I'm searching on-line images... could it be a short fat black carrot??? And, if so, how do you eat black carrots? lol!

OH MY, tell me that isn't a ... oops, gotta go, someone at the door ...

I would guess a red beet. When you scrub it up, cut off the root end first.

Beet would be my guess also.

My guess is a beet as well. An old one...

Whatever it is, it's certainly a misfit!! My first guess also would be a beet. Can you take a vegetable peeler to a small part of it and see what it looks like under the skin?

My initial thought was beet, but then I decided it was so badly shaped that it must be something more exotic. lol! If it is indeed a beet then it is pretty nasty looking.... it might be better to use it for a natural dye than for food. :O)

You could stick a straight pin in it and if it comes out with a red substance on it, it’s a beet.

It's definitely a "Misfit" whatever it is.

Because of this post, I now realize why it's called a Misfit box. The produce must be undesirables, that stores wouldn't take. Ugly food. Our store has a brand called "Less than Perfect" where they sell apples, frozen fruit, etc etc.

Oh, put me down for beet too.

My guess is beet, too.

Please come back and let us know when you cut into it. Maybe pictures, even. I can’t wait!

I agree, I think it's a beet. It doesn't matter if it's pretty, all that matters is how it tastes...

Annie

I may be the only one who doesn't see a beet.

What I am seeing is a Malanga (a.k.a. Yautia). They're dark, hairy and gruesome. But taste a whole lot better than they look.

If it is Malanga, when you cut it, the flesh will resemble a very starchy potato.

Sol

I've never seen raw malanga...

I've never heard of malanga, raw or cooked!

Sticking pins in it is a great idea! Just haven't done it yet.... I decided not to wash, cut, or poke it until I'm going to try to use it, so I sent email and asked Misfits what they think it is. lol!

I'm with sol, a south American type of root vegetable. If when you wash it it looks li,e it has pinkish skin it will taste sweeter than a regular potato, if the skin is kind of the color it is now it probably is a malanga. Or, Papa púrpura are Peruvian purple potato or yacon? It'll be fun to see!

Are the leaves cut off? Leaves might give us a bigger hint at what it is.

Here are more pics -- the top growth had been cut basically flush with the top and was very dark in color, as was the broken bottom. Now I see a mold growing on the end. I didn't refrigerate it. :p

Beet - or possibly turnip. You can tell by the top.

Not all beet varieties are round either.

Ugh. I'd toss it. Mold 😟

Drum roll please... I just heard back from Misfits and it's been identified as a TURNIP! I've grown turnips and they didn't look anything like this. lol!!!

Turnips come in different shapes too - many vegetables do - esp. heirloom varieties.

Yup! I grow lots of 'different' things, so know that well. In any case, I'd say that a lot of people thought it looked more like a beet than anything else. The mystery was fun while it lasted. :)

FWIW, I would've cut off that moldy tip to see what the internal color was. It still looks too dark to me to be a turnip...

Turnips and parsnips are usually white or yellow internally. But with a few dozen varieties I suppose one could be purple inside. I would cut off the mold tip and an inch off the rooting/greens end, wash, bag with a p-towel and refrigerate. Might be too late if its been room temp for a few days. Usually if that much is trimmed from the top, the interior color is exposed. Looks purple. Why I thought it was a dirty dry beet.

Misfits should have a glossary/dictionary of their veg with pictures including the cut slice.

I've yet to come across something unfamiliar though organic farms do set aside some of their farms for heirloom unusual varieties to keep an edge above conventional farming.

Update: I decided to cut the end -- it looks just like a freakin' BEET on the inside. lol! Are there any turnips that look just like a beet on the inside? I think it's an old, misshapen, gnarly beet. :)

At this point I would tell Misfits it was inedible & they owe you a decent replacement!

Did you taste it? Both beets and turnips are okay to eat raw, if not delicious. You'd know right away.

I have to say, the shape and the look of where the top was cut off is iconically turnip, and some clerk at Misfits whose job it is to answer e-mails might have just said turnip because of that. OTOH, my first reaction to what was it really was beet (everybody had already said beet so I didn't chime in).

It's likely that it's something conventionally common in your area to be in a Misfits box, though malanga was an interesting idea. It obviously grew around stones and that does affect the shape. Almost all turnips are white or white-ish inside. A few that have all over different colors, like dark red or yellow, have a tinge of red or yellow inside, but not an all over deep red like a red beet. There may be a scarlet all through turnip that I've never heard of.

If you eat a sliver and it's sharp, it's a turnip. If it's sweet, it's a beet. If you take Edie's advice, it can be compost. :)

😂, Misfits has been really good about any moldy bits. Should not happen. Every third box has had an issue. They always credit my oder. I'm not at all shy speaking up. At least they make it easy to point out issues.

My last delivery was so insanely gorgeous I'm not suspending anytime soon. I did switch to every other week a month ago.

My home garden is picking up finally being early July. But Misfits has so much I can't get right now. Local CSA's are right on my garden target that I don't need.

And then the add-on's. A small bag of organic potato chips, and a tiny chocolate bar, and some toasted almonds. Things we don't usually buy but a few treats organic is nice. Covid treats.

Doesn't Misfits include a list of what is in the box? Farm Fresh to You always includes a list. It's too bad about the mold.

If you still aren't sure what it is, maybe you should slice the non-moldy part up and shallow fry it. Then you would have an unidentified frying object.

Cloud Swift: "Unidentified frying object" -- lol! Now I wonder if it would be good to slice and pan-fry it! :) I've never received a list in my box -- I keep a list of what I've requested and compare with what I get. I got lots of substitutions with this box. :p

plllog, I did a taste test when I cut it and it was definitely beet -- and very good tasting too! :)

edie, I'd never argue over a beet that looks bad but tastes good. :O)

sleeve, I think my box is in shipping longer than yours, but I have had my share of complaints that have now been handled very well. Their 'support' team seems to have recently taken a quantum leap in their dedication! My last 3 boxes were shorted both on variety of items and weight... I don't know why I've been so unlucky, but there it is. Still, I've loved having them during all these months!!! I'm so glad that you told us about them this past winter.

Aha! Well, that is the mission of Misfits, right? A beet even its mother wouldn't recognize--one with turnipitis even--but a good one. :)

My delivery day is Wednesday. April was a mess but it's been back to normal on schedule for a while.

The tracking is about as good as it gets. Almost a play-by-play ...packed, time picked up, when it hits transfer location, (usually 2am), then on truck and out for delivery, (usually 4am).

My ice pack still had some solids, so yes, I might have less time on the road.

I did have more substitutions than usual, but the rainbow chard and lacinato kale more than made up for the last box. Better than any grocery and looked like it was just pulled from my garden...even better. (mine in the garden is only about 6 inches now).

Groceries have sit-on-the-dock time and back room time, then stocking and sitting on the shelf time.

I have some red and yellow beets and radish from a month ago or more that just now are looking tired. (in a bag with a p-towel in the crisper drawer). No mold. Carrots from two months ago look good. Room temp too long root veg go down fast.

Using the rest of the kale tonight in a frittata 10-11 days after delivery. No yellow and looks good.

The romanesco cauliflower, the size of a golfball, 😂, I used right away. Sad little fella.

I do not get a list in my box. Why waste the paper. It is e-mailed after selection.

This week, coming Wednesday,