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Sweet refrigerator pickled radishes

Thin radish slices in a sweet vinegar pickle with mustard seed and bay, following UC Master Food Preserver refrigerator instructions.

By PickleRadio editorialUpdated
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Thin pickled radish rounds in a jar with mustard seeds and a bay leaf.
In this guide5 sections

For a sweet, sharp sandwich topping

Yield: about 1 pint. Cooling time: about 1 hour. Chill time: 6 hours before serving.

The sugar in this small batch makes it a useful partner for something salty or savoury: cheddar on toast, a bean salad, or a plate of potatoes. It is a deliberately sweet pickle. If you want the flavour of a plain salted radish, serve fresh radishes alongside your meal instead of expecting this recipe to taste the same.

Recipe: UC Master Food Preserver sweet pickled radishes.

Set up before measuring

Choose a jar with a wide enough opening to arrange the rounds without crushing them. A small stainless-steel or enamelled saucepan, a ladle and a clean cloth will make filling less awkward.

Slice the radishes evenly. The narrow rounds are easy to layer inside a sandwich, while thick pieces would be more noticeable with each bite. Keep the trimmed ends out of the prepared bowl. Wash the radishes before taking off the ends so soil does not follow the knife onto the cut surfaces.

Clean empty glass jars, a measuring jug and a small bowl of salt on a kitchen worktop.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb radishes, tops and roots removed, cut into 1/8-inch slices
  • 1/2 cup white vinegar, 5% acidity
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon pickling salt
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 bay leaf

Method

  1. Wash radishes under running water, trim and slice as listed. Wash and rinse a 1-pint jar and keep it hot. Bring vinegar, sugar, water, salt, mustard seeds, pepper and bay leaf to a boil.
    Thin radish rounds on a board with the trimmed ends set aside.
    Keep the radish slices thin and even.
  2. Pack radish slices into a clean, hot 1-pint jar.
    Thin radish slices packed into a clean pint jar before the liquid is added.
    Pack the thin rounds into the clean, hot pint jar.
  3. Ladle the hot liquid over the radishes. Release trapped air bubbles, wipe the rim with a clean damp paper towel and fit a two-piece lid.
    Seasoned hot liquid ladled over radish slices in a pint jar.
    Cover the radishes with the hot liquid, then release trapped air and wipe the rim.
  4. Cool on a wire rack for about 1 hour, then refrigerate. Chill for 6 hours before serving.
  5. Keep refrigerated and use within 4 months.

Use a few slices at a time

Lift out the portion you need and let the excess liquid drip back before adding it to bread. Leave the bay leaf in the jar rather than serving it. On a snack plate, a small dish is easier to share than passing the whole jar around.

Pair a few rounds with hot pickle cheese toast when you want a sweet contrast to cheddar. For a less sweet jar, try quick pickled red onions. Keep refrigerated.

Keep the jar open

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