Daikon Radish

We started using the standard red radishes that are in every produce section as a substitute for potatoes a few years ago when we were doing a low carb diet. But they were a trial for me to prepare because they were so small. It took a lot of patience (and radishes) to shred enough for a batch of hash browns. And forget about slicing them for fried chips. I moved on to using spaghetti squash for hash browns and making crispy slices with zucchini. I just used the radishes for dishes that had boiled or baked potatoes. Did they taste EXACTLY like potatoes? No. But once they were cooked, they didn't taste EXACTLY like radishes either. They had a pleasant taste with the texture of cooked potatoes. We liked them.

Shortly after that, I ran across Daikon radishes in the grocery store. I'd never heard of them before and I was curious about using them in place of the red radishes. They were a lot bigger and would make prep work so much easier if they were interchangeable. So I brought a batch home and gave them a go. Luckily for me, they were a smash! Instead of scrubbing a bowl full of radishes that were determined to roll away with every swipe, I could just wash a couple of carrot shaped ones and be done.

Daikon radishes weren't as easy to find at the grocery store but I found seeds online and I haven't looked back! They grow easily in my raised bed. I stagger plant them so we have a good supply that lasts as long as the growing season. They will bolt in warmer weather and, with a growing time of 60 days, it can be tricky to prevent that. I've found some other varieties that are supposed to be sturdier in the heat that I'm trying this year.

If you are on the fence about trying Daikon radishes, I hope you will. They're a nice food to provide diversity to your diet.

First Daikon Radish From the Garden