Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Pickled Watermelon Radish

I'm going to miss my CSA box from Tomatero Farms this winter.  Although I go to their stand weekly anyway at the Farmer's Market, it was always nice to have a few vegetable decisions made for me.  For a few weeks running we were getting watermelon radish, something I had zero experience with.  The first time we didn't get a lot and they were mixed in with the beets so I assumed they were turnips and I roasted them off.  They were nice that way but it wasn't something I was going to pull off every night.  Then we got quite a few the next week--I just stored them in my Debbie Meyer Green Bags and waited.  I was waiting for inspiration.  Then we got another big bag of them.  Time to make a decision.  I REALLY did not want to waste these so I looked up a few pickling recipes and decided to try out one that didn't take a ton of effort.  I'm still working my way into preserving--I have all the supplies, I just need to convince myself to do it (I have some beets that are on their last stand, maybe I'll get to them this week).  Anyway, this recipe worked well, and it turns out the pickled radish is a nice snack, you start eating them and it's difficult to stop.  Because I had at least 5 pounds of them I ended up with 5 quart jars full of the stuff and took it to a potluck to try to get through them, they were a hit with most, I did have one person who was not into them AT ALL.  They last about a month max in the fridge, so maybe if you have a ton of them you can bring them as a fun contribution to Thanksgiving dinner.  There is honey in this recipe, I don't think you can leave it out, it really balances the sour out.  Use a local source and get it raw Grade B.  Also, you can do this with any radish really.  I love this information about the health benefits of radish from www.organicauthority.com:  Radishes have been revered as a powerful food throughout history. It's said the Greek physician Androcydes ordered his patients to eat radish to avoid getting intoxicated, which makes sense given they stimulate the function of our livers and digestion. Radishes and their leaves are an excellent source of vitamin C. The leaves are also a good source of calcium. Studies have found radishes can aid the body in the lowering of cholesterol, blood pressure and chances of getting certain cancers

Pickled Watermelon Radish

1.5 pounds radishes, sliced thin with a mandolin--if you are using small radish, you can leave them whole
1/4 cup kosher salt
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemons
1 cove minced garlic
3 (2 inch) pieces of lemon zest

Place the radishes in a colander in the sink and toss with salt. Let rest for 15 minutes to extract some of the water.
Mix the sesame oil, honey, vinegar, lemon juice and garlic in a bowl and set aside.
Rinse the radishes and dry with a paper towel.
Add the radishes to the pickling mixture you created.
Add the lemon zest.
Place into a Ball jar and let marinate at least 1 hour.
Refrigerate to store. Lasts up to 1 month.

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