Kem Ormond’s garden: How to grow daikon radishes and pickle vegetables

Why not try growing a few daikon radishes this season? Photo / Pexels, Anna Nekrashevich

Kem Ormond is a features writer for The Country. She’s also a keen gardener. This week, she’s singing the praises of the daikon radish as well as pickled vegetables.

OPINION

You will find that having a few jars of pickled vegetables in your cupboard over the summer will be a real bonus.

Pickling vegetables is an effortless way to preserve fresh produce when you find yourself with extra from the garden.

Yes, I know it is hard to think about summer as we are stoking our fires and watching the wind and rain batter our vegetable garden, but when it comes to planting our summer garden, we need to have planning under way already.

Pickled vegetables are great to use in hamburgers, sandwiches, wraps, with cold meats, hot dogs, or barbecues; the list is endless.

I make jars of pickled pink onion slices when my red onions are in full swing.

I also make vegetable pickles consisting of carrots, cucumber, radishes (including daikon), beans, onions, cabbage, asparagus and cauliflower, to name a few.

I usually use a one-to-one ratio of vinegar and water as this suits my slightly sour taste buds.

If you like your pickles sweeter, add less vinegar and up the water.

You need to make and taste a few times to get the ratio that suits.

When it comes to vinegar, I use white or cider but have been known to use Spanish vinegar or red wine vinegar.

I always put my pickles into glass jars with a snap lid and rubber seal.

I find that boiling the mixture and cooling to room temperature before adding to the vegetables seems to bring out the flavour more.

By cutting your vegetables into small pieces, they should pickle in a few hours.

You may wish to add a small amount of sugar and a touch of salt.

I often add mustard seeds as well.

Pickled vegetables will last three weeks in the fridge.

Daikon radish

If you haven’t tried daikon radish in your pickles, why not try growing a few this season?

They are like gigantic white elongated radishes, so make sure you have plenty of room in your garden to grow them.

Daikon radishes are relatively easy to grow, preferring loose, well-draining soil with lots of organic matter and full sun to partial shade.

They require consistent moisture but don’t like soggy soil.

Aim to plant them in early spring or late summer for optimal growth.

Plant seeds about 4cm apart and space rows about 30cm apart.

Harvesting usually occurs around 60 days.

It’s best to harvest promptly to avoid the roots becoming woody, as sometimes happens to carrots.

You will find they make great gifts for friends and family as well.

Happy gardening!