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A vibrant flat-lay centered around a plate of pink pickled radishes and beets. Saffron rice, Lebanese cabbage salad, and a vibrant bouquet of flowers surround the pickles.
Sacha Hirschfeld

Pink Pickled Radishes

Pink Pickled Radishes are simple fridge-pickles that add a dose of color, texture, and addicting flavor to your plate! No complicated or convoluted techniques necessary!
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Resting Time Before Opening: 3 days
Total Time 3 days 20 minutes
Servings: 2 quarts
Course: Pickles, Staples
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 5 cups water filtered
  • 1¼ cups white vinegar 5% acidity
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ⅓ cup kosher salt must be Kosher salt, sea salt is way too salty
  • 1 lb radishes number of bunches will vary depending on size; see notes
  • 2 tsp celery seed
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns
  • fresh dill a few sprigs per jar
  • 8 garlic cloves skin removed and left whole
  • 1 beet medium-size; peeled, cut in half, sliced
  • 1 jalapeño pepper sliced; optional if you want some heat

Equipment

  • 1 medium pot
  • 1 strainer to rinse the radishes
  • measuring cups
  • measuring spoons
  • 2 mason jar or jar with tight fitting lid quart-size
  • 1 chefs knife
  • 1 cutting board

Method
 

  1. Add water, vinegar, and bay leaved to a medium pot; bring to a low boil. Add salt and stir until dissolved in the liquid. Remove from heat.
  2. Wash and trim the radishes so stems and roots are completely removed. Keep small radishes whole and cut large radishes in half.
    Peel the beet, then cut in half and into thin half moons.
  3. Divide the celery seed, peppercorns, and dill sprigs among both quart jars. Add 2 garlic cloves and a couple slices of beet to each jar.
    Add radishes to each jar, while layering sliced jalapeño (is using), remaining beet and garlic cloves. Push down and shake the veggies as your go so they're tightly packed.
    See notes below if you find you don't have enough radishes.
  4. Pour the brine into each jar, leaving about ¾" at the the top. Store on the countertop for a day, flipping them upside down a few times throughout the day/night.
    Move to the fridge and store for a minimum of 2 additional days before eating. I wait until my radishes are vibrant pink, usually about 4 days total.
    These will keep well in the fridge for a solid month, although I bet they won't last that long!

Notes

What do I do if I don't have enough radishes?
Since radish bunches can vary in size, it’s hard to know exactly how many radishes you'll end up with after separating them, so I often find myself a bit short. But fortunately, this isn’t an issue!
I use this basic brine (without the beets for natural pink coloring) for most of my pickles. If I want to keep the pink hue, I mix the radishes with purple or green cabbage.
If you prefer not to do that, you can make one jar of pink radishes and fill the others with sliced cucumbers or zucchini, matchstick carrots, cauliflower florets, green beans, or whatever veggies you like. Feel free to switch up the spices and seasonings depending on what vegetables you're using.
My go-to basics are black peppercorns, celery seed, dill, and garlic. It always works perfectly!