has merit, but for all you canners out there you know there is a little bit more prep work involved. Fermentation hands down wins against canning when it comes to ease and speed.

Is Lacto-Fermentation Safe?

Yes! Lacto-fermentation is a very safe way to preserve your food. As long as you have the salt to water ratio correct (which actually has more wiggle room than you may think), there is no chance of any harmful bacteria to grow. The great thing with this method is that it takes only common sense to know that something went wrong. If it smells bad or looks bad, it is bad. Toss it out and start over.

Now that you know more about the the lacto-fermenting process and some reasons why you should preserve your harvest this way, let’s get started putting a new spin on those radishes and not let them go to waste!

Equipment For Lacto-Fermented Radishes

I highly recommend this lacto-fermenting kit. It has everything you need to get started and is what I use myself for all my fermenting! Or you can buy the fermenting lids and glass weights separately.

Easy Lacto-Fermented Radishes

An easy way to preserve your radish harvest. Enjoy them on salads, sandwiches, or just on their own for a nutritious snack!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Ferment Time 7 days d

Servings 1 Quart Jar

Equipment

• 1 Quart size wide mouth mason jar
• 1 Glass fermenting weight
• 1 Fermenting top and canning ring
• 1 Mandoline optional

Ingredients

  

• 1 pound radishes sliced
• 3 tsp sea salt must be a non iodized salt
• 3 cups water must be non chlorinated water
• seasonings of choice optional- see notes

Instructions

 

• Wash radishes well. Remove the tops, tails and cut out any bad spots. Slice thinly using a knife or a mandoline. You can also quarter them instead if you prefer, but the fermenting may take a little longer.
• Wash jar well with hot soapy water. Add seasonings of choice to jar (optional) and then fill jar with radishes. Leave about 1 inch headspace to prevent too much brine bubbling over during fermentation process.
• Add salt to the water in a separate jar to prepare your brine. Shake well to dissolve salt completely. Then pour over radishes. Some prefer to prepare the brine by heating a small amount of water to help the salt completely dissolve and then add the rest of the cool water. I've found this extra step isn't actually necessary, but it's an option if you prefer. Just make sure to let your brine cool completely before pouring over the radishes.
• Place your glass fermenting weight on top and make sure all radishes are completely submerged on under brine. If you don't have a glass weight see note below.
• Place your fermentation lid on top and secure with metal mason jar ring. You can alternatively use a regular mason jar lid with ring, BUT you will have to remember to "burp" your jars everyday.
• Allow to sit out at room temperature out of direct sunlight for about 3-7 days. The fermentation time can change depending on the temperature of your house and how sour you like it to taste. See note below.
• When fermentation is complete, remove fermenting lid and glass fermenting weight. Put a regular lid on jar and move to cold storage. These will last in your refrigerator for 6 months or longer. I prefer to use the plastic lids for mason jars because the metal tops and rings can potentially rust over time.

Video

Notes

1) Add whatever herbs or seasoning you prefer. You can get creative with this!  If you prefer to leave them out that’s fine too this is totally optional. The amount you use is up to you too depending on your preference. Some ideas include pickling spice, garlic scapes, garlic cloves, dill fresh or dried, mustard seed, red pepper flakes, thyme, oregano.

2) The fermentation process can take anywhere between 3 and 7 days. The warmer your house, the less time it takes. You can taste after 3 days or so and see if you are happy with the flavor. It should have a nice smell and be slightly bubbly with a nice sour flavor. If you see any black mold forming or notice a bad smell, discard and do not taste. Always use a clean utensil when removing radishes from jars to avoid introducing bad bacteria.

3) If your don’t have a glass weight, you can get creative with this and use other things like cabbage leaves, cabbage core, grape leaves, plastic zip lock bag with rocks to hold your radishes under the brine.

Well, there you have it! It really is that easy to make this lacto-fermented radish recipe! Fall is a wonderful time to plant radishes too. So now that you know how to preserve them in an easy and healthy way, nothing is stopping you from going radish crazy this fall so you can enjoy them all winter long.

Leave a comment below and let me know how it went! Thanks for stopping by the homestead! God bless!

Rebecca