Description

The garden radish is a crisp, peppery root vegetable that provides an instant refresh to any plate. Known for its bright red skin and snowy white interior, it offers a signature “zing” that can range from mild to spicy. Whether sliced thin for a crunchy salad, served with butter and salt on crusty bread, or pickled for a tangy taco topping, it is the ultimate fast-growing garden treat.

Radishes are ancient vegetables believed to have originated in South Asia or China. They were so highly valued in Ancient Egypt that they were depicted on tomb walls and given as rations to the workers building the pyramids. The Greeks and Romans further refined the varieties, and by the 16th century, they had become a staple across Europe. The small, round red radish we know today was popularized in the 18th century as a “spring” delicacy.

Radishes are the “sprinters” of the garden, often ready to eat just 25 days after planting. They are a cool-season crop with peak harvests in Spring and Autumn. They thrive in the mild temperatures of April and May or September and October; if grown in the mid-summer heat, they tend to become excessively woody and spicy.