Choose tender-skinned, young radishes for pickling. Their vibrant colors will bleed into the brine, coloring it a very faint pink that children always seem to enjoy.
MAKES: ABOUT 2 QUARTS
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 pounds mixed radishes, such as French Breakfast, Icicle, or Cherry Belle
- 3 tablespoons Sweet Pickling Spice
- 1 teaspoon allspice berries
- 1 teaspoon mustard seed
- 2 bay leaves
- About 6 cups water, plus more if needed
- 2 tablespoons finely ground unrefined sea salt
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Trim the radishes by removing their root tips and any greens. Chop the radishes into bite-sized pieces about ½ inch thick if they’re large, and leave them whole if they’re not. Put the radishes in a 2-quart fermentation crock.
- Pour the pickling spice, allspice, and mustard seed over the radishes, and drop in the bay leaves.
- Heat the water in a saucepan until it reaches blood temperature (98° to 100°F), so it feels neither hot nor cold when you touch it.
- Whisk the salt into the warm water until it dissolves, then pour the brine over the radishes and spices.
- Weigh the radishes down if they float and close your fermentation crock, taking care to leave at least 1 inch of headspace.
- Ferment at room temperature for at least 10 and up to 14 days before tasting.
- If you prefer sourer pickles, continue fermenting the radishes for another week or two.
- Once they’ve acquired a flavor to your liking, transfer them to cold storage and eat within about 6 months.
