How Long Do Radishes Last and How to Tell if They’re Bad?

Here’s all about the shelf life and spoilage of radishes. Learn how long radishes last and how to tell when they’re spoiled.

Radishes most often come in bunches, and unless you eat a ton of radishes, going through a bunch takes some time.

And when they sit in the fridge for a week already, questions like when do radishes go bad, or how long do radishes last, start to pop up.

In this article, we cover spoilage, shelf life, and storage of radishes. It should answer all of your questions, and then some.

Interested? Let’s get going.

How Long Do Radishes Last?

	Fridge
Radishes	2 weeks
Black radishes	1+ month
Radish greens	2 – 3 days

Radishes keep in the fridge for up to two weeks if you remove the greens and keep them in a humid environment. One way is to place the root veggies in the crisper drawer, but you can also get similar results if you simply store radishes in an airtight container on a fridge shelf.

Black radishes, which are noticeably less popular than the red globe radish we all know, last much longer, even more than a month.

Radish Greens

Radish greens last around two to three days in the fridge. If you want to keep them longer, feel free to experiment with storing them in wet paper towels.

Ideally, you’d use them right after trimming the radish bulbs.

How To Tell If Radishes Are Bad?

When checking if your radishes are spoiled, look for the following:

• Soft or soggy texture. A fresh radish is firm to the touch. If it has lost that firmness, it’s old. Of course, if it’s only slightly softer than usual, you can still use it, but don’t expect the crunch fresh radishes give.
• Visual signs of decay. Mold, rot, or anything similar means the veggie is done for. If there’s only a small black dot or two, cut those off.
• Off or funny smell. Radishes have a very subtle aroma, so if yours suddenly have a strong smell, discard them.

Discard radish greens that:

• are dry or withered
• darkened or have black spots
• smell off

How To Store Radishes

Main article: How to Store Radishes?

To store radishes, cut off the greens and place the bulbs in an airtight container or freezer bag and in the fridge. For most types of radishes that’s the optimal way to go about storage.

Speaking of radish greens, they are edible. If you want to use them, store them separately in an airtight container or freezer bag in the fridge.

When it comes to washing radishes before storage, it’s up to you. But if you decide to wash them, remember that you should dry them thoroughly before they end up in the fridge. Some water drops are an invitation for mold growth.

If you tend to keep radishes for too long because you can’t be bothered with adding them to your (or your kids’) lunch or a green salad, you can change that.

My wife and I had the same issue, and we fixed it by preparing the radishes in advance, so we can grab them whenever needed without hassle. Here’s how we do it:

1. Trim off the greens and wash the radishes. Washing and scrubbing beforehand means we don’t have to do it when we need them.
2. Dry the veggies thoroughly. We simply leave them on a kitchen towel for about 30 minutes and then pat them dry.

   

3. Transfer radishes into an airtight container. You can use freezer bags or glass jars if you like. Consider adding a paper towel inside, as moisture will build up gradually in the container.

   

This way, whenever we need a radish, we grab one from the container, cut off the tip and end, and we’re good to go.

If you need more info on the topic, check out my article on storing radishes.