How do you cook turnips?

[thndrdancr]

I was given about 10 bags of turnips from a friend, and they were just gonna get thrown away, so me with my big mouth said, sure, I will use em.
I have NO idea how to cook turnips and these are the kind that have the parrafin wax on them.

Ok, any turnip cookers out there? We dont usually go for anything fancy, and I have a LOT of turnips to cook. Can you boil them and mash them like potaotoes? And HOW do I get that darned wax off?

Jill

 

[Southern28Chick]

Try this link:
http://www.eatingwell.com/eat_drink/kitchen_tips/turnips.html

 

[MissPrissy]

If you have a couple of sweet potatoes I have a really good casserole au gratin type recipe.

Butter a nice sized casserole dish.

Take the turnips and sweet potatoes and slice them into thin rounds. Slice a yellow onion very very thin - like paper thin.

Begin a layer of the turnips in the bottom of the casserole alternating with sweet potato and a little onion. Between each of those layers add just a bit of salt and pepper and tiny dots of butter.

When you have made a complete layer of the 3 add a thin layer of grated cheese then a sprinkle of parmesian.

Continue in this manner until the dish is full and the cheese is on top.

Take a pint of heavy cream and pour as much as you need over the casserole. Stop short of the top as it will bubble over.

Place casserole dish on a baking sheet and cover with foil. Slide it into a 350 degree oven. Let it bake covered for about an hour or so. Uncover and let it finish cooking and the cheese brown a little.

Cool a bit before serving.

This is a rich side dish with the heavy cream and butter but it is oh so good as part of a hearty meal on a cold day. I usually serve it along side roasted chicken or turkey with a crisp green salad.

I envy you those turnips! They hard to come by here in this part of Virginia. I like to cook the tops and roots and here they don't keep them together. You can either find the greens or the roots but rarely both.

editing to add - you can make this casserole and freeze it for 3 to 4 months. Thaw it before trying to heat. Heat for 30 minutes or so in a slow oven.

 

[picklespickles]

au gratin is a really good way to cook them, especially if you are not a big fan. smooths out the taste a lot.

 

[MissPrissy]

I forgot to say - Yes, you can cook them like mashed potatoes. Boil them until tender. Mash them and mix with a bit of cream, butter, salt and pepper. You can even add some crumbled freshly cooked bacon. These are good prepared this way and topped with a bit of cheese - like a baked potato.

If you have freezer room you can blanch them and put them away for later in the winter. They will keep for several months. If you have a food cellar they will keep for a few months just as they are.

edited to add - turnip roots can be strong tasting but you can acquire a tatse for them LOL

 

[thndrdancr]

Thanks all, boy you are making my mouth water with that recipe with the sweet potato/turnip casserole, MissPrissy. Now I will have to go out and buy some sweet taters.
We have like 10 bags of these things with 8 each in them, so will definitely need some imaginative ways to try them.

Thing is, about another 10 bags got thrown away, I couldnt carry any more at the time! sigh...I HATE to see anything get thrown...

 

[TxChiknRanchers]

These recipes look good!

My favorite way to eat them is to peel and cook and quarter hem up in a big pot with a meat dish, like smothered steak and onions, or roast beef, in natural gravy! Over a bed of rice...sorry its the cajun thing.

They do not take long to cook that way so do not add them until the other ingredients are almost done. They will flavor the gravy, in a good way I think, and the turnips will take on the gravy and meat flavor. My favorite!!!

they are good just cut up and smothered in their own juices with a little bacon or sausage, if you like their flavor.

WAX covering are you sure they aren't rudabagas(sp?). just do not remember the wax but ours are almost all home grown.

good eatin Y'all

Your cooking posts always make me smile Missprissy

 

[MissPrissy]

I was just rereading this post and I am wondering if they are rutabagas now too.

Are they white with a purple top? Do they have white or yellow flesh?

Thank you, TxChiknRanchers!

 

[Itsme]

10 bags? Like Grocery bags? Uff -Da

Boil like potatoes mash up with butter and brown sugar/salt.

Par boil/ chop into chunks/brown in fryin pan with butter/ add brown sugar.

Did I mention brown sugar?

I think brown sugar helps with the flavor.

I think the flavor is very strong and brown sugar seems to help.

Did I mention brown sugar?

 

[birdnutz]

YUCKK. You don't,but chickens might like them.