Radishes for health

Independent studies on behalf of G's Marketing* have shown that English radishes have three times more anthocyanins than strawberries. Anthocyanins produce the natural colour of strawberries, radishes and other red/purple coloured fruit and vegetables and are known for their anti-inflammatory and cancer preventing properties.

And it's not just their pretty colour that makes radishes so healthy.  Their peppery flavour comes from sulphoraphane and related compounds – the very same compounds which have given broccoli its superfood status.  Pink radishes contain a substantial amount of sulphoraphane.

Pink radishes are  in season from April to October. Or you can get the children involved and grow your own, planting in a sunny position and at intervals of three weeks for a summer-long supply.

Choosing and storing  
Select firm-skinned radishes, with no blemishes. If they feel soft, they are likely to be spongy inside.
Store in the fridge.

Preparation
To make them even crunchier, soak radishes in iced water for a couple of hours.
Radishes can soften as a result of dehydration - to restore their natural freshness, soak in iced water as above. 
Wash, then chop off the greens, if present, then slice off the root. Leave whole, slice or chop, as required. 
Only prepare just prior to serving to retain maximum health benefits.

Citrus Chinese Leaf Salad
The slightly peppery flavour of Chinese Leaf goes well with orange and radish for this quick fresh salad with a simple orange juice dressing.

Serves: 4 to 6
Preparation time: 6 minutes

You’ll need:

• 300g Chinese Leaf, shredded
• 2 oranges, peeled, quartered and sliced
• 8 to 10 radishes, trimmed and sliced

For the dressing:

• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 4 tablespoons sunflower oil
• Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

What to do:

• Arrange the orange and radish slices on a bed of Chinese Leaf.
• Whisk the dressing ingredients together and pour over the salad.

* G’s Marketing currently supply c.65 per cent  of all radishes sold in UK supermarkets

For more information about radishes visit www.loveradish.co.uk.