Radish jam. Not something you see every day but it’s a unique, delicious addition to your pantry.
So many radishes
As far as I can tell, there were two reasons God created the radish. The first was to help gardeners mark rows of carrots. Carrot seeds come up slowly and radishes are on the other end of the sprouting. So if you mix them with radish seeds, within days you’ll have a visual marker of where you planted your carrots. Radishes sprout and mature so quickly that you’ll have them harvested before your carrot seedlings begin to mature.
The second was to prepare our creativity for later in the summer, when zucchini rolls in at an even faster pace. Radishes all seem to be ready at the same time and in great quantities if you’ve planted lots of carrots.
I understand. There is something exciting about radishes in the spring garden. There’s a special gratification in getting such a quick harvest for your efforts. However, after the initial thrill of fresh vegetables, you have to eat so many in a relatively short amount of time and they aren’t especially versatile.
So there I was this spring, thinking that everything was peachy in the radish department until my husband came home one afternoon. He dropped the bombshell that he was growing weary of golf ball-sized radishes in his lunch every day. He felt like a cow, he said, with so many fresh vegetables and his jaw was tired of frantic munching on his short lunch break. I had already been making frequent, unrequested radish deliveries to the neighbor, so what to do next?
My solution–radish jam
Why, radish jam to the rescue. I ran across the recipe in one of my cookbooks years ago and it so weirdly intrigued me that I had to try it. But I loved it and this year was time for another round. Does radish jam sound a little too weird for you? Well, it’s nothing you’d want to put on a peanut butter sandwich, but it does make an excellent little appetizer/snack when you top a cream cheesed cracker with it. Radish jam is a bit of sweet horseradishy zing, the perfect blend of sweet and spice.
Radish Jam
Ingredients
- 2 c shredded radishes
- 2 ½ c. sugar
- 2 t. prepared horseradish
- ¾ c. water
- 1 pkg pectin 1¾ oz
Instructions
- In a saucepan combine radishes, cane juice and water and stir over medium high heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to a rolling boil and add the package of pectin, stirring until dissolved.
- Return to a rolling boil again and boil 1 more minute. Remove from heat and skim off foam. Stir in horseradish, pour into sterilized jars and seal.
- Makes 3-4 8 oz. jars.
By the way, use pectin powder. This is a reliable brand and what I use.
For another post on my love for all things jam, click here.
