Turnips, turnips, turnips

GreeneGarden

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I harvest the greens more than the roots.
The greens are great sources of calcium / magnesium.
They can also be easily parboiled, dried, and stored for long periods.
The roots do not store well for long periods no matter what you do.
The greens are also high in lutein and zeaxanthin, which the roots have less of.
Don't get me wrong. The roots are also high in calcium / magenesium.
They also taste reasonably well.
But they are like potato; they convert to sugar very quickly, so I do not eat much.
I tend to grow Seven Top - Brassica septiceps because it grows more greens and less root.
This is not actually a true turnip like Brassica rapa.

http://www.gardenfornutrition.org/Organic_Self_Sufficiency_Crops.html#GREENS
 

Southern Gardener

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GreeneGarden said:
I harvest the greens more than the roots.
The greens are great sources of calcium / magnesium.
They can also be easily parboiled, dried, and stored for long periods.
The roots do not store well for long periods no matter what you do.
The greens are also high in lutein and zeaxanthin, which the roots have less of.
Don't get me wrong. The roots are also high in calcium / magenesium.
They also taste reasonably well.
But they are like potato; they convert to sugar very quickly, so I do not eat much.
I tend to grow Seven Top - Brassica septiceps because it grows more greens and less root.
This is not actually a true turnip like Brassica rapa.

http://www.gardenfornutrition.org/Organic_Self_Sufficiency_Crops.html#GREENS
I do love the greens, but didn't cook them this time - I didn't mulch them and the soil is so hard to wash off.
 

Kassaundra

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I know the greens are healthy, but neither me nor my husband like the taste so I feed them to my chickens, they love them.
 

digitS'

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If you like the greens/kinda like the greens/don't like the greens . . . you may want to grow bok choy.

Bok choy is the same genus & species.

I suspect that turnip greens would be best before the roots develop - when the plants are quite young. This idea is just based on my experience with bok choy. By the time the leaves are becoming a bit coarse, I don't have any interest in eating them :p.

Steve
 

ducks4you

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I LOVE pretty much all vegetables, and I bought about 5 packages of turnips. Don't know why--never tried 'em!!!
**laugh if you wish at this**
Okay...first, are they hard to grow?
second, what do they taste like?
third, when do I start them?
fourth, do they start better indoors, or direct seed?
Thanks--I didn't want to start a new thread, so I hijacked YOURS!!! HA, HA!!
 

Kassaundra

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ducks4you said:
I LOVE pretty much all vegetables, and I bought about 5 packages of turnips. Don't know why--never tried 'em!!!
**laugh if you wish at this**
Okay...first, are they hard to grow?
second, what do they taste like?
third, when do I start them?
fourth, do they start better indoors, or direct seed?
Thanks--I didn't want to start a new thread, so I hijacked YOURS!!! HA, HA!!
I found them extremely easy to grow.

They taste like turnips! lol lol They can have a "hot" flavor mostly around the skin, if peeled and eaten raw they have a crunchy sweetish taste, cooked they are mushy (supose to be that way) and have a pleasent enough taste, but a whang of an aftertaste that takes some getting used to.

They like cool season so early spring or fall

Direct seed
 

ducks4you

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Thanks, all! Sounds pretty tasty, and since DH is on a diabetic diet now, we can use every vegetable out there! I'll take a picture of the jar that I have them in before planting. Their little black seeds practically fill it. I think I'll get my expandable jiffy pots and start them outside as seedlings.
 

catjac1975

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ducks4you said:
Thanks, all! Sounds pretty tasty, and since DH is on a diabetic diet now, we can use every vegetable out there! I'll take a picture of the jar that I have them in before planting. Their little black seeds practically fill it. I think I'll get my expandable jiffy pots and start them outside as seedlings.
Soak your broccoli in salt water -you may find some cabbage loopers. Gross at the dinner table. I like them lightly steamed. I love turnips boiled and mashed. Or on the grill.
 

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