Spicy Radish Bombs

I love these wee radishes, they are such a gorgeous colour and look great sliced in salads or added to stir fries at the last minute . One  of my favourite ways to use them are in a  delicious potato salad.   Cold potatoes are high in resistant starch,  which our gut bacteria love!!
These wee bombs are also a great digestive aid and will get your digestive juices flowing! The brine is a beautiful pink and can be used in salad dressings or just drink a small glass as a great tummy settler!
The brine is packed with probiotics and is really  delicious!
Ingredients

• 400g radishes, tops trimmed
• 1 or 2 tsp pickling spice or fennel or coriander or freshly ground black pepper
• 15g/1 tablespoon sea salt
• 10g/2 tsp caster sugar
• 1 litre filtered water
• 1 red onion sliced or 5 spring onions, white bits only
• 3 slices fresh ginger
• 2 or 3 large slices of lemon
• 3 or 4 garlic cloves, smashed with the back of a knife
• 1 tsp or more dried chilli flakes, depending how hot you like it

Method

1. Make the brine by dissolving the sea salt and sugar in a jug. Wash your glass jar in hot soapy water and rinse it well to remove any soap residues.
2. Put the spices in the bottom of the jar, then add the vegetables, finishing with the lemon slices on top. Pour the brine over until everything is completely submerged. Cover with a large cabbage leaf or ziplock bag filled with extra brine to keep everything under the brine.
3. Loosely close the jar and leave somewhere cool and out of direct sunlight for 7 to 12 days. I tend to put mine in the garage since the sulphurous pong can be quite overpowering and you may get complaints from family members!
4. Taste them after 7 days and if they are sour enough for you then transfer them to the fridge where they will keep for around 6 months.
5. If not sour enough then leave them another 4 or 5 days.
6. Keep any excess brine and use it in salad dressings, its teeming with probiotics!!

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