Did you know radish pods are edible? I never gave it a thought…till today, when I saw all the beautifully swollen green pods on my radishes (which I let go to flower so I could save some seed). The pods were just so … delectable looking! I had to go do some research and found, to my delight, that they are an actual foodstuff in their own right.

Resembling a short tapering pea pod or bean, the seed pods of radishes (Raphanus sativus) stay tender and crisp for a long time while maturing and swelling out. They have a radish-bite, but are very mild and fresh.

They are apparently a well known bar snack, served raw, with beer in Germany, and are stir-fried with potatoes and spices in Indian cuisine. Another site suggested that they be used wherever you would sugar snap peas or the radish roots themselves. Pickling radish pods seem an intriguing option too. For tonight’s dinner, the side salad with Jamie’s Sticky Kicking Chicken asks for radishes, but I reckon I’m going to toss in some pods instead!

Just for interest – the leaves and flowers of radishes are edible also, so if you miss harvesting a radish root, let it go to flower and seed for a secondary crop of deliciousness!