Quick Pickled Radishes

Back when radishes were in season (and they will be again), I bought a bunch for my husband, but left them on the kitchen counter on my way to do something else.  I then forgot about them overnight, and found them the next morning horribly wilted and sad-looking.  Wilting leaves will draw moisture out of the bulb of the radish.  That's sort of the point of the bulb.  The radishes were an interesting proof of concept, but it was a bummer for eating.  Nice crisp radishes can't be beat.  And a couple were still, but most were a little shrivellier and softer.  It occurred to me that I could try pickling them.  Worst that could happen-- they weren't appealing.  And since they weren't appealing at the moment, it didn't seem like a bad idea.

I turned to the internet and found a recipe on epicurious for a quick pickle, so-called because you just mix everything together and call it good.  It's relatively quick and simple, with no hot water bath and no need for special equipment (beyond clean jars).  A quick pickle isn't going to be shelf-stable, so it also needs to be eaten a bit more quickly and kept in the fridge (most recipes are also smaller, since most of us don't have as much fridge space).  The only thing that isn't "quick"-- you [still] have to wait a couple days before your pickles are ready to eat.

Quick-Pickled Garlic Radishes
10 large radishes
10 cloves garlic
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
2 C white vinegar
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp sugar

Wash the radishes and trim the ends.  Cut them into quarters.  Peel the garlic cloves.  Place garlic and radishes into a clean 1-quart jar.  Add the peppercorns, vinegar, salt, and sugar.  Cover tightly and shake gently until salt and sugar are dissolved--just flip the jar onto its lid and back a few times.  Place in the refrigerator, and store a minimum of three days, inverting daily, before eating.

Now here is the part where I disagree with the recipe I found.  It says the flavor will mellow over time.  WRONG!  The flavor got pretty danged intense.  In my husband's words, "They got worse.  I mean, they were good; they were just strong as s***."  They were a nice munch, kind of a spicy condiment I put alongside sandwiches instead of dill pickles.  After a while, I stopped eating more than 1, and we relied on the sandwiches to balance the heat.  We also discovered they made a fabulous martini garnish, especially after the heat kicked up.  More flavor and body than a traditional olive (I can't bring myself to do an onion martini), and the gin married very well with the heat and salt.