Radishes are among the first spring vegetables, and can produce a harvest in 3 to 4 weeks from seeding. Radish (Raphanus sativus) is a cool season vegetable that has been cultivated in many parts of the world for centuries. Domestic radish is believed to have originated from wild relatives in both Europe and Asia, and may have developed from distinct wild species on both continents. Immigrants brought radishes to North and South America. The ‘night of the radish’ is celebrated annually on December 23 in Oaxaca, Mexico when radishes are carved into amazing shapes by local artisans. We will have radishes for the April 7th market and they are available for a limited time.
Radishes are delicious raw, and there’s nothing better than a radish pulled out of the soil and eaten immediately. Radish greens are edible and very nutritious, containing more nutrients than the roots. Radish leaves are very high in calcium and 100 grams contain almost as much as the recommended daily allowance. Radish leaves contain 4 times the flavonoid levels of the roots. Radishes have a high water content and are a good source of vitamin C and K. Radish leaves can be used raw, wilted, and in smoothies. There are a variety of radish greens soup recipes widely available. Radishes are excellent pickled, in stir fries and roasted.
| Plant Species
|
Calcium | Magnesium | Iron | Potassium | Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) |
| Radish leaves | 752.64 g/100g | 57.04 g/100g | 3.74 g/100g | 495.31 g/100g | 38.69 g/100g |
| Radish roots | 147.87 g/100g | 14.98 g/100g | 0.15
g/100g |
380.11 g/100g | 16.59 g/100g |
Sources
Goyeneche, R., Roura, S., Ponce, A., Vega-Gálvez, A., Quispe-Fuentes, I., Uribe, E. and Di Scala, K., 2015. Chemical characterization and antioxidant capacity of red radish (Raphanus sativus L.) leaves and roots. Journal of Functional Foods, 16, pp.256-264.
