
While out walking one evening, I spotted these strips of daikon drying at nearby farm. Daikon season is slowly but surely coming to a close (ours at the farm are all gone and the field is cleaned up in preparation for its next incarnation), and drying is one of the surefire ways to preserve the vegetable for later use. We've used these ourselves in miso and cut into smaller bits in our rice, too.


This farm is just north of us, and despite being surrounded by city on almost every side (a nashi orchard and chestnut grove are near neighbors) it manages to retain some of its traditional rhythms like this one. Winter is a great time for this as the air is so incredibly dry (hence the daily views of Mount Fuji), and so even thick fruits like kaki can be preserved in this way.
Comments
Jessica
There are also different varieties, and I'm betting some are better suited to drying, pickling, etc., than others.
Do you know how long the strips take to dry? Also, how long does a whole daikon take to dry? (The time seems to depend on the air humidity, but generally, how long?)
Thank you!
Back to your question...a whole daikon would take longer, of course, than the strips. My guess would be more than a week. It remains one of the culinary mysteries I hope to solve this coming fall and winter, along with making my own miso.