SPICY RADISH WITH RED PEPPER

The Pickle: This addictively crunchy pickle is a spice double-hitter with the tang of the radish meeting the punch of the red pepper. It’s fabulous in slaws and as burger toppings, but is also great for a standalone snack with a good book or TV show.

Makes 1 8oz jar

Ingredients:

• 1 lb radishes, sliced into thin rounds

• 1 cup white vinegar

• 1/2 cup water

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 2 tsp kosher salt

• 1 tsp black peppercorns

• 1 tsp red pepper flakes

• 1 bay leaf

Making the Pickles:

• Fill jar with radish slices, packing snugly but not forcing them in.

• Boil white vinegar, water, sugar, kosher salt, peppercorns, red pepper flakes, and bay leaf.

• Pour boiling vinegar mixture into the jar, up to 1/4 inch from the top. The radishes will be ready to eat in 2-3 days. If not canning, seal and store at room temperature for a few hours or overnight, then store in refrigerator for up to 4 months. Once open, store for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

A Word on Canning: In order to safely keep these pickles at room temperature, is necessary to follow proper canning protocol, including completely sterilizing the jars and lids, adding in vegetables and then boiling pickling liquid when the jars are still are boiling hot, and reboiling the filled jars, keeping only those whose lids have properly sealed. If you have not canned food before, please refer to further resources on proper technique! You can also make small batches of pickles at a time, and store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks, avoiding canning entirely.

If you decide to can these pickles, fill still-hot freshly sanitized jars with boiling jam, wipe lip of jar with a damp cloth, secure lid, tighten rings finger-tight, and process in boiling water for 15 minutes. Properly canned jars whose lids compress on their own while cooling can be stored in a cool room for up to 1 year. Once open, refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.