These Turnip Recipes That Prove Just How Delicious the Veggie Can Be (2024)

FAQs

What makes turnips taste better? ›

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.

Wash greens and roots well. Some suggest soaking the greens in a little salty water. 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.

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.

Place the turnips in a pot and cover with about 2 inches of salted water. Bring to a boil, adjust the heat and simmer until the turnips are tender when pierced with a toothpick or the tip of a paring knife, 20 to 30 minutes. Step three: Season and serve. Drain the turnips and season with salt and pepper.

Boosts immunity: Rich in vitamin C, turnips help strengthen the immune system and protect against infections. Aids digestion: High in fiber, turnips promote healthy digestion and prevent constipation. Supports bone health: Turnips contain calcium and vitamin K, essential nutrients for maintaining strong bones.

Rutabagas are also generally much larger than turnips. So for a quick rule of thumb, the brownish-yellowish ones are rutabagas, and the smaller white and purple ones are turnips. In terms of their flavor, rutabagas are slightly sweeter-tasting than turnips whereas turnips have a slightly more radishy flavor.

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.

Turnip greens are part of the cruciferous vegetable family, as are kale and broccoli. They are high in nutrients, such as vitamin K, vitamin A, and calcium, and low in calories. Both the root and the leaves of the turnip are edible, but turnip greens refer specifically to the stem and leafy green part of the plant.

Turnip contains several organic compounds like glucosinolates, isothiocyanates, flavonoids, phenols, indoles, volatiles and sulfur compounds that may possess antioxidant activity. The compounds present in turnip may reduce the risk of liver damage and might help maintain its structure and function.

What makes turnips taste good? ›

"Turnips taste better after a touch of frost it makes the taste sweeter and you don't get that awful after taste."

If the soil is too heavy, the crop will rot. If the soil is too lumpy or rocky, the roots will be tough, fibrous and misshapen.

Add baking soda.

Cooking turnip greens in salty, smokey, spicy chicken broth is the bee's knees and really flavors those turnip greens to pure perfection. Salt is one of my favorite ways to cut the bitterness in turnip greens. I then add about 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda to the broth and simmer for the last 20 minutes.

Turnips have a crisp, white inner flesh and a zesty, peppery flavor. People can eat them raw or cooked. However, roasting turnips tends to bring out their best flavors and qualities.