How to Store Radishes to Keep Them Fresh

Wondering the best way to store fresh radishes? This ultimate guide to storing radishes answers all your questions about how to keep radishes fresh and crisp, whether you store them in the fridge, freezer, on the counter, or in the basement.

Radishes are a root vegetable with a bitter, peppery taste. They are a part of the cruciferous vegetable family, along with kale, broccoli, cauliflower, and many others. Red radishes, horseradishes, and watermelon radishes are among the multiple varieties that are grown. Their crunchy texture is perfect for salads and soups, and you can also roast them to make a delicious side dish or snack. We’re always searching for ways to extend the life of fresh radishes!

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The best way to store radishes for a short period of time is to cover them in water and store in the refrigerator or on the countertop for up to one week. If you’d like to store radishes for longer periods of time, simply blanch and then freeze them and they will keep for up to six months.

Ready to learn all of the methods for storing radishes to keep them fresh? Let’s do it!

🥶 How to keep radishes fresh in the refrigerator

Storing radishes in the refrigerator is a great way to maintain their freshness and use them in cooking whenever you please. Here are the best ways to store them in the fridge:

♻️ Reusable storage bag and damp towel method

One way to store radishes in the fridge is to keep them in an airtight, reusable storage bag. After washing the radishes and cutting off the greens, you will place them in a storage bag that is lined with a damp kitchen towel.

Store the bag with the radishes in the crisper drawer of your fridge, and they’ll maintain their quality for 10 to 14 days.

Why a damp towel? This part is important – it will provide them with humidity and moisture that will keep them fresh for longer. You can also use paper towels but we’re all about reducing waste so we choose reusable kitchen towels when we can.

💧 Water method

Storing radishes in a jar or bowl of water inside the fridge is a great way to maintain their texture and flavor for up to 1 week. Here’s how to do it:

1. Simply place the radish roots in a bowl that’s filled with 2-5 inches of water and place it wherever you would like in your fridge. Be careful not to place the bowl in a part of the fridge where it’s likely to spill.
2. The radishes will absorb the water from the bowl, so you’ll want to monitor it and add more water to the bowl as needed.
3. Tip: When using this storage method for radishes, you do not need to cut off the greens-this will help keep them fresh.

🥣 How to store radishes on the counter

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Yes, you can store radishes on the counter! The best way to do this is to use the water bowl method, which is the same as what you would use if you stored them in water in the fridge.

Simply take the radishes out of the water and dry them when you’re ready to use.

Your radishes will stay good for up to a week using this method. It is perfect for if you are running out of storage and freezer space, but still want to keep them fresh for as long as possible.

👉 How to store radishes in a cellar or basement

If you have lots of radishes to store, keeping them in a basement or cellar is a great way to keep them fresh for up to 3 months at a time. People who grow their own radishes often use this method.

Here are the steps to follow to store radishes in a cellar:

1. Fill a box with damp dirt or sand.
2. Bury the harvested radishes beneath the dirt or sand in the box. They should be buried separately and not touching other radishes.
3. Take the radishes out of the box as needed, and then store them in the refrigerator or freezer.

🧊 How to store radishes in the freezer

If you want to store your radishes in the freezer, it is best to cut or slice them first, rather than storing them whole.

Here are the steps to follow for freezing radishes:

1. Blanch the radish slices: Blanching helps to preserve the nutrition and flavor of vegetables before freezing them. To blanch radishes, you will take the slices and submerge them in boiling water, and then transfer them to a bowl filled with ice water for two minutes at a time. Once removed from the ice water, pat them dry with a paper towel. It’s important to remove excess moisture from the radish slices before placing them in the freezer.
2. Place cut radishes into freezer bags: Using freezer bags for radish storage will allow them to maintain their quality the longest. However, you can also keep them in an airtight freezer-safe container. Before placing them in the freezer, make sure to squeeze excess air out of the bag to prevent freezer burn.

As long as the radishes are stored properly, they will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months.

When you’re ready to eat the radishes, you can thaw them by running under cold water. This should only take a couple of minutes and then you can cook them or use them as you please.

👉 Want more info on freezing radishes? Check out our full guide on freezing radishes to keep them fresh.

💡 Other ways to preserve radishes

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Another way to store radishes long-term is to pickle or can them. Depending on the method you use, storing radishes this way may allow them to keep for much longer compared to storing them in the fridge, freezer, or basement.

We recommend trying our recipe for Quick Dill Pickled Radishes. To pickle the radishes, all you have to do is cut them from their greens and slice them, place them in a pickling jar with brine, and refrigerate. You can eat them as soon as 4 hours after pickling, but they will last up to 2-3 months in the refrigerator.

❓ What is the shelf life of radishes

The shelf life of radishes depends on the method that you use to store them. They do tend to have a longer shelf life compared to other vegetables. When stored on the counter or in the fridge, they’ll last for 7-10 days.

However, radishes will keep for months at a time if you store them in the freezer or basement, or if you decide to pickle or can them.

If you store radishes as is without taking the proper steps to help them retain moisture (cutting off their leaves, etc) they dry out and lose their quality more quickly. It’s important to properly store them to get the most flavor out of radishes.

🌱 What to do with radish leaves

Since most of the storage methods for fresh radishes involve cutting off the leaves, you might be wondering what to do with them.

Radish leaves are edible and there are so many different ways that you can use them to take advantage of their tasty flavors. Not to mention, using radish leaves in recipes is a great way to reduce food waste since they are commonly thrown out.

Before using radish leaves, you’ll want to wash them to remove any dirt. Then, prepare them in any way you’d like! Here are a few of our favorite recipes that use radish greens:

• Radish Greens Smoothie
• Baked Radish Greens
• Radish Greens Pesto Pasta
• Radish Greens Pesto Sauce
• Radish Greens Chimichurri

🥗 Ideas for cooking radishes

Love radishes? There are so many different ways that you can enjoy their crunch. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• As a taco or nacho topping: Level up your tacos or nachos with some crunchy radishes!
• Add to a salad or bowl: Sliced radishes make a great addition to salads or bowls. They’ll add a note of freshness, crunch, and flavor.
• As a simple snack: You can enjoy radishes on their own as a snack. Pair them with hummus or your favorite vegetable dip.
• Roasted as a side dish: Roasted radishes make a delicious side for just about any meal. Try making our Roasted Radish Chips.

♻️ Want more inspiration for going green in the kitchen? Join the Green Living Community for plant-based recipes, sustainable kitchen hacks, and get our FREE guide to meal planning to reduce food waste!

Source: https://gardencourte.com
Categories: Garden news