Buy a white radish and make a variety of dishes at home, such as delicious radish soup, refreshing cold white radish salad, and crispy shredded radish pancakes. However, if you notice cracked skin, puffed core, a bitter taste, or a bluish-black appearance when you cut it, is it safe to eat?

Cracked Skin:

Small cracks appear naturally on the skin of a white radish. This is more likely to occur when the soil moisture content fluctuates significantly during the ripening period. If the cracks are dry and not rotten, simply scrape off the skin and cracks with a peeler and it is safe to eat.

Puffed Core:

A hollow, puffy core on the cut surface of a white radish is usually a result of overripeness or being harvested too late. If the cut surface shows no signs of spoilage or discoloration, it is still safe to eat, but the taste will be less favorable.

Bitter Taste:

If white radish tastes bitter when eaten, this bitterness is caused by adverse conditions during its growth period (unfavorable weather or environment). While a bitter taste may make it less palatable, it is still edible and does not affect your health.

Black (Dark Underside):

If black markings appear on the cut surface of a white radish, it may be due to a lack of nutrients during growth. However, it could also be due to infection with black rot mycelium. To be safe, it is recommended to discard it immediately.

Is it safe to eat white radish if its cut surface is blue, bluish-purple, or purple-red?

The blue color of white radish may be caused by soil acidification, drought, excessive lime application leading to a lack of boron in the soil, or improper fertilization during cultivation.

Another common cause is that the phenolic compounds in white radish are converted into anthocyanins when stored at low temperatures. Anthocyanins turn blue when exposed to alkaline substances and purple-red when exposed to acidic substances.

The “blue discoloration” of these white radishes will not have any negative impact on human health and they can be eaten safely.