Several years ago, Miss Landers and I did a comparison between turnips and rutabagas, and I thought about that when I was harvesting some today. I wondered if I thought the same about them now as I did then. I'd say, "Yep." So, I'm going to rerun the original post I did about the two.
Rutabagas
I've always been curious about rutabagas. Well, actually, I've never been curious about rutabagas and have never given them much thought until recently, when Miss Landers brought some over from her garden for us to try. This was her first time growing them, and she was curious about how they compared with turnips, so she also brought turnips that she had grown.
A bit of research revealed that rutabagas are a natural cross between turnips and wild cabbage. They are a relatively new plant, in that the first time they are mentioned in literature is in the early 1600s. They go by many names, including yellow turnips and swedes, because Sweden is a top producer. (Can you guess they like to grow in colder weather?) The name “rutabaga” is derived from an old Swedish word meaning “root bag.”
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| Notice the multiple roots and yellow tint of the rutabaga. |
How about our turnip vs. rutabaga comparison? This is what we observed. Miss Landers said that as she was pulling them (both root vegetables), the rutabagas seemed to have more roots and root hairs. Both were pungent when raw and smelled like a cross between cabbage and radishes. The rutabaga had a yellow tint to it that intensified when cooked, while the turnip remained white.
We were able to convince Ward and Theodore to participate in a taste test after the vegetables were cooked--which was pretty remarkable considering neither one of them likes turnips. They weren't too sure that they wanted to sample anything called yellow turnips. However, they did sample them right along with Miss Landers and me.
We all agreed that the rutabaga had a definite potato taste. Theodore said that the rutabaga tasted as if it were a cross between potatoes and Brussels sprouts. A fairly apt description. Theodore and I liked the turnips better with their more peppery taste, while Ward and Miss Landers liked the rutabagas better with their milder taste and creamier texture.
In conclusion, will I start adding rutabagas to my grocery list on a regular basis? No. But will I now have something new to talk about when there is a lull in the conversation? Yes. :)
Note: I haven't been buying rutabagas, but I did grow some along with turnips this fall with extra seeds Miss Landers had.
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| Notice the white color of the cooked turnips and the yellow color of the rutabaga. |
More sources:
- Rutabaga overview--http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutabaga
- Rutabaga recipes--http://allrecipes.com/recipes/everyday-cooking/seasonal/winter/rutabaga/top.aspx
- Rutabaga nutrition--http://www.produceoasis.com/Items_folder/Vegetables/Rutabaga.html
- How to grow rutabagas http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-26.html
- A serious and not so serious blog about rutabagas--http://rutablogger.blogspot.com/2011/04/breakthrough-photosnynthesis-stimulate.html
Gardener M and I were discussing turnips and rutabagas on Wednesday, along with kohlrabi (one of his other clients wants to grow kohlrabi).
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if I've ever had kohlrabi. I looked up growing it and maybe I'll try it next spring or fall since it likes colder weather.
DeleteI like kohlrabi raw, sliced up thin, and dipped in something. As for turnups and rutabaga's never been a fan, really, although I like parsnips, but I do not care for radishes either.
ReplyDeleteAll of those are pretty strong tasting veggies, and people either like them or they don't. Parsnips are not a favorite of mine, but I'm grown to like roasted radishes.
DeleteMy parents had a big garden, and my dad was always trying new things. He loved looking at the seed catalogs in winter. So I grew up eating a variety of veggies. I liked turnips and rutabagas, but didn't care for parsnips. Kohlrabi was pretty good too. But I don't buy any of them at the store since my family doesn't really like them.
ReplyDeleteGlad you were able to do taste test.
I think big gardens are often a part of life in you area. I grew up with big gardens, too. I didn't used to like turnips, but I do now. I also like beets, but they have a whole different flavor than the cabbage veggies.
DeleteBeets are good esp. pickled.
DeleteWe belonged to a CSA when the kids were little. There was always a lot of kale in our box. I tried fixing it sooo many ways, but none of us liked it. I even made kale chips which my husband said tasted like dehydrated dirt. :D
My husband says beets taste like dirt. :)
DeleteThis is very interesting. I've tried rutabagas but I don't think I've ever had a turnip believe it or not!
ReplyDeleteWhile nutritionally, turnips are pretty good, I don't think you have to rush out to try turnips. They have a strong flavor that is not everyone's cup of tea.
DeleteI have a vague memory of trying rutabaga, oddly enough, at a boy scout family camp potluck. One of the scouts loved them, so his mom brought them. I think it had brown sugar in them. I didn't mind them. I dislike strong tasting veggies, like radishes and turnips, but the rutabaga was mild.
ReplyDeleteMy husband grew kohlrabi in the garden one summer. I can say I tried it. Didn't like it.
Turnips can be very strong tasting, and I didn't used to like them. However, one day I had some mild, sweet ones and I was hooked. I still don't like strongly-flavored bitter turnips, but I am willing to eat them while I am searching for the mild ones. :)
DeleteI've never had rutabega or turnips. My mom used to cook rutabega sometimes, but I never tried it because I hated the smell. I do want to try turnips, though.
ReplyDeleteAll of the cruciferous vegetables stink when you cook them. I am glad that we have a strong exhaust fan on those days.
DeleteI have never eaten rutabagas, but one year I did grow them...and fed them to the pigs because no one hear would eat them. I will try again, though.
ReplyDeleteThey aren't hard to grow except the cabbage worms like the leaves.
DeleteI love Rutabagas! They look different here in Montreal than in your photo. They are larger and round...various sizes. It is a Swedish turnip, sweeter than table turnips and are a light yellow colour. When they are fully cooked their colour becomes closer to orange. They are absolutely scrumptious, I love them!
ReplyDeleteSome of the ones I've been harvesting this year are bigger than in the picture. However, they cook up yellow not orange. I bet the orange ones are sweeter.
DeleteSo fascinating! I'm not sure I've ever eaten either one. I'm going to have to see if there are any at the store next time I go.
ReplyDelete