Black Spanish Radish

This handsome radish is great for winter food and fermenting. Called Kara Turp in Turkey, this radish is also used medicinally with honey. To make the medicine: cut the tops and tails off, core out the middle, fill with honey, cover, let stand for 12 hours, and drink the honey-sweetened radish juice to cure colds and coughs.

Radishes are likely from Southeast Asia, where their only truly wild forms are found today. Black Spanish Radishes have been grown in Europe since at least the 1500s, only recently losing popularity to spring radishes. It is seeing a come-back thanks to its healing properties.

Days to maturity: 53-70

Seeds per pack: 100

Planting / harvesting notes

Directly sow radish seeds in loose soil after danger of frost in early spring, and again in late summer for fall crop. In frost free areas, sow in the fall. Space rows at least 6" apart, and thin seedlings to 2-3" apart within the row.

Seed keeping notes

For seed saving, leave them in for 65-80 days until the pods fully dry and become crunchy/crispy. Harvest the seedhead below the lowest ripe seed pods, and hang in a sunny, dry place if it needs to dry a little more. Thresh seed pods by pushing through screens, rubbing between your hands, or stomping in buckets. Sift out larger chaff and use wind, breath, or fans to winnow away the lighter weight chaff from the seed.