Raphanus sativus
Radishes are quick-growing, peppery roots in the mustard family. The roots and greens are edible, and varieties range from mild breakfast radishes to dense winter storage radishes.1
The familiar mustardy bite comes from the same broad glucosinolate-based defense chemistry found in brassicas.2
That bite is generated only after tissue is damaged, when an enzyme produces a volatile mustard oil. Much of the enzyme is concentrated in the skin, so peeling moderates the pepperiness. Cooking inactivates the enzyme, reducing pungency and revealing more sweetness.3
Radish can be sown both very early and again later in Maine, so it works as a short-cycle crop at either end of the garden year.4
Footnotes
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University of Maine Cooperative Extension, “Food & Nutrition for the Home Gardener,” accessed July 17, 2026. ↩
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U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service, “Glucosinolates,” accessed July 17, 2026. ↩
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Harold McGee, On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen, rev. ed. (Scribner, 2004), PDF p. 324. ↩
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University of Maine Cooperative Extension, “Maine Vegetable Gardening: Keep Your Garden Growing,” accessed July 17, 2026. ↩