Some people around the world avoid eating turnip. They may say the turnips taste bad, without even trying them out first. In a way, this feels unfair (even though they look like your typical tubercle); maybe the reason is just for the looks.
There are several varieties of turnip, with slight differences on color; mostly they have a white bulb that becomes somewhat purple near the top of the roots where the leaves could start growing. But because it comes from the ground, many would think it tastes just like it.
Let’s find out today what does a turnip taste like? Does it taste like something from the ground, like an onion? Is it bad at all? We are going to take a look on many questions about this vegetable connected to its taste and other related answers about this interesting theme.
Does turnip taste like a ground vegetable?
Well, when it comes to what does a turnip taste like you would probably think that, because it comes from the ground (just like anything else), it would taste accordingly even though most of the kitchen’s best flavors come from there. So, does turnip taste like a ground vegetable?
Definitely. The turnip comes from the ground and taste like ground, but not the way you expect. Some say it has like a bite, something spicy. This should not be that surprising, given that turnips are somehow related to mustard leaves and radishes. Some also say that the flavor could be something similar to cabbage.
There are, however, other kinds of turnips that taste more like a mix between carrots and potatoes (it that makes sense). It has a somehow sweet, yet simple with that starched feeling and texture from those similar vegetables.
And when they are young, the leaves are really soft, fresh, and a little bit sweet. This taste becomes more concentrated when they grow up. The leaves would become bitter and some people could find them a bit spicy as well. That bitterness though could be removed by cooking them, with a bit of olive oil, garlic, and salt could do the trick.
What can replace a turnip?
After talking about what does a turnip taste like and getting some answers, you may think that those combined flavors of the potatoes, carrots and so many other vegetables would be good candidates as replacements for turnip. And you may be right so, what can replace a turnip?
For starters, and speaking about taste, the best replacement for a turnip is… The Kohlrabi. What’s that? It is actually called “German turnip” so yes, basically from the same family. It is said that the consistency and the texture of the Kohlrabi is on point, which makes it a really good choice (if not the best)
Another way in case the natural taste of the turnip is not as liked, but it is still required could be the use of white potatoes. The results would be very similar when this is used as a replacement. Also, if you want more flavor, you could try using fresh cabbage and radishes, or some cooked mustard leaves.
Having those choices, you could get similar results than just using the turnip: A taste that is slightly sweet, mixed with some spice from the radish or the mustard leaves. Just be careful while cooking radish since the taste could go if you overcook it.
How to store turnip?
Now that you know what does a turnip taste like and what other vegetables you could use to replace it, let’s find out the best ways to save these valuable turnips for a while. Let’s check how to store turnip?
The different ways you can store and save your turnips would be dictated by their size and their maturity. It is definitely not the same store bigger bulbs than some tiny roots. However, turnips are known to be a bit durable compared to other vegetables.
Tinier roots could be stored in the refrigerator between two to three weeks, while bigger ones with certain level of maturity would go up to three weeks being refrigerated. Be aware that, in that case, you would need to discard broken or stained roots after long periods of storage.
To freeze the turnip’s roots, it is necessary to take many points into account. The best recommendations to do this start by cutting them in little cubes, around half an inch each. Then, you need to scald them in boiling water for around two minutes; immediately after that put them into cold water and freeze them in freezer bags.
After doing this procedure, you would ensure a longevity of around eight to ten months, which is insane. This is definitely why some people also say this is one of the longer living vegetables you could have inside your freezer. Simply amazing.
Conclusion
The turnip is one of those plants that, even though many know for its bulb, it has many eatable parts like their roots and leaves, all with a distinct taste. So, what does a turnip taste like? To put it simply, it has a combination of flavor that may be familiar to you in many ways than none.
One of those tastes is similar of that of the potatoes and radishes. There are some people that also say it taste like cabbage, carrots, and even mustard leaves. In any case, the consensus seems to be a very subtle, very soft sweet taste, with some added spice. This enables it to be a good companion for salads; their leaves could be eaten the same way as spinach.
And the best part, since many of those flavors are similar, you could use them in case you can’t access a turnip, but you need it for a recipe that requires it. Also importantly, if you need to store them for later, rest assured you could get those roots to be saved up to three weeks refrigerated, and up to 10 months in the freezer.
