Cook's Corner ~ Watermelon Daikon
Watermelon Daikon
You're in for a surprise when you slice open this radish. The plain, unassuming exterior gives way to an amazing splash of color! Also known as the Chinese Radish, the Chinese name for the watermelon daikon is "xin li mei" aptly meaning "beautiful in the heart."
Watermelon Daikon are great sliced thinly and eaten on buttered toast or added to a salad. I pickled two of these watermelon daikon this morning and within minutes the pickling liquid was hot pink too. The only problem with pickling is that I have to wait such a long time before I can eat them! All the way until tomorrow! (I used a quick pickling recipe, instead of a canning pickling recipe since I really don't have that kind of patience.)
Daikon radishes take longer to grow than smaller salad radishes like the French Breakfast Radish, 60 days as opposed to 30. Because of their larger size they also need more space between plants. Other than these key differences, they require much the same soil and weather conditions. They do best in cooler climates. If it's too warm they may flower early and not form nice round radishes. Like most root crops, they grow best in rich, crumbly soil that has been well mulched.
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