I am not a big radish fan, but when I do plant them, I let them go to seed and flower, because the flowers are kind of pretty.  Some radishes have big edible seed pods, too.

I LOVE radishes, they are one of the unsung heroes of the garden!  They grow fast, don't require much tending, are colorful, and offer such a burst of flavor!  

There are so many ways to eat radishes. I especially like radish slaw, and to throw them into stir fries, or to simply float them sliced with cucumbers in a bowl of watered down apple cider vinegar, salt & pepper and just a touch of sugar.  Oh, and any soup calling for greens, toss in the radish tops!  And lastly, the edible podded varieties are great in salads, cooked greens, and as a wonderful substitute for arugula!

Cooking tempers the heat & texture so throw them in last. Sorry, can you tell I'm a fan of the lowly radish?  I grew 5 different varieties in our market garden, and got my seed from Baker's Creek Heirlooms and Southern Exposure Seed Exchange.

My favorites are the watermelon radish, Rat's Tail, Sparkler, White Icicle, and of course the little Cherry Belles.  The "watermelon" radish, also called "red meat" are green on the outside and red on the inside. It grows big 4" roots and will still grow big roots even if planted close. The taste isn't much different than the basic radish, but it is sown in the fall (will bolt very quickly in spring and turn woody.  Radishes are very particular to seasons so be sure to grow one that's recommended for that season).  

The edible podded radish more affectionately known as Rat's Tail  is so good in salads and sauteed with other greens like kale, spinach, collards, etc, and thrown into stir fries.  

Another favorite is the Sparkler radish that looks like miniature turnip roots.  

For personal use I've also grown the black spanish & the daikons, but never had enough room for commercial production since they are larger and require deeper soil prep. 

Or you could make what I called "radishes from heck." I made these one year. Take your radishes, cut 'em up and put them in a canning jar with some vinegar that's sort of mild (not basalmic for example).  Cut up some jalapenoes (or hotter, I used the hottest I could find!) and add to the vinegar & radishes. Put in the fridge. Every day or so upend the jar.

After about 2-3 days, the radishes become bitingly tart (from the vinegar) and hot (from the hot pepper) and retain their own bite too. Blow your mouth open stuff.

Wanted to figure out how to can them (didn't know if alum would keep them crisp for example?) but my tummy got twitchy without the radishes…and that was the end of that!

Also, and I only recommend this with young ones, the greens can be eaten in salads or stir fried. They get stringy too and they're fuzzy, the older they are the stringier/fuzzier they are.

Judi