FLAVORING OPTIONS [Choose from one of the following]
1tspfennel seeds + 1 tsp anise seeds
1-3garlic clovespeeled and cut into slivers
1teaspoondried dill(1 tablespoon fresh)
1 sliced green onion, plus a bit of sliced red onion
Instructions
PREP FLAVORING ITEM.Prep what you'll be using to flavor your radishes.
PREP RADISHES.Remove tops and tails. Rinse clean. Then, quarter radishes into wedges or slice no thinner than 1/4 inch. You want chunks, not thin slices which.
WEIGH JAR.Use a digital scale to obtain the weight—tare—of your jar (471 grams, for example). Write this number down.
PACK JAR.Add 1 teaspoon of sugar to the jar (cuts the bite from the radishes, optional.)Place what you'll be using to flavor your radishes sticks in the bottom of your jar then snugly pack radishes into the jar leaving one inch of head space.
TOP WITH WATER. Pour water over radishes letting it percolate down.
CALCULATE & ADD 2.5% SALT.Weigh your packed jar. The number on the scale is the weight of the jar, plus the weight of the vegetables and the water (1286 grams, for example).Subtract the jar weight from the total weight (1286 – 471 = 815, for example).Multiply the weight of the contents in your jar by 0.025 (851 x. 0.025 = 20.3, for example).Tare a small dish and weigh the correct grams of salt (20 grams, for example).Add this salt to your jar of radishes.
DISSOLVE SALT.Screw on a standard canning jar lid and rim and tightly secure. Shake the jar for a couple of minutes to dissolve the salt.Remove lid.
SUBMERGE & SEAL.Add a fermentation weight to keep the vegetables submerged under the brine. Close the jar either with an airlock or with a lid left loose enough to allow CO2 to escape.
FERMENT.Label with recipe name, date, and salt concentration. Place in a shallow bowl on your kitchen counter, out of direct sunlight to ferment until active bubbling stops, usually, 7-14 days depending upon the temperature of your room. The color from the radishes will turn the brine a beautiful pink, which sadly fades over time. Feel free to taste them along the way. The radishes are ready when bubbles have stopped rising to the surface, there is a slightly sour aroma and they taste tangy.
STORE.Add the fermentation length to your label and put in the refrigerator. Your fermented radishes may be eaten immediately, but will increase in flavor with time and will keep for up to a year, though they lose color as the months go on.
Notes
My favorite salt for fermentation is Himalayan Pink.I talk about the best salt for fermentation here, here. In short, use non-iodized salt.
Flavoring your radishes. Experiment with different flavorings to find your favorite combination.
Below the brine. For worry-free fermentation, it is best to use some sort of weight to hold the radishes below the brine.
No airlock?Airlocks allow excess gases to escape. If you don’t have an airlock, burp the jar once daily during the first 3 days.
Adjust fermentation time based on ambient room temperature and desired product. The ideal fermentation temperature is 65-70°F (18-21°C) is ideal. If it is super hot, shorten; cold, lengthen.
Do drink leftover fermented brine, or use it to make salad dressings.