Quick Refrigerator-Pickled Radishes

By
Leda Meredith
Leda Meredith
Leda Meredith
Leda Meredith is a food writer and certified botanist who has written five books on foraging and preserving food.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 02/22/23
Quick radish pickle recipe

The Spruce Eats

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Pickling time: 24 hrs
Total: 24 hrs 10 mins
Servings: 32 servings
Yield: 2 pints
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
8 Calories
0g Fat
2g Carbs
0g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 32
Amount per serving
Calories 8
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 189mg 8%
Total Carbohydrate 2g 1%
Dietary Fiber 0g 2%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 4mg 21%
Calcium 9mg 1%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 68mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

These quick and easy-to-make refrigerator-pickled radishes are ready to eat within a day. You simply need a few minutes of active cooking, although the hardest part is yet to come. Waiting for the pickles to be ready to eat proves difficult to most pickle lovers, but the longer you wait, the better they will taste. These pretty radish slices have the perfect vinegary flavor, with a hint of sweetness thanks to the addition of honey. Great on tacos, burgers, open-faced sandwiches, flatbreads, salads, or served with chicken, fish, or steak, the crunchy radishes add a touch of color to the plate but also a bite for freshness. They look especially attractive if you make them with a colorful variety such as watermelon radishes.

The advantage of quick pickling any vegetable is exactly what the name implies—they're ready to enjoy in about a day's time. All you need is vinegar, water, sugar or honey, salt, spices, and herbs. The radishes can be personalized to your taste, adding more or skipping some of the spices, just keep consistent with the pickling brine amounts. We suggest using chile flakes, but if you're not into spicy food, go for a different flavor, like adding a pinch of curry powder or coriander seeds. No need for a special jar or canning equipment, just two glass pint jars with lids, preferably sterilized or at the very least impeccably clean. 

Our easy recipe works with baby cucumbers, carrots, cauliflower, or any other vegetables you'd like to quick pickle. Keep in mind that the thinner the slices or pieces are, the quicker the flavors will infuse the vegetables. Using a mandoline is a great option, but if you'd like chunkier pieces, simply use a knife. Alternatively, cut the veggies into matchsticks for a different texture.

Ingredients

For the Radishes:

  • 2 pounds radishes

  • 2 sprigs fresh dill, or 1 teaspoon dried dill weed, divided

  • 2 small cloves garlic

  • 2 bay leaves

  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, divided

  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, divided

  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, divided; or 1 small chopped hot chile pepper, optional

For the Brine:

  • 1 1/4 cups water

  • 1/3 cup white wine vinegar, or cider vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon honey

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt, or any other coarse non-iodized salt

Steps to Make It

Prepare the Radishes

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for refrigerator-pickled radishes recipe gathered

    The Spruce Eats

  2. Thoroughly wash the radishes and slice off the stem ends and tips. If using watermelon or daikon radishes, peel them. Leave Cherry Belle and other rosy-skinned radishes unpeeled.

    Trim ends of radishes

    The Spruce Eats

  3. Slice the radishes into 1/8-inch-thick rounds. Smaller radishes simply can be cut in half, and very small ones, less than 1 inch in diameter, can be left whole.

    Cut radishes

    The Spruce Eats

  4. Divide the dill, garlic, bay leaves, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and optional pepper flakes evenly between 2 very clean glass pint jars.

    Divide herbs and spices into glass pint jars

    The Spruce Eats

  5. Pack the radishes in with the spices.

    Pack the jars with radishes

    The Spruce Eats 

Make the Brine

  1. Bring the water, vinegar, honey, and salt to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring frequently to dissolve the honey and salt.

    Brine

    The Spruce Eats

  2. Skim off any foam and discard.

    Skim the top for foam

    The Spruce Eats

  3. Pour the hot brine over the prepared radishes in the jars. The radishes should be completely immersed in the brine.

    Pour brine over radishes

    The Spruce Eats

  4. Tightly cover and store in the refrigerator. Pickled radishes will be ready to eat in 24 hours but will be even better if you can wait a week before serving them. Serve pickled radishes as a condiment.

    Tighten jar lids

    The Spruce Eats

  5. Enjoy!

Crunchy Carrots and Pungent Onions

You can mix and match other vegetables and follow the same basic recipe:

  • Use just 1 pound of radishes and 1 pound of peeled, sliced carrots for a colorfully mixed pickle.
  • Use half of a small onion, peeled and sliced instead of the garlic for a milder pickle.

Storage of Refrigerator Radishes

  • Pickled radishes will keep in the refrigerator for up to six months but are best if eaten within three months. They are still safe to eat after three months, but they will start to lose some crunchiness and the flavor will be less intense and bright.
  • Be mindful that the utensils you use to take the radishes out of the jars should have any leftover food from other dishes, and most importantly no saliva, as this will increase the risk of bacterial growth.