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question about turnips

13 years ago

I have used large turnips in soups and we like them. DS cooked dinner for his dad's birthday this weekend. Root vegetables and beef short ribs in a wonderful broth/gravy. The turnips were about an inch in diameter and tasted rather strong, the strongest I have ever eaten. My question is--did they taste strong because they were so small?

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Comments (7)

marygailv
13 years ago
Maybe it was a rutabaga? When my SO was living we always had "discussions" about this because he called rutabags turnips (he was from IL, I was from WI - maybe they did it differently there?) and I differentiated between the two. Although, come to think of it, a rutabaga is usually more round than a turnip, not smaller.
marygailv
13 years ago
Rutabaga and turnip are both root vegetables, but rutabaga is a result of crossing cabbage and turnip. Rutabaga is commonly called yellow turnip, while turnip is often referred to as white turnip colloquially. Both rutabaga and turnips are used for carving Jack-o-lanterns during Halloween in Britain and Ireland.
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Turnips are biennial, which means they produce flowers and seeds in their second year. Therefore, they must overwinter to produce seed. The roots finished growing at the end of the first year. There will be no further growth of the roots. I don't know if they are still in edible condition after overwintering. They may be, if you dig them soon enough. You could find out by digging a few. Jim
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But the question is: will early planting and late harvest work. Turnips are one of my winter staples, but in the summer I have other interests. There is drip irrigation and plenty of garden space. I assume Jimster is saying they will go dormant during the summer, and resume growth in the Fall, while maintaining eating quality. I am of course talking about purple tops, not the super-fast Hakurei.
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Happy April Fool's Day! You don't believe you can successfully make souffle in advance, it has to be served immediately or it'll fall. Here's a recipe from, of all places, Saveur Magazine! Turnip SoufflÃ¯Â¿Â½ SERVES 4 Ã¯Â¿Â½ 6 If you don't boil it into oblivion, the humble, dependable turnip may surprise you with its sweet warmth. This recipe is from Clementine Paddleford's classic How America Eats (Scribner, 1960). 3 medium turnips, peeled, trimmed, and diced 4 tbsp. butter 4 tbsp. flour 1Ã¢ÂÂ3 cup heavy cream 2 tbsp. yellow onion, peeled and minced Sea salt and freshly ground white pepper 4 eggs, separated 1. Preheat oven to 350Ã¯Â¿Â½. Grease a 6-cup soufflÃ¯Â¿Â½ dish with 1 tsp. butter, dust with flour (tap out excess), and set aside. 2. Boil turnips in a pot of salted water over high heat until soft, 8Ã¯Â¿Â½10 minutes; drain well and mash until smooth. Melt remaining butter in a medium pan over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in cream and mashed turnips and cook until thick, about 5 minutes. 3. Add onions and salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste. Remove pot from heat and gradually stir in egg yolks. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and set aside. 4. Whisk egg whites in a large bowl until stiff peaks form, gently fold into turnip mixture, and spoon into prepared dish. Bake until puffed and golden, 35Ã¯Â¿Â½40 minutes See, you thought I didn't have one, didn't you? LOL I wonder if there is anything you CAN'T make a souffle with? Annie
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alisande
13 years ago
I've never heard of a one-inch rutabaga. I don't have a definitive answer for you, Sheilajoyce, but I would have suspected it had something to do with their size.
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
13 years ago
I do think that the turnips were immature. I have never eaten or even seen any that small. At that size, I don't think that the sugars have had a chance to develop properly.

That size is more like a radish, lol!
threejs
13 years ago
any chance it might have been a parsnip?.........did you actually see the root vegetables before they were cooked....the colour is about the same as a white turnip after being cooked....not saying that it wasn't a turnip but remember a friend trying my beef stew and saying that it was great except for the "nasty carrots" I had not cut them in chunks but just cooked them along with the other veggies. You either love them or hate them...most people I know do not like parsnip but have no problem with turnip or rutabaga even if they are stronger in taste as they blend with the other veggie flavours.
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
13 years ago
It would be pretty hard to mistake a parsnip for a turnip, I would think. :-) Carrots, I can see.
threejs
13 years ago
Depends on how you cut up your veggies..if you cut them all the same size it is hard to tell when they are cooked together in a broth or stew, especially if diced or cut in small chunks. There are tiny turnips...most are picked in the spring before they start to get bigger ...especially when you are thinning out your garden but I don't think they have a strong taste to them.

Here is a link that might be useful: tiny turnips

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