This recipe for pickled watermelon radish follows a very basic method for making refrigerator pickles and can easily be used to pickle any other crunchy vegetable. Watermelon radishes are so delightfully twee in appearance and the pickling process renders them a delicate shade of rose, making them look absolutely gorgeous laid out on a cheese or charcuterie board. These pickles need to sit for at least 48 hours before they’re ready to eat and can potentially stay in your fridge for a whole month, although it’s doubtful they’ll hang around that long.

spicy pickled watermelon radish:

2-3 watermelon radishes, sliced as thinly as possible into rounds

2 tsp. mustard seeds

1-2 dried whole chiles

1 1/2 tsp. coriander seeds

1 Tbsp. kosher salt

1/2 cup of white wine vinegar

1/2 cup of unseasoned rice vinegar

1 cup of water

1/3 cup of white granulated sugar

1. Prepare 1 medium-sized canning jar by washing it in very hot, soapy water and allowing to hand-dry or running it through the dishwasher.
2. Add the mustard and coriander seeds and dried chile pepper to the jar.
3. Bring the vinegars, water, sugar, and salt to a simmer in a small saucepan and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved (how’s that for accidental alliteration?).
4. Pour the hot brine over the sliced watermelon radish leaving a couple of centimetre’s space at the top, carefully applying the lid and smoothing out any air bubbles so that a tight seal is formed.
5. Store the pickled watermelon radish in the fridge and let them sit for at least 48 hours and up to a month.

It’s another bright and sunny day in Vancouver and frankly speaking, I feel like I’m standing on the edge of a precipice looking down into 6 months of rain and scatterings of damp snow. I’m hanging on by listening to the sunniest music I can get my hands on (and, I’ll admit, maybe secretly playing my autumn favourites ahead of time). If you feel like upping the dreaminess of making homemade pickles out of watermelon radishes then I’d highly suggest creating kitchen ambience with this sunny little album. It’s an effortless listen, pairing well in the mornings with a cup of tea or with a cold Ting and whatever-you-fancy cocktail later in the day.

Vince Guaraldi & Bola Sete – Y Sus Amigos (full album)