And we're back fellow Gardeners!
I see my friend @pixelhuntersam shared her amazing radish harvest and I was inspired to share mine.
On October 10 I decided it was time to pull up my radishes and see how they were doing, which in turn gave me a bit of a shock. In my earlier posts, I mentioned that one set of radishes was doing better than the others and I couldn't figure out why. Pulling them up revealed the truth.
Icicle radishes and regular radishes.
I had planted two different kinds of radishes and completely forgot about it. Anyway, with the exception of some poor root development, I had just shy of a pound of radishes.
Washed
I took some time washing them, and you'll notice the cracking in one of the regular bulbs to the left. This was caused by me watering one day, and then us receiving rain unexpectantly. This is a pain, but luckily as I use potting soil and not manure, I wasn't overly concerned. A little hot water and some gentle scrubbing, the radishes were ready for the next step.
Neatly trimmed and ready
I've been growing radishes for about two years now, and though I love them in a salad, the ones I grow always tend toward the peppery side. So, to avoid the unpalatable roots, I decided to pickle them with a recipe given to me by another friend who loves growing radishes.
After slicing them thinly and shoving them in a jar, I realised I didn't have enough for my recipe, but luckily, I had bought some radishes from the store just in case this occurred.
Storebought radishes
I think the reason these guys look so perfect is because they're grown in sand, or that's what I would guess from the particles on them. Anyway, once the jar was filled and the quick pickling solution had come to a boil it was time to pour it into the container.
Cooling to room temperature
I allowed the bottle to cool overnight with a finger tightened lid, which was tightened more before adding the fridge. The reason for the cling wrap was because of the acidic medium. I didn't want the lid to start to rust.
Today (21 October) I decided it was time to open the jar. Quick pickling normally takes a week, but I kinda forgot about it. AKA, Lex trying to not eat the entire bottle in one sitting.
Quick pickled radishes
The radishes have taken on the colour of the solution as well as the pigment from the red radishes. Now for the taste test!
Taste test
SUCCESS!!!!
The radishes were a mixture of tangy, spicy, and still retained a lot of their crunch, as they were pickled the day they were picked. Now all I need is some cheese to go with this!
The Future
The garden is still going well! The bush beans are getting large, while the baby watermelon is lagging, but is still alive. Tomorrow I have to get another 20-liter container and a bag of potting soil to pot the cantaloupes over. I have left them for too long and they are way too big to just gently untangle from each other. They'll need to be placed in a specific place in the garden so they can sprawl or I will need to build a heavy-duty trellis system for them.
The strawberries are petering out now, which is fine, as they'll be sending out runners soon, just in time to become Christmas gifts! So, if there is anyone in Cape Town, South Africa that would like a little strawberry plant. Let me know, and I'll get one growing for you.
But that's it for now, my fellow gardeners. I'll see all of you later in the week when I discuss my success with making my own sourdough bread! Happy gardening fellow earth diggers!
