Pickled Radishes for Taco Night

I love to pickle some of the toppings for tacos -- red onion, radishes, and peppers. I think they taste better and they add a little something more to tacos. I found these rainbow radishes at Trader Joe's and pickled them for our Sunday meal. So simple and good!

For these radishes, you can make them spicy if you want. Since we were already adding heat to our salsa, I kept the spice out.

Carne Asada Tacos with Corn Salad

Pickled Radishes

• 1 bunch radishes
• ¾ cup white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• ¾ cup water
• 3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional {this yields spicy pickles}
• ½ teaspoon whole mustard seeds, optional
• Optional add-ins: garlic cloves, black peppercorns, fennel seeds, coriander seeds

How-To:

1. To prepare the radishes: Slice off the tops and bottoms of the radishes, then use a sharp chef’s knife or mandoline to slice the radishes into very thin rounds. Pack the rounds into a pint-sized canning jar. Top the rounds with red pepper flakes and mustard seeds.
2. To prepare the brine: In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, water, honey or maple syrup and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. Then pour the mixture over the radishes.
3. Let the mixture cool to room temperature. You can serve the pickles immediately or cover and refrigerate for later consumption. The pickles will keep well in the refrigerator for several weeks, although they are in their most fresh and crisp state for about 5 days after pickling.

Recipe adapted via Cookie & Kate