Hot crops FOR cool weather

Winter radish is a crop that can be sown now and will mature really quickly. Emma Rawlings offers some advice on which ones to grow and how

- Emma Rawlings

The little red rooted radishes that give a hot flavour to our salads are well known, but there are also some pungent winter radishes which are a great crop for later in the season and into the winter. They can be sown now for producing roots that are perfect for your winter stews, soups or roasting. 

WHAT ARE WINTER RADISH? There are three main ones to look out for and these are the ‘Black Spanish Round’, the mooli and the watermelon radish. They are very different in looks – but all worth a try.

WATERMELON RADISH This is a daikon type but round with the same white skin, but the inside colour is stunning. The outer edge is a vivid green and the internal flesh a beautiful pink. It does look very watermelon-like. It also has the name red meat for obvious reasons. It has a mild flavour and cooking this one enhances the sweetness of it. There is a variety called ‘Red Flesh’ from The Real Seeds Catalogue (www.realseeds.co.uk). The company also sells a variety called ‘Green Luobo’ which is out of stock currently but more seeds are due at the end of November. This heirloom variety from China has bright green flesh and green/white skin.