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 Watermelon
Daikon
You're in for a surprise when you
slice open this radish. The plain, unassuming exterior gives way to
an amazing splash of color! Also known as the Chinese Radish, the
Chinese name for the watermelon daikon is "xin li mei" aptly
meaning "beautiful in the heart."
Watermelon Daikon are great sliced
thinly and eaten on buttered toast or added to a salad. I pickled
two of these watermelon daikon this morning and within minutes the
pickling liquid was hot pink too. The only problem with pickling is
that I have to wait such a long time before I can eat them! All the
way until tomorrow! (I used a quick pickling recipe, instead of a
canning pickling recipe since I really don't have that kind of patience.)
Daikon radishes take longer to grow
than smaller salad radishes like the French Breakfast Radish, 60 days as
opposed to 30. Because of their larger size they also need more
space between plants. Other than these key differences, they require
much the same soil and weather conditions. They do best in cooler
climates. If it's too warm they may flower early and not form nice
round radishes. Like most root crops, they grow best in rich,
crumbly soil that has been well mulched.
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