Rat Tail radish

I am wondering if any one has grown these I am interested in more information.
Thanks


Plant these radishes for their tasty seed pods
By Doreen G. Howard
Created 2011-03-27 00:00
by Doreen G. Howard

March 27, 2011
Plant these radishes [1]

Forget those crunchy, bland, red, pink and white radishes found on relish plates. They’re tasteless in comparison to Rat Tail radish pods.

In another couple of weeks, I’ll be planting radishes that grown for their pods, not their tubers.

Plants produce abundant foliage, and tall flower stalks quickly early in the spring.

When the lavender flowers are pollinated, they turn into crispy pods with the signature mustard-nuanced flavor all in the radish family have.

yes, I am planting rat tail radishes every year in the spring.
I have tried to also plant them in the fall ... but the plants doesn't like the cold too much.
This picture was taken last March. You can see all the flowers ... and soon the pods will develop.
One plant is very productive !

In this picture you can see some pods harvested, just two weeks after the previous picture was taken
i am not a radishes fun ... but my DH love RAT TAILS.
The plant will produce for months and it will get huge.
This year I planted them inside the flower beds.

This is a cool picture with the baby Lady Bug on the RAT TAIL pod.

Here a close-up of the RAT TAIL pods. As you can see .. they are a bunch ...

I am confused! That really is a radish? It doesn't grow underground? Not red? Looks like a bean to me! I can't handle learnin' all this stuff! Guess I'll have to google it-

Yes it is a radish in the bottom - a huge radish will develop as a root.
But you don't want to eat the root, you want to eat the pods.
The pods taste like young radishes and much more productive.
There are many varieties of rat tails. The one I have makes green pods.
It is very easy ... don't give up !!

I can't find any seeds- does anyone have any to sell or share? I'd like to try some.

I bought mine from: http://www.reimerseeds.com/rat-tail-radishes.aspx
They are the green pods variety.

also:
http://www.seedsavers.org/Details.aspx?itemNo=654
http://rareseeds.com/vegetables-p-z/radishes/rat-s-tail.html
http://www.cherrygal.com/asianrattailradishheirloomseeds2008-p-10050.html

How cool! I love radishes, so will surely give these a try. Thank you for all the info drthor. Does your DH eat them raw? And with or without the hull?
I have a excalibur dehydrator, and will try them dried for salads. I can't wait! Thank you MarciaS for the topic, I will be ordering right away!

My DH eats them raw in a salad.
What is the hull? (sorry I am Italian )

The hull is (easiest way for me to explain) the outside. (Maybe an example), black beans, navy beans, black eyed peas, are hulled (the outside removed), and I eat the inside of the bean.
They sound wonderful! Thank you again for the info. I hopped right on rareseeds.com (cheapest shipping) and ordered some straight away.

Ok now I understand.
No there is no hull.
You just slice the pod and cut in half. You will eat the whole thing.
Thanks for explaining.

Beware if you have a small garden spot. They really go crazy and grow over everything else in their path. And, I didn't even like them very well. Radishes are so much better.

Mine didn't grow over other stuff.
I just kept harvesting and trim it down.
My DH loves them very much ...

Well, I didn't trim mine and that is probably the reason. Trimming sounds like a very good idea with the ratties. They were kind of fun to look at.

I already got my order of the seeds! Can't wait to get them in the ground, and onto the plate!

beenonnet. more I trimmed ... more the plant made flowers and then pods, just a regular perennial.
Rat Tail are always a good "conversation" vegetable between my friends,

Wow! What a terrific response to my post, thank you all I really enjoyed reading every one of them. Thanks also for the link so I can buy some to try.

Has anyone tried pickling them? If so what recipe did you use?

I love these. Not sure if my seeds are still viable, but will be putting them in large pots this weekend. They are intriguing with their radish flavor and bean shape. I like them in (some) stir-fry dishes, especially Asian and Indian since they give that bit of spice and distinct flavor.

I hope everyone will report in with their successes and usage.

Rats!!! I guess I won't be planting any rat tails- I ordered from "cherry gal", waited 2 weeks, then when I emailed and asked why so long, she said she had been ill, and refunded my money. I am just not going to bother trying to get any seeds now.

JoParrott,
your zone is much cooler than mine. Don't give up on the seeds. You still have time.
Rat Tails like the spring planting better than the fall one.

I am harvesting the first RAT TAILS of this season.
My DH really loves them ... too sharp for me ... but he can eat those all day long.

Here is a pictures of how the pods look like on the plant.
This year I have planted my Rat Tails on the flower garden.

A few of the pods in one plant are loaded with aphids ... but I am not doing anything ... I just waited and the lady bugs arrived to snack on those aphidis.

If you were a nice person, you'd identify some of them thar t'maters!

I don't understand what are you asking Sequee?
The seeds I am using are called Rat Tail radishes.

But they appear on the platter with some lovely tomatoes! I was hoping to live vicariously through your naming them! (I have a few tumblers that are just beginning to turn, but the rest are for off into the future!)