black radish

Black Radish: The Underground Firecracker

Let’s talk about a vegetable with attitude. Black radish—Raphanus sativus var. niger—looks like a lump of charcoal and tastes like a spicy kiss from the garden. It’s a fall and winter crop in the Netherlands, picked from October to March, and several u-pick farms near Utrecht, Gelderland, and Flevoland will let you pull these gnarly roots straight from the soil. The flavour actually improves after the first frosts. Trust me, the pulling is half the fun.

Selecting & Hand-Picking (With Friends & Family) Grab a sturdy pair of gloves—the skin is rough—and head to the field with a basket, a hand fork and a sense of adventure. Loosen the soil around the root first, then pull gently by the leaves or the top of the root. Aim for radishes that are 5–10 cm across, firm and heavy for their size, with tight, unblemished skin. Skip any that feel soft or have cracked skin. Make a game of it: “Who can find the biggest one?” Loser has to wash everything.

Bringing It Home: Easy Ways to Use Your Black Radish

Twist off the leaves, keep the roots unwashed and store them in the fridge crisper drawer or a cool cellar, wrapped in a damp cloth or perforated bag. They keep for one to two months; scrub them just before use.

Raw & Spicy: Slice very thin, toss with salt, lemon juice, and olive oil. Eat as a crunchy, sinus-clearing salad.
Roasted & Mild: Peel, cube, toss in oil and honey, roast at 200°C for 25 minutes. Roasting mellows the bite.
Pickled: Shave into ribbons, pack into a jar with rice vinegar, sugar, and coriander seeds. Ready in 2 days.

Two Cooking Recipes (Because One Is Never Enough)

Recipe 1: Black Radish & Potato Hash Peel and dice 1 large black radish and 2 potatoes. Boil the potatoes until just tender; drain. In a hot skillet with butter, fry the radish cubes until beginning to brown (5 minutes), then add potatoes, salt, pepper, and a pinch of smoked paprika. Cook, stirring rarely, until crispy. Top with a fried egg.

Recipe 2: Black Radish Cream Soup Chop 1 onion, 1 apple, and 1 large black radish (peeled). Sweat onion in butter, then add radish and apple, plus 500 ml vegetable broth. Simmer 20 minutes. Blend until silky, stir in 100 ml cream, season with nutmeg and salt. Serve with croutons.

Sfeer van Willems

fruit, vegetables, flowers, herbs, berries

gelderland

At Sfeer van Willems in Wijchen, visitors pick their own seasonal vegetables, herbs, and soft fruit from a one-hectare plot. The farm grows over 40 varieties, including spinach, kale, leeks, courgettes, tomatoes, aubergines, strawberries, and an assortment of herbs like basil, dill, and coriander. The selection changes with the season—spring brings early greens and radishes, while autumn offers pumpkins, Brussels sprouts, and root vegetables. A weekly email or on-site notice board lists what’s ready for harvest.

Pluktuin Gewoon Buiten

fruit, vegetables, flowers, herbs, berries

noord-brabant

Pluktuin Gewoon Buiten in Rijsbergen is a pick-your-own farm where you can harvest organic vegetables, herbs, fruit and flowers from April to October. The vegetable season runs until the end of October, while flowers are available from July to October. The farm operates on a subscription basis for vegetables: you pay an annual fee to pick a weekly share of produce, enough for a household. Prices depend on the number of people in your group, with reduced rates for volunteers and those on a low income. Flowers can be picked without a subscription, with prices based on the size of your bouquet.

Het Plukparadijs

vegetables, fruit, flowers, herbs

overijssel

Het Plukparadijs in De Krim is a pick-your-own garden where visitors harvest their own vegetables, fruit and flowers. The farm grows around 40 types of vegetables, including common varieties like lettuce, beans, carrots and tomatoes, as well as less familiar ones such as Swiss chard, turnip greens, winter purslane and black radish. There is also a selection of small fruit and over 40 types of flowers. The season runs from May to December, with the widest choice available in summer.

Ecologische Tuinderij De Tilgrupshof

vegetables, herbs, berries

friesland

At Ecologische Tuinderij De Tilgrupshof in Appelscha you pick your own organic vegetables and herbs from mid-May to November. The farm works on a membership system called oogstgenoot, or harvest partner. You pay an annual fee at the start of the season, which covers the whole household. The standard fee is €275 per share, but you can choose to pay between €200 and €350 depending on your budget. Children under 10 pick for free, and those aged 10 to 18 pay half price.