Learn how to make delicious crunchy radish pickles on the fly all season long using lacto fermentation.

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no cost to you. All opinions remain my own. Read the full affiliate disclosure policy here.

Fermented Radish Recipe:

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

What is an easier thing to grow in your garden than radishes?

They can be grown all season, with an incredibly quick turn around at about 30-40 days before harvest. You can easily be abundant with radishes all year long.

Radishes are absolutely great raw but they come with a strong bite. After a while you might want to change things up a bit. That’s where this fermented radish recipe comes in. You can have delicious radish pickles at your fingertips all year long. We love dilly style, using fresh dill and garlic from the garden. These radish pickles are something you won’t find in any grocery store, but are popular enough that all your friends will be coming back for more! This truly is one of the most simple ferment recipes out there.

What You Will Need:

1/2 gallon or quart mason jar, you could also use a fermentation crock if you plan on making a larger batch with a slightly different methods, but the quart jar is truly a great thing.
Fermentation lids and weights, we love the mason lids glass weights and pickle pipes for making all things fermentation super easy. I tend to avoid regular canning jar lids, and opt for the wide mouth variety every time.
Raw Radishes, you can use any variety you’d like. This is the main ingredient and very abundant in the early spring. We like to use many different varieties in one batch if we have them! If you are buying them at the farmers market or grocery store, about 2-3 bunches should work for this recipe.
Filtered Water, make sure you have good healthy filtered water that does not contain any chlorine or fluoride (which tap water so often does) as those chemicals will prevent and kill microbial activity.
Salt, a good sea salt, kosher salt, or pink salt will all work wonderfully for fermentation. Do not use any iodized salt or salt that contains anti-caking agents for fermentation.
Optional: Fresh dill, garlic, or other spices like peppercorns, chili flakes, coriander, etc.

How To Make Lacto Fermented Radish Pickles:

Thoroughly clean your jars, you’ll want to make sure that they are very clean to prevent any bad bacteria from growing, but never use any type of bleach or anything that can kill off microbial life
Prepare your radishes, if you’re picking them from the garden, rinse off any dirt and cut off the radish greens and the root. You can use whole radishes here or if they are extra large you can cut them into halves or quarters.
Add spices to your jar (if using), now is the time to add the spices like dill, garlic cloves, red pepper flakes, or peppercorns to the bottom of your jar, this is really the fun part, as the options are totally endless here. Feel free to explore with your favorite flavors. Some more ideas are listed below!
Pack your jars with radishes, start adding in your slices, whole radishes, or chunks. You’ll want to really pack them in there and push down to reduce as much air space as possible. You can also add a little more spices or fresh dill in the middle too.
Make your brine, make a large brine solution with about 4 tablespoons of salt to about 1/2 gallon of water. Shake this up to dissolve the salt in the water. Good sea salt is the best!
Pour your brine, once all your salt is dissolved in the water, pour your brine over your jar of packed radishes. As you pour, bump your jar to release any air bubbles or use a wooden pickle pounder to get all the air out.
Place your weight, get yourself a glass weight from mason lids to save yourself any trouble of mold by preventing anything from floating above the brine. Place the weight on top of the radishes and press down with some pressure. You want all the brine to be above the radishes. The idea is to have everything completely submerged during the entire ferment.
Add your lid, the mason lids pickle pipes are our absolute favorite. Once you put your weight in, just place a pickle pipe on top and screw on a mason jar lid to fit your jar. We really prefer to use widemouth jars for everything we ferment, it makes it a lot easier to get in there and check on your ferments as they progress.
Ferment! Now let your radishes ferment at room temperature for 7-14 days. Sometimes longer in the winter months, shorter in the summer. Keep your ferment out of direct sunlight, and check on them periodically to taste. As they ferment, the colors will all bleed together making a lovely pink pickle and brine. The bubbles during the initial fermentation period may overflow the brine, so keep your ferment on a tray or dish to contain any dripping.
ENJOY! When your radish pickles are all finished they will definitely smell strong, but they are still delicious I promise. Refrigerate them for several months and enjoy! Put them over a fresh garden salad in the summer time, or as a side to any dish all year long. Even once you’ve eaten all your radish pickles, you still can reap the amazing health benefits of this nutritious snack. Drink the brine or add a little olive oil to it and pour it over a salad. It’s like a super gut health booster shot! YUM!

FAQ:

What types radishes are best for fermenting?

We use any type of radish for fermenting. Some of our favorites are French breakfast radishes, black radishes, giant crimson radishes, easter egg radishes, and even daikon and rattail radishes. The most important thing about any fermentation project is to always use the freshest picked ingredients. For this fermented radish recipe, use fresh radishes. You do not have to be a big fan of radishes to enjoy this delicious snack.

Do radishes stay crispy and crunchy with fermentation?

Unlike cucumbers where I find myself adding grape leaves filled with tanic acid for providing a lasting crunch, fermented radishes don’t seem to loose their crunch when fermented. Especially when picked young, they are more dense and hold up much better to stay hard through the lacto fermentation process.

Other Notes About Making Lacto-Fermented Radishes:

Like any lacto fermented food, these easy and delicious radish pickles ferment at room temperature using a salt brine. During lacto-fermentation, lactic acid bacteria break down carbs into lactic acid and carbon dioxide. This creates an acidic, low-oxygen environment that encourages the growth of good bacteria and prevents the growth of other microorganisms. This lacto-fermented radish recipe is a great way to incorporate that beneficial bacteria into your diet. Read more about the health benefits of ferments here.

What is the right ratio of salt to water for the brine?

We typically go by about 4 tablespoons of salt per 1/2 gallon jar of water to make our salt brine. I always make my brine in a 1/2 gallon jar, and save whatever I don’t use for the next recipe.

The best and easiest way to ferment radishes quickly

The best and easiest way to make lacto fermented radishes quickly is just by using a 1/2 gallon or quart sized jar and a mason lids glass weight and pickle pipe. It works so wonderfully every single time and allows the radishes to ferment without you having to let any air out while they do.

Of course we still encourage you to check them every day or two to make sure they ferment to your taste preference. But other than that, there is no “burping” necessary. For radish pickles, I prefer to use wide mouth jars vs. narrow mouth jars, as they are a great snack. The wider the jar mouth, the easier it is for you (and your kids) to just grab a pickle out and gobble it up.

Variations to Lacto Fermented Radish Pickles:

There are endless possibilities when it comes to variation in your lacto fermented pickles. The only constant is the saltwater brine. Adding spices like mustard seeds, garlic, peppercorns, dill, coriander, a chunk of fresh ginger, or even a whole hot chili pepper is totally up to you. Playing around with the spice and flavors of your ferments is half the fun!

Packing your jar for your pickle project:

Once you choose what size jar you’d like to use for your radish pickle project, you’ll want to decide how to prepare your radishes. You can choose to use sliced radishes or the whole vegetable. If you are using larger radishes, you’ll want to chop them into halves or quarters.

Make sure to wash your jar very well before you start your ferment to prevent the growth of any bad bacteria.

Adding Spices:

It is best to add your spices to the bottom of the jar when you pack your jars as the loose spices tend to float up. You’ll want to avoid having anything above the brine, everything should be submerged to prevent any mold from growing. The glass weights really help with this issue. Try red chili flakes for a spicy kick.

Prep Time:20

Cook Time:10

Equipment

1 Mason Jar (pint, quart, or half-gallon)
1 Glass Fermentation Weight
1 Pickle Pipe

Ingredients

1 bunch organic radishes of any type, or enough to fill your jar
4-5 tbsp high quality sea salt (or other non iodized salt), per 1/2 gallon jar
2 cups filtered water per quart jar
Optional: dill, garlic black peppercorns, red chili flakes, fresh hot chili peppers or other spices

Instructions

Wash Radishes, and cut off the root & top portion with the stem
Cut or slice your radishes (you can use whole smaller radishes)
In a clean jar, add your spices and herbs to the bottom (if you are using any)
Pack tightly your radishes in the jar to minimize airspace
Create a saltwater brine in a 1/2 gallon mason jar using 4-5 tbsp of salt and fill with filtered water, shake or stir to dissolve salt
Pour the brine solution over your radishes, bump and tap the jar to release any air bubbles
Place your glass fermentation weight and apply some pressure on top of the radishes and brine. Everything needs to be completely submerged in the brine!
Add your pickle pipe and mason jar ring and secure
Ferment for 7-14 days at room temperature, checking periodically for taste (fermentation speeds up in high temps)
Remove the pickle pipe and weight. Add a normal lid and store finished fermented radishes in the refrigerator
Enjoy for months!

Notes

You will have leftover brine. Save that for your next fermentation project.
The type of radishes you use does not matter. Use the freshest ingredients possible.
4 tbsp of salt to 1/2 gallon of water makes the perfect brine.
Make sure that everything stays submerged in the liquid completely during the fermentation process.
Use only non-iodized salt and filtered water for fermentation to be successful.

Servings: 1 quart

Author: Fallon