Radish black

Among the abundance of foreign vegetable delights, such as broccoli, celery or asparagus, we completely forgot about the traditional products characteristic of our culinary tradition. One of the favorite vegetables of our grandmothers is radish. She migrated to us from Asia, and today is cultivated throughout Europe and has even reached the United States.

Black radish is considered especially in demand. She is the most useful and ambiguous in terms of taste and aroma. What is it that an absolutely impartial vegetable has gained popularity not only in the culinary, but also in the medical field?

General product characteristics

Radish is a biennial herbaceous plant. Species – radish, family – cabbage.

Name Features

The word “radish” is used to refer to a whole genus of plants Raphanus, and for its individual sowing variety. In European and Asian territories, they prefer to call a daikon vegetable. Plastic Slavic languages ​​adopted several names: daikon, radish, radish and forehead.

Territorial distribution and environmental features

Radish roots are woven into Asian regions, where the culture has long been grown as the main feed vegetable. A feature of the plant is its unique unpretentiousness. Radish takes root practically in any locality and withstands any climatic difficulties. The plant does not run wild at all, therefore it is cultivated in Asia (temperate climatic zone), Europe and the USA.

Deep radish, humus and slightly moist soil is especially appealing to black radish. In such conditions, the plant will develop as quickly as possible and produce a plentiful crop.

The black radish has many enemies, among them earthen fleas and mushrooms of various kinds. Without human intervention, the parasites simply eat the plant under the root.

To protect the radish, it is necessary to carefully select and fertilize the soil, monitor the condition of the plantings and spray them with special solutions.

Botanical description

The root is the only edible part of the plant. In the process of radish growth, it thickens, is saturated with juices and seems to swell. Initially, the color of the root is neutral, as it matures, it turns black.

The leaves are slightly chopped, take a lyrical shape. The upper lobe is large, the lower leaves decrease as they approach the ground. The radish produces about 2-5 pairs of lateral lobes, from which later beautiful flowers of the pastel palette are formed.

The pods of the plant are wide, as they develop, they swell and become limp. Spongy interiors with fuzzy cavities.

Useful properties of the ingredient

Among herbal remedies like honey, garlic or ginger, black radish stands out. Its disinfecting and bactericidal properties come to the fore. Pieces of the vegetable, after ingestion, literally clean the surfaces and mucous membranes of harmful microflora. The antibacterial effect is provided by the essential oils that make up the vegetable.

100 grams of dried black radish contains 50 milligrams of essential oils.

Another important component is glycosides. These substances block poisons, stimulate cardiac activity and are responsible for the specific bitter taste and spicy aroma of radish.

Vegetable protein, carbohydrates, fructose, fat, vitamins and nutrients are concentrated in the vegetable. At their expense, radish accelerates metabolic processes, strengthens the protective functions of the immune system, removes excess fluid from the body (additional prevention of urolithiasis). Agronomists call black radish a “topical antibiotic.” Vegetable really affects most body systems and has a special medicinal and preventive effect.

Scientists have identified lysozyme in the composition of the cabbage plant. The component dissolves the walls of the harmful cells. Before the indestructible power of lysozyme, even pertussis, mycobacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, streptococcus, diphtheria bacillus cannot resist.

Plant enzymes dissolve toxins and other pathogenic elements in the bile ducts and gall bladder. Pulp creates a special barrier to microbes and harmful microorganisms, which protects the mucous membranes and prevents diseases.

Doctors recommend that you add black radish to the diet of patients with high salt concentrations and problems with the gall bladder. From the vegetable it is necessary to isolate the juice, which is used as a choleretic. Moreover, due to Potassium (K), the vegetable stabilizes the water-salt balance. Such a herbal replacement of classic medications is only permissible if the patient does not feel pain. If pain is present, then you need to leave untested methods and clearly follow the doctor’s recommendations.

Use of the ingredient in cooking

Behind the unappealing appearance of the vegetable hides a real gastronomic discovery. In addition to medical advantages, radish has a lot of different flavoring shades and uses.

Cut the core of the vegetable, wash it thoroughly and fill it with your favorite honey. Such a simple but insanely tasty dish will not only irritate your taste buds, but also protect you from many diseases. The combination of sweet viscous honey with sour-bitter radish is simply impossible to describe in words, it is better to try once. Moreover, honey infused with radish doubles its medicinal potential.

White crisp flesh, in which absolutely all possible tastes (from sour to sweet) combine, is similar to a mixture of radish, horseradish, turnip and honey sweets. What to cook from black radish:

• soup;
• vegetable broth;
• salad;
• sauce / marinade;
• vegetable chips;
• baked snack;
• sweetness (with the help of honey and all kinds of sweeteners);
• boiled first course.

If you can’t choose a processing method, just put the potatoes in their place. All the manipulations that you carry out with root crops can also be done with a bitter-sweet vegetable.

Radish Salad Recipe

We need:

• black radish – 300 g;
• green radish – 300 g;
• celery root – 80 g;
• pomegranate – 100 g;
• hard cheese – 100 g;
• lemon – 50 g;
• balsamic vinegar – ½ teaspoon;
• vegetable oils to taste (we recommend mixing 2 vegetable oils to enhance the taste);
• greens to taste;
• Spices to taste.

Preparation

Grind the radish until thin slices, and grate the celery on a coarse grater. Finely chop the greens, remove the seeds from the pomegranate. Squeeze out lemon juice, mix in a convenient container with balsamic vinegar, then introduce 2 types of vegetable oils.

Choose extraordinary combinations of oils (for example, olive and truffle or cotton and grape) to prepare not just another vegetable salad, but an exquisite restaurant dish with a whole palette of tastes.

Into a mixture of juice, balsamic vinegar and oils, add chopped herbs and your favorite spices. Pour chopped radish and celery into the finished sauce, mix thoroughly so that the sauce completely covers the vegetables.

Put the finished salad on a plate, sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and large pieces of hard cheese on top (you can grate on a fine grater if desired).

Additional areas of use of the ingredient

Industry and cosmetology

Industrial cultivation of black radish is beneficial in terms of ease of care and high yield. Industrial cultivation is practiced in areas with a cool climate. It is there that the radish, which releases the maximum amount of oil, takes root best of all. Essential oil is the main product targeted by the food/medical and cosmetic industries.

Radish essential oil can be used as biofuel.

culture

Black radish was able to find its niche not only in medicine or cooking, but also in popular culture. December 23 in Mexico (the city of Oaxaca de Juarez) hosts the annual festival called “Radish Night”. The festival is held as part of a popular national holiday, therefore it covers a huge number of people (both local people and visitors or tourists).

On the “Radish Night” people cut various figures out of black fruits. The appearance of the figure depends entirely on the imagination of the author.

Radish turns into biblical heroes, cartoon characters, ordinary everyday objects or futuristic works of art. Decent works are put on public display in the city square.

Contraindications to the use of the product

The beneficial properties of the vegetable can be a real trigger for many diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Excessive use of radish is fraught with exacerbation of pathologies that are in remission. Patients with gastrointestinal problems are usually knowledgeable about the pathology, and their eating habits are adjusted by a preventive diet. In this case, the introduction of any new component should be monitored by the attending physician.

If health problems do not bother, and the taste buds reacted positively to the radish, then freely enter the vegetable into your daily diet. Do not forget about the dosage and balance of nutrients: 50-70 grams of cabbage plants will be enough.

Rules for the collection and storage of vegetables

The later the crop is harvested, the better it will ripen and be nourished with healthy nutrients. Moreover, agronomists have proven that late harvest guarantees a maximum implementation period. Collect black radish in late autumn (it is important to catch it before the first snow falls, and the temperature begins to drop rapidly). Sort vegetables immediately after harvesting, without leaving the garden. Too small or, conversely, giant, rotten, infected, frozen fruits will have to be thrown away. Any dent or scratch on the radish reduces the shelf life of the vegetable, worsens the taste and nutrient composition.

If you plan to consume black radish in 5-7 days, then place them in any convenient container / craft / bag and send them to the refrigerator. The refrigerator compartment temperature should not exceed 0 ° С. For long-term storage, you will have to carry out a number of simple manipulations. Distribute vegetables into suitable containers / bags / boxes and lightly dust with soil. The shelf life of the radish is 14 days.

Most often, the method is used when transporting whole crops to retail outlets.

Shelf life can be increased by changing conditions and microclimate. In dry rooms with a humidity of about 85% (cellars), radishes can be stored for up to 9 months. The sales period for black radish is much longer than for other varieties, which adds an additional 30-60 days.

If there is no cellar, then do not despair, but simply send bags / boxes of vegetables to the balcony. The main thing is that the container with radish be tightly closed, and the balcony does not blow and does not allow moisture / ultraviolet. Find or mount a nook where the temperature will be 0 ° C and enjoy your favorite black radish for several seasons.

Commodity neighborhood

The aroma, taste, composition and shelf life of the radish depends on the correct product proximity. “Settle” black radish together in other vegetables that do not have a pronounced aroma. So we protect the radish from extraneous odors and do not violate the shelf life. Best vegetables get along with carrots and seasonal potatoes. Store vegetables in a separate compartment or select the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for them.