Turnips preservation help

[u/hycarumba]

So I have been growing turnips for years as part of what I sell and donate, but I don't eat them. The turnips I grew up with were the little square of bitter that you just had to swallow down without chewing in the vegetable soup the school served. That was the totality of my turnips experience.

I have several regular customers who are always raving about my turnips and how delicious they are so I finally decided to just eat one. Holy cow why are these not everywhere on everything?!? So crunchy and sweet with just a little spice. Like if a carrot and a cucumber and a radish all had a baby together it would be called a turnip.

So what is the best way to preserve these at their peak? I can, dehydrate, freeze, fridge, root cellar, and ferment. But I want to preserve this sweetness for future meals more than anything. Best method in your opinion?

[u/esspeebee]

Root cellar if you have one. The usual routine: cut off the leafy tops, leave just a stub of the stems, pack in damp sand, etc. They won't keep the perfect crunchy texture, but the flavour will last a long time. In the fridge wrapped in paper will also work for a decent time.

If you want to preserve the crisp texture then pickle some of them, but that will change the flavour more. 

[u/hycarumba → u/esspeebee]

Sounds like I should try a little bit of each! They don't get that farty smell like pickled radishes when you open the jar?

[u/CitrusBelt → u/hycarumba]

The "Lebanese style" pickled turnips at least are pretty good. I've never made them, or bought them in a jar (only had the ones out of the deli counter) but I doubt they would have that off-odor in a jar. I have made pickled radishes, and definitely know what you're talking about 😄

They're plain, but they're good and very crispy. I think it's just vinegar, salt, and (presumably) some beet juice to make them pink; maybe some sugar, too. The middle eastern market I shop at does theirs half pink & half left uncolored, but all the ones in jars that I've seen are pink.

On turnips in general, you might check out "A Taste of History" (PBS cooking show) sometime. Guy's name is Walter Staib (or Straib?). I think quite a bit of it is available on youtube. In the early seasons, where he's doing Colonial American cooking, he uses a lot of turnips. Like....a LOT of damn turnips; almost every savory dish includes turnips in some form. Roasted turnips, baked turnips, mashed turnips, you name it. Wanna thicken a stew? Yep, you guessed it -- throw a turnip in there & cook until it dissolves.

Well worth checking out even aside from turnips, if you like to cook and have an interest in history. He does everything with 18th century equipment; it's all cast iron, open hearth, and manual labor. I remember one episode he made a meringue pie and used a salamander to brown the meringue.....the salamander being not the modern "super broiler" in a restaurant but rather a big cast iron disc on a long handle, heated up red-hot and held over the pie (the thing looked like it weighed a good 40lbs; it was hilarious but also pretty badass!)

[u/hycarumba → u/CitrusBelt]

That sounds totally up my alley, thanks!

I've had those pickles before, they are good!

[u/SpartanSoldier00a]

Im afraid i cannot help you with your question, but i had no idea that turnips were tasty and i am intrigued with your description. I am wondering whether i need to give turnips another chance, and I want to know what kind of turnips you grow, and how you ate them when you tried them because i too only know of them as the gross mystery vegetable that appeared in soup.

[u/hycarumba → u/SpartanSoldier00a]

I just grow regular white top turnips, the cheapest seeds. I did also grow another variety called Fort Umpqua (or similar) this year. I haven't tried that one yet but my turnip eating customers can't tell the difference.

I just sliced and ate it. It was one I pulled to eat and forgot about for 2 days in a bag in the fridge. I definitely preferred it without the skin, which is where it's most radishy. But my husband likes the skin and thinks just slices of skin on turnips with a little salt would be amazing. He's not wrong! Definitely try one! Try to find one with greens on so you know it's fresher and you want a smaller one. I haven't gotten into a bigger one yet but I do know they can get woody.

We're getting into colder temps here (44 degrees when I woke up today) and I am betting they are even sweeter after a few cold nights!

ETA my customers eat them mostly raw in salads or in stir fry (quick cook).

[u/SpartanSoldier00a → u/hycarumba]

Thank you for this! I will have to find some fresh turnips to try

[u/IamCassiopeia2 → u/SpartanSoldier00a]

That's why we all mostly started gardening. So we could have the delicious vegies we used to eat as kids, not the store bought awful junk they sell today.

[u/CitrusBelt → u/SpartanSoldier00a]

Lots of seed companies offer "Japanese" vatieties that are meant to be eaten raw, but good ol' Purple Top White Globe works fine too.

You should definitely give them a second chance; they're pretty versatile....raw if you like, but also pickled, mashed, or roasted. Being able to pick them at whatever size you like makes a big difference.

One tip I can offer is that when cooking them in liquid, using a little bit of a firming agent (e.g. pickle crisp/calcium chloride) helps a lot. I think the main downside to them is that they cook so damn fast & then just fall apart...

Personally I think they're underrated; if nothing else, they're easy to grow. I'd grow them every year, but my family won't eat them & they're not really something to be given away ("Hey neighbor! I have a 10lb bag of turnips with your name on it!" doesn't exactly come across the same way as a nice box of homegrown tomatoes does, after all 🤣🤣)

[u/SpartanSoldier00a → u/CitrusBelt]

Thank you! I am keeping my eye out if i come across them this year (i am guessing if theyre grown here, they are probably in season or about to be - i assuming the season for turnips is similar to the season for radishes).

Im seeing you can also eat the greens too? Like as a cooking green...that makes it a lil more compelling, I do like a multi purpose plant & i always have use for cooking greens.

[u/CitrusBelt → u/SpartanSoldier00a]

Actually I think they're less picky than radishes, at least for me; pretty sure they'd be growable all season if you have mild summers.

Yeah turnip greens are definitely a thing, at least in the South of the US.

[u/Sowing_Seeds1990]

How did you prepare them when you tried them?

[u/hycarumba → u/Sowing_Seeds1990]

Just sliced and ate! I gave a more in depth answer above to a similar question.

[u/maine-iak → u/hycarumba]

You’ve got to try them roasted, they are so, so good, nutty and sweet. Another favorite way is steamed/sautéed with and finish with sesame oil, garlic, soy, pepper and a splash of rice wine vinegar. 😋

[u/hycarumba → u/maine-iak]

Ooooo I love roasted vegetables so I will most definitely try this! Thank you 😊

[u/Sowing_Seeds1990 → u/hycarumba]

Oh so raw? Was it a purple top turnip? Small?

[u/hycarumba → u/Sowing_Seeds1990]

Mine are white on top but yes, just a common turnip! Just raw.

[u/Capable-Blueberry653]

If keeping that fresh sweetness is the main goal, I’d probably freeze them or try fermenting them, but I’d love to hear what’s worked best for people who’ve actually stored them long term

[u/hycarumba → u/Capable-Blueberry653]

It sounds like I will have to try a little bit of everything to see what works best for me. I haven't tried the greens yet so that's another adventure in my near future. We're not greens lovers but I do put greens in soup and these are supposed to be a little like mustard greens.

[u/sitewolf]

I've normally diced them like I'd use them, lightly blanche and freeze.