Top 10 Ways To Enjoy Turnips (2024)

FAQs

Top 10 Ways To Enjoy Turnips? ›

Roasted turnips are flavorful delicious on their own, or toss them with a little butter for richness. A mild herb like parsley, chives or dill is welcome for a dose of color and freshness. It's also easy to roast other root vegetables like carrots or parsnips along with the turnips.

Roasted turnips are flavorful delicious on their own, or toss them with a little butter for richness. A mild herb like parsley, chives or dill is welcome for a dose of color and freshness. It's also easy to roast other root vegetables like carrots or parsnips along with the turnips.

A variety of herbs and spices can be added to the mashed turnips. Try a tablespoon of finely chopped sage or rosemary, a clove or two of roasted or sautéed garlic, or a pinch of paprika or ground ginger. If your turnips came with the greens, don't throw them away.

One turnip website from the United Kingdom notes that if you boil them, add a little sugar to tame the scent and add baking soda to reduce bitterness. Look for fresh turnips. Avoid the very large, wrinkled and blemished turnips. I selected medium to small turnips.

Turnips are a healthy alternative to potatoes; they're lower in calories and have fewer carbs. Smaller, sweeter turnips can be sliced into wedges and eaten raw like an apple.

Turnips and other cruciferous vegetables that are high in fiber help make people feel fuller for longer, and they are low in calories. Eating high fiber meals also helps keep blood sugar levels stable. The fiber content in turnips may also prevent constipation and promote regularity for a healthy digestive tract.

The main harvesting seasons are as follows: Early turnips: harvest from May to September when the size of a golf ball for eating raw, or the size of a tennis ball for cooking. Maincrop turnips: harvest from mid-October onwards, when the size of a golf ball.

Turnips are a cruciferous vegetable with multiple health benefits. They boast an impressive nutritional profile, and their bioactive compounds, such as glucosinolates, may support blood sugar control, protect against harmful bacteria, and provide anticancer and anti-inflammatory effects.

Turnips will feel firm and heavy with crisp green tops. Check for a sweet aroma. Turnips are generally white at the bottom with a light purple blush on the top of the bulb.

How to soften turnips when cooking? ›

Peel and slice the turnips. Place them into a large saucepan and half-fill with water; add salt. On medium-high heat, bring turnips to a boil. Lower heat, cover, and simmer about 30 minutes or until tender.

Good for Your Gut

Like all plant-based whole foods, turnips contain dietary fiber. Fiber is a non-digestible carbohydrate that serves important functions in the body, including maintaining healthy blood sugar and cholesterol levels, promoting regular bowel movements, and supporting weight management, among others.

Boil or steam turnips and add them to mashed potatoes for extra vitamins and minerals. Grate them raw into salads or slaws. Roast them with other root vegetables like carrots and sweet potatoes, and bring out their natural sweetness.

Turnips can be stored two weeks in refrigerator or 8 to 10 months in freezer. To prevent cross-contamination, keep turnips away from raw meat and meat juices. Wash hands before and after handling fresh produce. For best quality and nutritional value, preserve no more than your family can consume in 12 months.

Though they are most commonly cooked, turnips can be enjoyed raw as well. If you plan to eat them raw, simply peel and slice the turnip like an apple to eat with dips or add to the top of your salad. Be sure to slice off the root end and remove the greens – which can be saved for cooking as well.

It's not essential to peel turnips before cooking. If this skin appears to be thin enough you can leave it on and cook as is. However if the skin feels thick and leathery, you can peel it off with a sharp knife or vegetable peeler. Both the roots and leaves, also known as turnip greens, are safe to eat.

In soups, stews and stir fries or raw in salads. To store: Keep in a cool, dry place for up to 1 week. To prepare: Young turnips should not need to be peeled, wash and trim before cooking. Older turnips should be peeled and chopped before cooking.

Turnips like a sunny spot and grow best in cool conditions, in fertile, moisture-retentive soil. You can also grow them in large containers, for harvesting as mini-veg.