Beautiful, juicy radish cut into slices for a sandwich, and torn off leaves to the trash? Oh, no! Be Zero Waste and use them in the kitchen. Radish leaves can easily spice up our meal.
Whole radish full of health
Raphanus sativus (this is the Latin name for radishes) comes from China. Its edible part is the root and leaves. They can be eaten raw, as an addition to bread – a great substitute for lettuce. A good way to prepare them is also pesto, which can be used as a sauce for meat. Fried or stewed radish leaves can be a stuffing for pancakes, croquettes, or dumplings. You can add them raw to salads or salads, but also make a soup out of them.
How to grow radishes?
Radish is a popular spring vegetable. It is an annual plant and its cultivation is not particularly complicated. We will get rich crops by sowing it in a sunny place. The optimum soil reaction for their growth is 6.5-7 pH. This plant is relatively resistant to low temperatures. It should easily survive spring frosts, where the temperature drops to -4 degrees Celsius. The best time to sow radish seeds into the soil is March-May or August-September. We can start harvesting four weeks after sowing [1].
How to grow and buy radish so that it has beautiful and tasty leaves?
The young leaves are edible. When choosing radish leaves, we should pay attention to their color and texture. Various diseases can attack this plant. One of them is Rhizoctonia or Fussarium root (stem rot). They are manifested by the yellowing of the leaves. They should be removed to avoid infecting other seedlings. Another disease of this vegetable is Blackleg. The leaves turn brown and curl, and the plant becomes slimy and unfit to eat. In addition to fungal diseases, our crop can be attacked by pests. To effectively get rid of intruders from our garden, a thorough ordering of the radish beds should help. Weeds and the remains of rotten plants feed on herbivorous insects that can attack our crops [2].
Nutritional values
Comparing the properties of radish leaves to spinach, we can conclude that their caloric content is similar. There is about 29 kcal in 100 grams of fresh leaves. In terms of protein, radish leaves win out. They contain 3.8 g. spinach 2.6 g [3]. Radish leaves are also rich in vitamin C, phosphorus, iron, and calcium. Other properties of radish leaves include anti-inflammatory, immune-boosting, and metabolism-enhancing effects[4].
Radish leaves have a blood pressure lowering effect. Scientists have studied sick rats in this regard. They were given radish leaf extract for five weeks. After just three weeks, an improvement in the blood pressure of these animals was noticed. An increase in the activity of antioxidant enzymes was also noted [5]. Another study showed an anti-cancer effect. Radish leaves provide our diet with glucosinolates, they have anticancer properties. Black Spanish radish has similar or greater anti-cancer potential than broccoli florets. They have been popular in this field so far [6].
How to use radish leaves in the kitchen?
Radish leaves do not require great culinary skills. You can easily prepare them in your kitchen. They will perfectly replace spinach, and their slightly spicy aftertaste will turn up the taste of various dishes.
Radish leaf pesto recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 handfuls of radish leaves
- 2 handfuls of spinach
- 2 tablespoons of flaxseed
- lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 clove of garlic
Execution:
- Wash radish and spinach leaves and place in a blender bowl.
- Blend with a clove of garlic and lemon juice so that they have a uniform consistency.
- Add flaxseed.
- Transfer to a container and cover with olive oil.
- Flaxseed can be replaced with other grains or nuts that have a pleasant crunch.
Recipe for an omelet with radish leaves
Ingredients:
- 2 handfuls of radish leaves
- 3 eggs
- 1 small onion
- chives
- salt and pepper
- frying oil
Execution:
- Fry the peeled and diced onion in oil.
- Add washed and chopped radish leaves.
- Fry for 2 minutes.
- Crack 3 eggs and fry until the whites are set.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle with fresh chives.
A recipe for pickled radishes
Ingredients:
- 3 bunches of radish leaves
- 10 radishes
- 2 sprigs of dill
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 tablespoon of salt per 1 liter of water (prime)
Execution:
Put the radishes, leaves, garlic, and dill tightly into the scalded jar. Pour boiled water with salt. For 1 liter of brine, we use 1 tablespoon of salt. Leave the brine to cool. We transfer to the jar. We leave it for a few days and it’s ready. Furthermore, we can pasteurize it so that you can taste it in the winter.
It is worth stopping for a moment at pickles. It has been known for a long time that they perfectly regulate intestinal peristalsis, but also have a positive effect on our immunity. The recipe shown above shows that they are not difficult to prepare. Maybe it’s worth trying today and enjoy your health.
Summary
To sum up: radish leaves are not a popular delicacy in our kitchen. Perhaps it’s worth changing it and opening up to new things. From now on, don’t throw them in the garbage, don’t ask for them to be cut off in the market. Bring home, watch their color and texture. If they are beautiful and green, get to work. Fresh leaf pesto, boiled or stewed as a filling for pancakes, or maybe a soup? There are many possibilities, and the properties of this vegetable will nourish our body and provide protein and vitamins.
Frequently asked questions:
Yellow radish leaves may indicate fungal diseases of the plant or attack by pests.
Of course. They are a rich source of vitamin C.
Both radish leaves and roots are suitable for pickling.
Yes. Fried radish leaves can be used as stuffing for pancakes and dumplings.
There are plenty of possibilities. You can eat them raw, add them to salads, fry them, make pesto out of them, and even pickle them.
Just add garlic, salt, and pepper – blend and pour olive oil in a container.
Why not? It is enough to add a large amount of radish leaves, heavy cream and a boiled egg to the ready-made broth.
Bibliography:
- S.Kozłowski, 2022 Uprawa rzodkiewki – podpowiadamy, jak uprawiać rzodkiewkę – Agropedia
- 2023 Rzodkiewka ma żółte liście Dlaczego liście rzodkiewki zmieniają kolor na żółty (Jadalne Ogrody) | Przydatne informacje i porady ogrodnicze. Blog profesjonalnego ogrodnika! (haenselblatt.com)
- aplikacja fitatu
- A. Quijano, 2022 Liście rzodkiewki: zalety i sposoby użycia – Krok do Zdrowia
- T.J O’Hare, L.S. Wong, L.E. Force, 2007 RADISH LEAVES AND RADISH ROOTS: ARE WE EATING THE RIGHT PART FOR CANCER PREVENTION? (actahort.org)
- RADISH LEAVES AND RADISH ROOTS: ARE WE EATING THE RIGHT PART FOR CANCER PREVENTION? (actahort.org)