Easiest Fermented Radish Recipe (Fermented Whole Radishes)

Lacto-Fermented Radish Recipe

Want to learn how to make the easiest fermented radish recipe? Maybe you’re new to fermenting, or maybe you have a glut of extra radishes hanging around. Either way, this post will show you that making fermented whole radishes is as easy as 1, 2, 3.

What is lacto-fermentation?

LACTO-FERMENTATION is how most fermented foods (including sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles, yogurt, kefir, wine, and salami) are made! It's also how we're going to make this mouth-watering fermented radish recipe.

In lacto-fermentation, good bacteria from the LACTOBACILLUS GENUS break down the sugars in food and convert them into tangy lactic acid (as well as alcohol and carbon dioxide - Champagne anyone?).

In this lacto-fermented radish recipe, the natural Lactobacillus bacteria that are present on the surface of the radishes will transform their sugars into GUT-LOVING probiotic bacteria.

Check it out on IG!

Fermented Radish Benefits

Is fermented radish good for you? YES!

Fermented vegetables are MUCH EASIER TO DIGEST than raw vegetables because the Lactobacillus bacteria essentially did the digesting for you during the fermentation.

Additionally, the fermentation process destroys toxic plant chemicals, like phytic acid, which are disruptive to our microbiome.

How To Make This Fermented Radish Recipe

We’re going to make fermented WHOLE radishes, which makes this the easiest fermentation. Let’s learn how to make fermented radishes!

1. Equipment

You only need 3 PIECES OF EQUIPMENT for any fermentation: the fermentation vessel/s, a scale, and a large bowl.

For our fermentation vessel, we’ll use glass jars. I reuse old ones (I've saved hundreds over the years...).

EQUIPMENT FOR FERMENTED RADISHES

• Glass jars
• Digital scale
• Large bowl
• Fermenting weights (optional)

2. Ingredients

I used French breakfast radishes because their spiciness sings on my palette, and their mixed hues of pink and white are just too pretty.

INGREDIENTS FOR FERMENTED RADISHES

• Radishes (any kind will do - preferably local & organic)
• Filtered water
• Salt (I use 100% natural sea salt, which is rich in essential minerals)

3. Steps

Just 9 steps to tangy deliciousness…

1 | PREP THE RADISHES

The prep here is fairly easy.

SOAK the radishes in water to remove any dirt and/or pesticides on them (though I recommend you buy organic). Let them dry (either by patting them with a towel or letting them air dry).

Slice off the leafy greens, as well as the tail end of each radish.

2 | FILL THE JARS

Place the radishes in the glass jars. Don’t fill the jars more than about 80% full. Then, pour filtered water into each jar (nearly all the way to the top).

You can also ADD SPICES at this step if you’d like. Garlic and dill go excellently with radish.

As you can see, I also experimented with halved and finely sliced radishes.

3 | WEIGH THE WATER 

Place the large bowl on your digital scale, and zero it out.

Pour the water from each radish jar (keeping the radishes inside the jars) into the bowl. Set the unit to GRAMS.

4 | MAKE THE BRINE

SALT is essential for any fermentation. It kills bad bacteria and allows the good Lactobacillus bacteria to thrive!

Most fermentation brines are a 2% SALT SOLUTION. 

Take the weight of your water (in grams) and multiply it by .02. That is how many grams of salt you will need to add to the water.

EXAMPLE: The water weighs 1,000 grams. 1,000 x .02 = 20. You’ll add 20 grams of salt to the water.

Add the salt to the water and give it a good mix until it’s well-dissolved.

5 | POUR IN THE BRINE

Pour the salted water (the brine) back into the radish jars.

6 | WEIGHT IT DOWN

One CRITICAL aspect of fermentation is making sure that everything is submerged under the water.

Anything above the water line (that's exposed to oxygen) will get moldy.

You can use fermenting weights to keep everything under the water. You could also use the radish leaves to push everything down. In the photo, I haven't yet submerged the leaves under the water, but you must do this.

Everything must be under the water line so nothing gets moldy.

People also use rocks (sterilize them first) or plastic bags full of water (though I recommend avoiding any plastic).

Either way, it's critical that everything stays submerged under the water during the entire fermentation process.

7 | COVER THE JARS

Carbon dioxide bubbles are created during fermentation, which need to be released (or the jars can explode!). You have 2 options: either cover the jars loosely with their lids, or close them tightly and "burp" the jars everyday.

LOOSELY COVER: Option 1 is to place each lid on loosely, just enough to make sure bugs/dust can't get into the fermentation. This allows the gas to naturally escape and doesn't require you to do any more work.

BURP THE JARS: Option 2 is to close the lids on all the way, which ensures that nothing will spill if they get tipped over. But it obligates you to release the gas everyday by taking the lids off each jar for a moment. You also need to make sure your hands are clean each time you do this.

I typically use option 1 (loosely cover the jars) because I know nothing will knock them over and don't want to be obligated to "burping" everyday.

8 | FERMENTATION TIME

The fermentation is complete once you don’t see any more bubbles being created in the jar. This can take A FEW DAYS, and upwards of a MONTH.

The longer you let it ferment, the more acidic (and probiotic-enriched) it will become.

I usually let my fermentations carry on for 2+ weeks, sometimes even more than a month, because I love strong flavors and I want all those probiotics!

Leave the jars UNDISTURBED during the fermentation.

9 | STORAGE

Once finished, place the fermented radishes IN THE FRIDGE, where they will last for many months.

You can also store your fermentations outside the fridge if you sterilize everything (EXCEPT the radishes) and increase the salt solution to 3-10%. See the FAQ (in the next section) for more details.

FAQ

1. Is this like a radish sauerkraut?

Sauerkraut is technically fermented cabbage, but the lacto-fermentation is the same.

2. Can you leave fermented radishes outside the fridge?

If you want to keep your fermented radishes in storage OUTSIDE the fridge, you can do that!

There are a few critical steps.

You need to COMPLETELY STERILIZE all your equipment - most importantly, the jars. You should do this anyway, but 100% sterilization is critical to ensure that no bad bacteria are living inside the jars during fermentation. You can either run them through the dishwasher, or place them in the oven at 275ºF for 20+ minutes. Learn more here.

DO NOT sterilize the radishes, or else the Lactobacillus bacteria will die.

Another way to ensure the longevity of your fermented radishes is to increase the SALT SOLUTION to 3-10% (instead of the regular 2%). The brine will be very salty, but the radishes won't taste too salty.

I learned about this method from Homesteading Family in their Fermentation for Long-Term Preservation article. They recommend "2-3 tablespoons of salt per quart of water" for long-term preservation.

Using these 2 methods, you can keep your fermented radishes in the pantry for months, even years…

3. When are radishes in season?

Radishes are a cool season crop, meaning they like to grow in SPRING and AUTUMN. This is the perfect way to preserve the warmth of sunshine for the chilly winter months.