Varieties We Grow

Japanese Sweet Turnips | Golden Ball Turnips | Purple Top Turnips

Storage

Remove turnip greens from roots and store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Store washed or unwashed roots in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for a month or more.

Freezing Greens

Blanch pre-washed (and chopped, if desired) greens in boiling water for 1 minute. Plunge into an ice water bath to cool. Drain and wring out as much water as possible. Form into convenient serving-size balls. Wrap balls in plastic wrap and freeze in quart or gallon-size freezer bags.

Root Cellar

Store unwashed roots in a cold, damp cellar (32-34 degrees and 90% humidity) for several months.

Recipes

Moroccan Lamb Tagine

Turnips demand to be used in long simmered stews like this one, from Morocco, where this type of turnip is often used in tagines.

2 lbs lamb stew meat
Vegetable oil
Carrots, potatoes, turnips, onions
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Pinch of cinnamon & red pepper
3-4 cups water or stock

Cut the vegetables into large (2-3”) chunks or wedges. Brown the meat in the oil over high heat in a heavy Dutch oven or stew pot. When brown on all sides, remove from pan and set aside. Sauté the vegetables in the fat that remains for about 5 minutes. Add the meat and spices and continue to sauté for another minute or so, then add the broth or water and simmer gently for 1 1/2-2 hours, until the meat can be cut with a fork. Stir gently as to not break the vegetable pieces. Serve hot with couscous.

Southern Style Turnips and Greens

There are infinite variations to this dish. Below are the basic principles; feel free to interpret the recipe as you like. Greens provide an earthy pungency that counteracts the sweetness of other southern dishes. Serve alongside southern barbeque or fried chicken, with roasted sweet potatoes or sweet potato pie for dessert.

1 bunch Turnip Greens (about 2 lbs)
1 Turnip
6 slices bacon (or equivalent salt pork, ham hock, or smoked turkey wings)
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic (optional)
Salt & Pepper

Wash the greens thoroughly in cold water. Remove any tough stems and roughly chop the leaves. Peel and slice the turnip into bite-sized pieces. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add greens and cook about 15 minutes, then drain and discard cooking water. (Turnip greens can be quite pungent, some say bitter. Boiling removes the unpleasant flavor.) In a large skillet, fry the bacon until crisp and set aside. Add the onion (and garlic) and saute in remaining bacon grease until soft. Crumble the bacon and return to the pan along with the sliced turnip and the boiled greens. Season with salt and pepper. Add 1 cup water or stock and cook 30 minutes over low heat. Serves 4 greens lovers.