# Turnips--Nature's Forgotten Food. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 27, 2002, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turnips-natures-forgotten-food/100310 "2002-03-27T03:15:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turnips-natures-forgotten-food/100310/1 "2002-03-27T03:15:07Z")
I wanted to write a post for some time now. _On turnips._ Yes, you read correctly–turnips, nature’s forgotten food. It seems for some time, people did still eat turnips. I have some old cook books at home that tell you how to cook and mash them like potatoes. But by the time I arrived on the scene, they were sometimes mentioned, but rarely eaten. I certainly don’t feel deprived by not having them as a child. As I’ve already said on the bbboards (:_correct name?_ ), I had an exceptional mother, who certainly never deprived me of anything I needed. No, turnips just eventually went out of vogue. But about 10 yrs. ago, I began buying them myself, first just out of curiosity. And I never realized what versatile vegetables they are. Raw, they are just like radishes–maybe a little milder–only much bigger, of course! Cooked, they are like any starchy root vegetable. They can be mashed or stewed. Served with butter and lemon, if desired. More recently, I’ve begun cooking them in the microwave–just like a potato! Then I split them open and put butter and olive oil on them. Sometimes I put a little chopped shallot on them too. _Delicious!_ TTFN:) ---
**Author:** ![Leifsmama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a698b9/32.png) [@Leifsmama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leifsmama)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turnips-natures-forgotten-food/100310/2 "2002-03-27T03:27:13Z")
Have you tried roasting them in the oven with just salt, pepper, and a little olive oil? Very yummy, and the washed greens make a nice salad with your favorite vinegrette. Bitter with a tiny tartness. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turnips-natures-forgotten-food/100310/3 "2002-03-27T04:07:58Z")
Turnip greens are a food group in and of themselves. Carefully strip the leaves away from the stems, which are woody and bitter. Continue until you have enough greens to fill a large salad bowl as high as you can pile it. Wash well in cold water. If you are not keeping kosher or otherwise maintaining a grudge against pork products, cook them with a ham bone or a strip of fresh pork that includes some fat, or even 3-4 slices of bacon. To speed up the operation, you can use a pressure cooker if you wish; otherwise, give the greens enough cooking time to make them dark and limp. Serve with cornbread and fried chicken or fried pork chops, and perhaps okra or butterbeans. NOTE: turnip greens also play nicely in a 50/50 ration with mustard greens or kale (both of which are also delicious), or 33/33/33 mixture of all three. ---
**Author:** ![saepiroth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@saepiroth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saepiroth)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turnips-natures-forgotten-food/100310/4 "2002-03-27T04:46:53Z")
“uhmm… that’s all great and all, but what do you want to talk about?” “turnips; root vegetables, ‘albino carrots’ as they’re known back home.” - GTA3 Chatterbox-FM reference. i have it all on MP3! ---
**Author:** ![Darwins\_Finch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darwins_finch/32/20304_2.png) [@Darwins\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darwins_Finch)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turnips-natures-forgotten-food/100310/5 "2002-03-27T05:08:34Z")
“Nature’s forgotten food” indeed. Nature should be ashamed of turnips. And parsnips. Actually, I think there’re quite a few so-called vegetables out there for which Nature has some ‘splainin’ to do. ---
**Author:** ![MisterThyristor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecccb3/32.png) [@MisterThyristor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MisterThyristor)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turnips-natures-forgotten-food/100310/6 "2002-03-27T08:17:36Z")
Personally, my vote for forgotten food is rutabagas. I love 'em in a stew because they have that root-vegetable taste and they don’t get soggy with long slow cooking if you want to use the crockpot. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turnips-natures-forgotten-food/100310/7 "2002-03-27T11:03:55Z")
\>\> ‘albino carrots’ as they’re known back home You’re probably Chinese then. That’s what they call them. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turnips-natures-forgotten-food/100310/8 "2002-03-27T13:27:28Z")
rutabegas are gifts from the gods. in stews, they are wonderful, but if you mash them up, add butter and salt/pepper… drooooool and now i’m very curious about turnips. i shall have to get some at krogers and try them. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turnips-natures-forgotten-food/100310/9 "2002-03-27T13:35:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Leifsmama \* > \*\*Have you tried roasting them in the oven with just salt, pepper, and a little olive oil? \*\* Oh, yes! This is exactly how I like them. I sometimes do them in a mix with rutabagas, sweet potatoes, and beets. (but you have to segregate the beets while cooking, lest they turn everything pink!) ---
**Author:** ![Jane\_D\_oh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/839c29/32.png) [@Jane\_D\_oh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jane_D_oh)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turnips-natures-forgotten-food/100310/10 "2002-03-27T14:00:15Z")
Parsnips! Now there is a forgotten food. Keep your turnips, Parsnips I say! Mashed, no butter needed, about as sweet and wonderful tasting as any veggie out there. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turnips-natures-forgotten-food/100310/11 "2002-03-27T14:00:24Z")
You also need to pre-cook the beets a little, as they’re denser and harder than the other veggies. I usually roast the beets by themselves…just wrap them in foil and toss 'em in the oven…while I’m getting the rest of the meal ready. Then I peel them and cut them up and toss them with the turnips, sweet potatoes, squash, brussels sprouts, or what have you, with olive oil and s&p and maybe some rosemary, and shove the whole thing in the oven. I’ve sometimes heard rutabagas called “yellow turnips,” as they can be used interchangably with the white or rose kind. (I think rutabagas have better flavor, though.) ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turnips-natures-forgotten-food/100310/12 "2002-03-27T15:31:40Z")
Yeah, I love rutabagas. The ones that are about the same color as the text lettering of “The Straight Dope” and have that fascinating mixture of tastes. Yeah, with butter and pepper, just like that. Mmm! ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turnips-natures-forgotten-food/100310/13 "2002-03-27T15:43:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AHunter3 \* > \*\*about the same color as the text lettering of “The Straight Dope” \*\* You think that’s a coincidence or something? **Cecil** happens to LOVE rutabagas. Butter 'n salt 'n pepper, just like us ordinary peons. (Either that or it’s a tribute to that OTHER great Chicago artist **Carl Sandburg** , author of _The Rootabaga Stories_.) ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turnips-natures-forgotten-food/100310/14 "2002-03-27T16:09:35Z")
I love to cut up raw turnips and eat them raw. No dip, just raw. Yum! Robin ---
**Author:** ![Olivia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Olivia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olivia)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turnips-natures-forgotten-food/100310/15 "2002-03-27T20:30:12Z")
:o …Turnips, turnips, turnips…:o The Great and Powerful Turnip Queen will undoubtedly have something to say on this turnipy subject. Stay tuned ! :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turnips-natures-forgotten-food/100310/16 "2002-03-27T21:53:46Z")
I like 'em mashed in a mixture of potatoes:carrots:turnips, with a proportion of 3:2:1 respectively. Mash the mixture up like mashed potatoes with a little milk, butter and salt and maybe a bit of garlic. It makes a lovely pale orange mash and goes wonderfully with chicken, duck or game hens. Other than that, I love them raw, too. The small pure white Japanese ones are particularly nice raw or slightly pickled in salt water.