When I say “vitamin C”, you think of oranges, lemons, limes, and other citrus fruits, right? Well, what if I told you that radishes could also be added to that list? It’s true!
Radishes are rich in vitamins and minerals like folate, vitamin B6, potassium, dietary fiber, and of course, vitamin C! In fact, just one cup of radishes contains almost 30% of your daily recommended value of vitamin C.
And contrary to popular belief, radish greens have been shown to contain even more nutrients than their roots! Calcium, iron, magnesium, folate, and vitamins A, C, K are all abundant in the tender, mild leafy radish tops that most people immediately discard as useless.
When growing these cool-season vegetables in your own garden, you’ll want to plant the seeds 4-6 weeks before the last hard frost, and because radishes grow so rapidly, you will probably be able to get a few harvests out of them.
Plant in full sun as much as possible, since shady area will cause the radish tops to thrive more than the roots.
After about 3 weeks or so, harvest the radishes, being mindful that the roots will deteriorate rather quickly if left to sit.
Use radishes in salads, slaws, or use the tops in smoothies or other purees.