WHITE ICICLE RADISH SEEDS

Raphanus sativus

This ubiquitous little daikon radish is easier to grow in warm weather than other spring radishes and makes superb salads and pickles. Greens are healthy additions to soups, salads and spring pestos.

Sow as soon as the soil can be worked and through the entire growing season in all but the hottest climates. Harvest around 30 days after sowing. Clean thoroughly, trim and pickle whole in pink Aka Shiso brine to make Pink Icicle Pickles.

Aka Shiso brine may be obtained in various ways. The easiest is to first make Aka Shiso Syrup: bring good spring water to a boil and toss in several handfuls of washed Aka Shiso leaves and cook them for the few minutes that it takes for them to turn the water bright pink, then remove the leaves and measure the pink water. You'll want at least as much sugar as water. Place sugar and pink water back into the pan and bring to a boil, stirring to help dissolve the sugar. Remove any frothy white stuff from the syrup and decant. Once cooled, this syrup can be combined with rice vinegar or organic distilled white vinegar and salt to pickle the white radishes. The syrup will also make beautiful natural sodas and mixed drinks!

Another method for obtaining pink Aka Shiso brine is to first make a furikake: massage several handfuls of washed Aka Shiso leaves with sea salt, allowing them to macerate for several minutes before draining and rinsing leaves. Place rinsed leaves into salted rice vinegar (about 1 tablespoon of salt to 1/2 cup of vinegar). Macerate in the refrigerator for a few days before removing and drying leaves to mix with salt for use as a seasoning (furikake). Use the brine to make Pink Icicle Pickles!

If you've never made pickles and feel like I'm leaving out pertient information, don't worry. There is more than one way to make a jar of pickles. The absolute easiest is to mix a light vinegar, sugar and salt to taste and pour it over vegetables that you've packed tight into glass jars and place the jars into the refrigerator for a week or so. This same brine can be used to make shelf-stable "canned" pickles, but you're going to have to consult a more seasoned source for sound details on that. Pink Icicle Pickles will keep in the refrigerator for weeks and weeks but probably you'll eat them before that.

Packet contains at least 1000 seeds.