Radishes add value to salads and quark dips and they contain vitamins, minerals and trace elements. The leaves can also be used; they are suitable for salads, smoothies and pesto. The only drawback: the vegetables wither quickly. Here you will find the best tips and tricks for properly storing radishes.
The race against time begins at the shop counter
The same applies to radishes as to fruit and vegetables in general: only reach for fresh produce. Make sure the leaves look fresh and green. The tubers should be crisp and free from dents or brown spots. If the radishes have been lying on the shelf for a long time, you won’t be able to save much at home. Then it is best if you eat them on the same day.
Prepare radishes for storage
Before storing the radishes anywhere, it’s important to cut off the greens, as the leaves will rob the tuber of strength and moisture. If you remove them, the radishes will age more slowly and stay fresh longer.
Fresh for four weeks – that’s how it works
You can practice a few tricks to keep radishes fresh longer. However, it is not enough just to put the radishes in the refrigerator.
- Remove the leaves and stems, and wash the tubers off with clean water.
- Put the still wet radishes in a plastic bag and close it with a clip.
- Then put the radishes in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator.
- As soon as the radishes have soaked up the liquid, give them fresh water again.
In this way, household experts have actually managed to preserve radishes for up to 28 days. Because the water loss is to blame for the vegetables becoming wrinkled. It can be reduced by the high humidity in the plastic bag. This method also works with lettuce leaves.
Keep radishes fresh in a salt solution
When we drink salt water we run the risk of becoming dehydrated. On the other hand, it works like a fresh cell treatment on radishes.
- After purchasing, cut off the leaves so that all you can see is a green dot on the tuber.
- Place the radishes in a porcelain bowl and fill them with enough water for the radishes to swim in it.
- Add a teaspoon of salt to half a liter of water.
- This is how you create an isotonic solution. It ensures that the tubers do not get mushy.
Store radishes – in paper or a kitchen towel
For this freshness-keeping method, too, first cut off the greens and use a knife to remove the roots on the underside of the tuber. Then moisten a sheet of newspaper, a kitchen roll or a tea towel and wrap the vegetables in it. This is how radishes can be kept in the refrigerator for a short time.
The red tubers in a water bath
If you only want to store radishes for a short time, you can slow their aging process by placing them in a glass or other container full of water. As always, remove the leaves, stems and roots beforehand. It is important to change the water every day.
However, this method is not suitable for longer storage, because after a while the radishes taste bland and watery.
Are the radishes wilted when you buy them?
That can happen too. You were late and got hold of the last bunch of radishes in the supermarket? Unfortunately the tubers are already wrinkled and soft? Then, in your kitchen, soak the wrinkled radishes in fresh water for a few hours or overnight. So they can soak up water and become significantly firmer and fresher again.
Always crispy vegetables from your own cultivation
The safest option for fresh radishes is to pull the tubers yourself. You can start sowing in March. Radishes also thrive in a large earth box on the balcony or terrace. However, the vegetables do not tolerate high temperatures.
