About

The black radish, a cultivated variety of the radish, is a root vegetable of the family Brassicaceae and is a variety of winter radish. It is also called black Spanish radish or Erfurter radish.

The edible root has a tough black skin and white flesh. There are round and elongated varieties. Like other radishes, black radish has a sharp flavor due to various chemical compounds that the plant primarily uses as pest defense. Some of these phytochemicals are produced in high concentrations.

How to grow it

Black radish takes 35 days to 55 days or longer to mature. It can be sown in mid summer to autumn, depending on the climate and be harvested in autumn or winter. Too high temperatures during growth should be avoided because the radishes get woody and spongy at such a climate. Sowing can happen directly in the field or indoors and the plants can later be transferred to the field. The plants should be spaced 5–10 cm (2–4 in) to each other or even more, if bigger radishes are desired. The seeds should be sown in a depth of 0.6–1.2 cm (1⁄4–1⁄2 in). Black radish requires a well-drained, loamy, soil with a pH of 5.9 to 6.8. The plants should get around six to eight hours of sun. Harvest should take place once the top portion is poking above the soil. Known pests are cabbage root maggots, cutworms and flea beetles.

For storage the mature plants can be kept in the ground if temperatures are low. The radish can also be kept for months in a root cellar or be stored in the fridge for up to three weeks at 0–5 °C (32–41 °F).

Uses

Black radish can be eaten raw as salad or cooked in soups or stews. As long as the black skin seems fresh and does not smell moldy, it can be consumed as well. The strong taste of the root can be reduced by adding salt to the raw root.

Other Raphanus plants

Cultivated Radish · Wild radish · Daikon · Sakurajima radish · Radish · Radish