Turnip - Farm Market In Langley

Note: Availability fluctuates throughout the year, please understand the described items below are educational. To confirm availability please inquire with us directly.

Plan to make sweet young turnip a welcome guest at the dinner table any time. With a sweet, delicious flavours root vegetables are higher in sugar than other veggies – a good selling point for children. Usually smaller than rutabagas and have a smooth, white skin with a hint of green. The root’s creamy white flesh is crisp textured and sharp flavoured when raw, which calms down when cooked. The white and yellow varieties have a somewhat sweet peppery taste, while the green and scarlet are slightly milder, (The scarlet variety is mildly sweet and is cooked with its thin skins intact.). The greens are not only edible , but also rich in vitamins and minerals.

HOW TO CHOOSE

Although compared to rutabagas, which benefit from the cold growing season, the best turnips are found in spring and fall, perhaps with their leafy green tops still attached.

STORAGE

Keep well for 2-3 weeks when wrapped in plastic with air holes and refrigerated in the crisper. Cut off turnip greens, if still attached, and bag them separately to refrigerate for just a few days.

If Blanched, they can be frozen and kept for longer stretches.

HOW TO PREPARE

Simply scrub turnips with a vegetable brush before cooking. Then slice off the ends. Larger turnips should be peeled. However if they are less than 2 inches in diameter, the skin will be thin and tender and can be cooked without peeling.

Cooking Tip Along with larger sized turnips comes a stronger flavour. By blanching the larger turnips in boiling water for approximately 5 minutes, the flavour is mellowed.

HOW TO ENJOY

If a potato can do it, so can a turnip! They can be boiled, baked, braised in a stock, steamed, stir-fried, roasted, or microwave, but should not be overcooked, retaining some crunch to the vegetable. If that weren’t enough, turnips can also be pickled.

A Few Quick Serving Ideas

Thinly sliced turnips have a crisp texture, and can be eaten raw as a snack. They make a good addition to platters of raw vegetables and dip

Add to a salad or other vegetable dishes

Diced turnip lends a hearty flavour to soups or stock. They make great mock-mashed potatoes – just puree in the food processor with a little butter or milk or both, salt and pepper

When roasted these become caramelized on the outside, smooth, and creamy inside. Cut in chunks and roast at 425 for 40 minutes until tender and beginning to brown. Roast them with other root vegetables, on their own or around a roast of meat

Sauté sliced turnips in butter and sugar to caramelize them, and serve with bacon and eggs

Some cooks like to braise or broil small whole turnips in chicken stock, with a little butter

To boil
Cut turnips into chunks and boil until they are tender, about 6 to 10 minutes. Whole turnips take about 30 minutes to cook.
To roast
Use either whole, unpeeled baby turnips or larger ones, peeled and cut into wedges. Then toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and place them on a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast at 375°F (190°C) until they are tender, about 35 to 45 minutes.
To microwave
Place turnip cubes, with a few tablespoons (30 to 45mL) of water or stock in a covered microwave-safe casserole and cook on High for about 3 minutes. Then let stand for about 3 minutes before serving.

Complimentary Seasonings Good flavours for seasoning turnips include lemon, nutmeg, garlic, cheeses, thyme, and parsley.

HEALTH BENEFITS

Containing diuretic properties, turnip is a vegetable high in vitamin C (3 times as much in turnip greens). Turnips are also a good source of calcium, phosphor and magnesium.

Turnip, 1 cup (135g) (raw, cubes)
Calories: 35
Protein: 1.17g
Carbohydrate: 8.1g
Total Fat: 0.13g
Fibre: 2.3g
*Excellent source of: Vitamin C (27.3mg)
*Foods that are an “excellent source” of a particular nutrient provide 20% or more of the Recommended Daily Value. Foods that are a “good source” of a particular nutrient provide between 10 and 20% of the Recommended Daily Value.

FUN FACTS

Turnips have a history of being fed to cattle, farmers not realizing just how delicious they can be

North Americans are known to incorrectly associate turnips with rutabagas

OF INTEREST

Very young turnips and French turnips, or navets, can be eaten raw.