We prepare radishes for the winter by freezing and other methods.

Early vegetable crops tend to ripen too quickly and disappear from the beds just as quickly. One such vegetable is the crunchy and healthy radish. Many people wonder whether it is possible to freeze radishes in the freezer for the winter and how to do it correctly.

We will answer this question in detail. We'll tell you how the taste and benefits of the vegetable change, what alternative methods there are to freezing, how much and where to store the crispy fruit.

Is it possible to freeze radishes during the winter?

It's possible, but not for long. The whole difficulty lies in the composition of the vegetable. When frozen in a home freezer, the fruit crystallizes. To put it simply, when you start to defrost it, you will not get an elastic hard radish, but a spreadable porridge without taste.

Of course, there is a way out. You can freeze it in a specialized chamber, where the temperature is two times lower than in those at home. But such a camera is used in industrial production.

But housewives do not give up and are looking for more and more new ways to preserve vegetables - these will be discussed further.

How the composition and taste will change after freezing

If you freeze radishes for 5-7 days, you won’t feel much change.. The taste is the same, there is a crunch, there is a bitterness. The same applies to methods of preserving radishes in a jar of water or whole with tops. But later the vegetable will rapidly begin to lose all the benefits that it accumulated while in the soil. And, alas, nothing can be done about this.

Other ways to prepare radishes:

The best pickled radish recipes for the winter

Simple and delicious recipes for healthy radish snacks

Preparation

Proper preparation of fruits - the key to successful freezing:

• choose fruits of late varieties, ripe or slightly unripe - overripe radishes are not suitable for freezing;
• rinse the vegetables thoroughly and remove all contaminants;
• cut off the tails;
• cut the fruits into large slices;
• Place on waffle towels and dry.

note. In some recipes, radishes are not cut into slices, but grated. Many housewives freeze radishes whole. It all depends on the specific method and your preferences.

How to freeze radishes for the winter

Next we will detail Let's talk about the most popular ways to preserve vegetables — we will present to your attention recipes for preparing radishes for the winter, including freezing in several versions.

In the package

The method is good for those who have access to an industrial freezer — it contains the temperature required for freezing, -40°C.

Freezing algorithm:

1. Cut the radishes in half.
2. Pack in a special freezer bag and tie it.
3. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes.
4. Remove the bag after 10 minutes.
5. Transfer to a regular freezer.

What is needed is stress freezing before long-term storage.. If you do not have this opportunity, then it is better to preserve radishes in another way. Otherwise, when defrosting, you risk getting just a porridge-like mixture with no taste.

If for some reason you need to freeze radishes for only 4-5 days, then a regular freezer will do. Don't forget to release the air from the bag.

In a jar of water

This method is simpler and accessible to everyone. But You can save radishes only for 1-1.5 months:

1. Take a dry and clean 0.5 liter jar.
2. Fill it with boiled water at room temperature.
3. Trim the tops and stems of the radishes.
4. Add vegetables to a jar of water.
5. Put it in the refrigerator.
6. Renew the water every 4 days.

Note! First, pour water into the jar, and only then add vegetables. Keep in mind that they will displace excess water, so don't fill it all the way.

The method is not bad, but it will not preserve radishes for a long time. In addition, a significant part of the vitamins will be lost within a week.

Along with the tops

This way you can preserve radishes for a week.:

1. Shake the dirt off the radishes and go over the fruits with a damp cloth.
2. Gather vegetables into small bunches.
3. Don't cut off the tails.
4. Place the bundle in a container of water. It is important that the tops are constantly moistened.

The vitamin composition will not change much in a week, the taste will remain the same unless you dry the tops. But let us repeat that such vegetables will not last longer than a week.

Other harvesting methods

If none of the above methods work for you, don’t despair. We have selected for you 3 more ways to prepare this vegetable..

How to Store Fresh Radishes in the Refrigerator

You can also store vegetables for a couple of weeks in a regular refrigerator - all you need is a resealable freezer bag and a few thick paper towels.

Procedure:

1. Shake off any dirt from the radishes and brush them with a damp brush.
2. Cut off the tops and tails. But do not cut off the tail at the root, exposing the fruit - leave a few millimeters.
3. Place a couple of thick paper towels in the bag.
4. Place halved radishes on top.
5. Apply paper towels again for a third layer.
6. Place in the refrigerator, avoiding proximity to other vegetables.

Important! There should be no air in the bag. If you are unable to release it, make a couple of punctures with a needle.

Drying

This method will allow you to enjoy radishes for about two months.:

1. Do not wash the radishes, just shake off the dirt and wipe the vegetable with a slightly damp cloth.
2. Cut off both the tops and the tails.
3. Cut the radishes into wedges.
4. Put the water on fire.
5. Salt boiling water. Stir for a couple of minutes.
6. After 3-5 minutes, add radishes to the water.
7. Cook for 5 minutes. It is advisable to stir as often as possible.
8. After 5 minutes, remove the radishes. You can use a colander to drain excess liquid.
9. Place radish rounds on a towel. Let it dry.
10. Turn the oven on to 160°C.
11. Dry the radishes for 7-10 minutes.
12. Pack vegetables in plastic bags and store in the refrigerator.

Important! Everyone's oven is different, so the times indicated are average. Stay close to the oven and check the radishes from time to time. If it starts to curl, turn it off.

Conservation

Ingredients:

• radish;
• 1 tbsp. table vinegar (9%);
• 1.5 tsp. salt without a slide;
• 0.5 tbsp. Sahara;
• 1 tbsp. water.

Preservation method:

1. Clean the radishes from dirt.
2. Remove tops and tails.
3. Cut the vegetable into round slices.
4. Rinse and dry the jar well. To be safe, you can pour boiling water over it.
5. Place the radishes in jars, leaving room for the marinade.
6. Dissolve salt and sugar in water. Mix well.
7. Pour in vinegar. Stir again.
8. Pour the resulting marinade over the radishes. Cover the jar with a lid.
9. Sterilize for 10 minutes.
10. Roll up the lids.

This is one of the most convenient ways. Firstly, vitamins are preserved. Secondly, the cooking process is similar to conventional canning of cucumbers or tomatoes. Thirdly, you can try the product after 30 hours.And fourthly, radishes can be stored for more than three months.

Terms and conditions of storage

Radishes are not like cucumbers or tomatoes, which can be stored for years. In terms of storage, this fruit is capricious..

Its shelf life is as follows:

• radishes frozen in a special industrial freezer – from 1 to 1.5 months;
• radishes frozen in a usually freezer - up to five days;
• in a jar - maximum 1.5 months when changing water every four days;
• together with tops - up to a week;
• fresh radishes in the refrigerator - up to two weeks;
• dried radishes – up to two months;
• canned – up to three months.

Obviously, it is better to preserve radishes. But in this case, the vegetable will not be exactly the same as fresh, but there is no risk of getting porridge with water. If you want radishes that taste as close as possible to fresh ones, you will have to accept that a couple of weeks is the maximum shelf life.

Read also:

Review of the best radish varieties for open ground and greenhouses

When to plant radishes in the summer for the second time

How to collect radish seeds: instructions and useful tips

Reviews

We recommend that you read the reviews of housewives who have already tried to preserve radishes for a long time.

Olga, Syzran: “I love adding radishes to any vegetable salad. It is always an extreme pity that the radish harvest cannot be enjoyed for a long time. I preserve radishes in vinegar. I like to add ginger to the bottom of the jar. It turns out simply very tasty! Just right for meat dishes. I recommend everyone to try it. I also converted the radishes with the addition of grain mustard. I liked this taste less, but spice lovers will appreciate it. I recommend adding allspice to this recipe.”.

Kristina, Pskov: “I froze the radishes in regular freezer bags in a regular freezer.I took it out for the first time a week later to make a salad. It turned out very tasty, practically no different from fresh. The next time I needed radishes was a month later. This is where an unpleasant surprise awaited me. When defrosting, the vegetable turned out to be a puddle of water and a pile of peel. I didn’t experiment further, since I don’t have the opportunity to freeze radishes in industrial chambers.”.

Talia, Kazan: “And I love dried radishes. If you don't love it, then you haven't tried it! My personal advice: sprinkle a baking sheet with a mixture of peppers and salt, and then place the radishes on top. It turns out very tasty, I use this vegetable in salads, vegetable stews and stews.”.

Let's sum it up

Radish is a capricious vegetable. Preserving it for several months is not easy. It is better to choose late varieties; the fruits should be ripe or slightly unripe. They don’t have to be washed, but be sure to shake them off and brush them. For long-term freezing in bags, you will need an industrial freezer; in a home freezer, the vegetable will last for 5-7 days.

Alternative methods: drying, canning, storing fresh radishes in the refrigerator or in a jar of water. Maximum shelf life is 3 months (preservation). Otherwise, radishes will keep for 1-6 weeks.