Roasted Turnips Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Do you have to peel turnips before you roast them? ›

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.

Adding a little sugar to your turnips after cooking can also help to counteract any bitterness.

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.

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.

Parsnips have a long root like carrots while turnips are round like radishes. Parsnips are sweeter than turnips, with a hint of licorice taste. Parsnips are in the same family as carrots, while turnips are in the same family as cabbage. That gives you an idea of their taste and how they can be used.

Turnips can be enjoyed raw, pickled, boiled, roasted, mashed, stewed, puréed, added to soups, or prepared almost any way you'd make potatoes. Turnips are a healthy alternative to potatoes; they're lower in calories and have fewer carbs.

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 are indeed healthy, boasting an impressive nutritional profile. They are low in calories and packed with essential nutrients like vitamin C, potassium, and fiber. Turnips also contain glucosinolates, compounds that have been linked to cancer prevention.

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.

Should turnips be hard or soft? ›

Select pearly, heavy turnips without soft spots and fresh leaves if still attached. Small to medium bulbs are sweet and most tender. Turnips will feel firm and heavy with crisp green tops.

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.

When used in cooking, baking soda can become hazardous to people following a low-sodium diet. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, half a teaspoon of baking soda has 629 milligrams of sodium.

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.

The decision to peel your turnips is totally up to you. However, it's recommended to remove the skin of larger bulbs to avoid a sharp aftertaste when you eat them. If you decide to peel the turnips, do the chore with a vegetable peeler, just as you would with a potato.

Add the turnips and potatoes to a large stockpot and fill the pot with water, enough to cover the vegetables. Heat over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, then simmer until the turnips are tender (they may take longer to cook than the potatoes), about 15 minutes.

– If the turnip is particularly hard, you can microwave it for a few seconds to soften it slightly, making it easier to cut. – Take your time and exercise caution to prevent any injuries while handling the knife.

Root and cruciferous vegetables — think carrots, parsnips, turnips, Brussels sprouts — can be washed, peeled and cut a day in advance for a beautiful medley of roasted vegetables.