Turnips

Contrary to popular belief a turnip is not a swollen root, but results from a swollen stalk of the plant. The turnip, a member of the mustard family and related to cabbage, was first cultivated 4,000 years ago in the Near East and is well-appreciated throughout Europe and Asia, where it is eaten raw, pickled and cooked in multiple modes. Surprisingly, this diverse vegetable has been largely neglected throughout most of the United States, where it means pretty much one thing, the radish-shaped, lilac topped white turnip. Turnips grow in a variety of colors and sizes. Forty-four were listed in The Field and Garden Vegetables of America, published in 1863, ranging from black to rose and spherical to oblong. However, until very recently, recipes throughout most of the United States have attempted to hide turnips by cooking them for a long time in meat broth, saturating them with sauce or boiling them to a tasteless pulp. Such treatment leaves no turnip in the turnip. Try these fresh turnips raw, then perhaps in a few simple recipes. Highlight, don’t hide, your turnips.

Nutritional value: Turnips are a source of carbohydrate, fiber, calcium, carotene, phosphorus, sodium, magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc, copper, vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin E, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B6, selenium and folic acid.1 Many of these nutrients have antioxidant properties.

Selection and Storage: Select only hard, solid, pearly globes. Small to medium turnips are usually sweetest. Avoid dull, slack-skinned, darkening, soft, or lightweight turnips or any that feel spongy at the stem. Turnips with greens are the freshest. Turnips dehydrate very quickly and turn bitter, so store them, plastic wrapped, in the coldest part of the refrigerator for no more than a few days.

Preparation: No matter how smooth and fresh, turnips are better peeled. It is also a good idea to taste for bitterness (which can ruin a dish). High-quality turnips slice as smoothly as potatoes.

Use: Serve turnips raw, on a vegetable plate, or use in relish, salsa or slaw. Don’t overcook as turnips retain sweetness and fresh flavor if just tender and get bland and flabby if overcooked.
They also make an excellent addition to mashed potato or as a mashed side on their own. Turnips are also good mixed with beans, vegetable stock, cabbage, other root vegetables and some thyme and sage.

This food is very low in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Vitamin B6, Folate, Calcium, Potassium and Copper, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C and Manganese.