This question has even Jd baffled. Before last Thanksgiving my neighbors harvested the last of their garden radishes. They brought me a gallon-size zip-lock bag mostly full. Ate what I could, but some got shoved in the back of the frig. and forgotten about. I found them several months later. To my surprise almost all were still good. As an experiment I've kept them to see just how long they will last in a baggie. Check every couple of weeks to remove the really bad ones. I still have maybe a dozen and they are just now starting to show signs of significant spoilage - and this is 8+ months after being harvested. I can't keep store-bought ones for more than about a week without their going soft and woody. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

-- Ken Scharabok (scharabo@aol.com), July 08, 2000

Answers

The store bought ones have probably already been around for several weeks/months before you get them. A lot of this so called "fresh" produce isnt' really all that fresh.

-- Green (ratdogs10@yahoo.com), July 08, 2000.

HMMMMM..... Well Ken... i'm not sure, but, I have experienced this too.. I once had radishes kept for a yr in the fridge in a zip lock bag. And they too were out of the garden, no preservatives or additives. The only thing I can figure is that there may be something in the packaging process that accounts for this? This would be a good idea for a S.A.R.E. grant

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), July 08, 2000.

Ken, I think it has something to do with Murphy's laws. You know where the ratio of radish lovers has an inverse affect on the time those blasted things stay edible! karen

-- Karen Mauk (dairygoatmama@hotmail.com), July 09, 2000.

I think it's more like the c**p that the store-bought ones are sprayed with so that they are ready at exactly the right time, and last only long enough for your next visit to the store. I have a thing against sprays on foods, preservatives, additives, garbage being passed off as nutrition. This sort of thing just proves it to me.

-- Tracy (trimmer@westzone.com), July 14, 2000.

We always put radishes fresh from the garden in a small container of water and put them in the refrigerator. They just seem to taste better. Perhaps the store bought ones are dehydrated?

-- chris engle (engle_c@yahoo.com), July 15, 2000.