Radish NukazukeCrunchy, Like Little Takuan Pickles

The familiar little red salad radish. Pickled in bran, it turns soft on the outside and crunchy inside, like a small takuan (the yellow pickled daikon often served in Japan).

Radishes pickle quickly, so if you like a light pickle, take them out early.

Prep	Wash, pat dry, rub with salt and halve
Pickling time	16–24 hours
After pickling	Keep in the fridge and eat by the next day

Pickling times are for a nuka bed kept in the fridge. At room temperature it pickles faster, and faster still in summer. The saltiness of your bed also makes a difference.

How to make radish nukazuke

1. Wash: Cut off the leaves, wash off any dirt, and pat dry thoroughly.
2. Rub with salt: Sprinkle with salt and rub lightly.
3. Cut: Halve lengthwise. Small ones can be pickled whole.
4. Pickle: Bury them in the nuka bed and cover with bran.
5. Take them out: Rinse off the bran and serve.

If you don’t want the red color in your bed

The red pigment in the skin can stain the bed. If that bothers you, wrap the radishes in a paper towel or cheesecloth before pickling.

From bed to plate

How to eat it

• As is: Crunchy, and a splash of color in a lunch box.
• Pickle the leaves too: Rub the tender leaves with salt and pickle them briefly.

Care for your bed is covered in Caring for a Nuka Bed, and making one in How to Make a Nuka Bed.