FoodFood InformationVegetables
Radishes come in assorted colors, shapes, and sizes. The most common
ones are of the small, red, globe-shaped variety and are marketed either
in bunches with their green tops attached or in cello bags (usually six
ounces) without the greens. The bunched radishes are harvested and bunched
by hand, then packed with crushed ice and rushed to market. They are fairly
perishable and must be sold within a few days of picking or the tender green
tops start to break down. If those tops are withered, and especially if
they have started to turn yellow, it's a tell tale sign that the radishes
aren't fresh. In some areas, these tops, provided they are fresh and green,
are highly prized as a salad green.
Once you bring these bunched radishes home, clip off the greens immediately.
If left attached to the radishes, they will hasten their demise. This advice
also applies to carrots, beets, and kohlrabies, which are also often sold
with their green tops attached.
The topless radishes in the plastic bags have a much longer shelf life.
The ones you purchase could be quite fresh, but chances are they have been
kicking around for a few weeks. Give the topless radish a good squeeze,
to check. If the radish is soft or rubbery, it isn't fresh. If it is very
firm and unyielding, it is fresh.
As a rule, most self-service markets prefer to sell the packaged radishes
because they require little or no care and last much longer. The bagged
radishes usually sell for about half the price of the bunched radishes because
they are harvested, washed, topped, and bagged by machine.
There are also some radishes that are pure white in color. The most common
of these is a long, slender variety called the Icicle. They usually
come topless in cello packages and are crisp and zesty when they are fresh.
Use the same pressure test described above to determine freshness.
A giant white radish that looks like a huge albino carrot is also available.
These unusual radishes are of Oriental origin and are called daikon.
Up until a few years ago they could be found only in Oriental food stores,
but today they can be found in many of the larger supermarkets. Daikon is
marketed without tops and isn't nearly as perishable as the smaller white
or red radishes.
Black radishes look like huge, ebony-colored beets. But beneath their
unattractive outer appearance lies a pure white flesh that is crisp in texture
and has a sharp zesty flavor. They have a long shelf life and, if stored
in a cool area, stay firm and fresh for months on end. Black radishes are
widely used in Eastern Europe. In America they are primarily sold in markets
that have a Russian or Polish clientele. The traditional Old World way to
use black radishes is to slice them into wafer-thin strips, ice the slices,
and serve them with rendered chicken fat, salt, and black bread.
The ugly duckling of the radish family is the horseradish.
This hard as a rock, gnarled root is very sharp and pungent in flavor. It
is too hard to cut with a knife and has to be grated before it can be used.
White vinegar is often added to the grated horseradish to make a rather
fluid paste. Sometimes a raw grated beet is added for color and to cut the
sharpness of the flavor. Commercial prepared horseradish isn't quite as
sharp and zesty as the homemade product.
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