tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12997259.post114100675763249787..comments2024-03-14T05:55:13.709-05:00Comments on Farmgirl Fare: Lowly Turnips Are Tip Top in the Garden: How to Grow Turnips from Seed & What To Do with ThemFarmgirl Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851855517852917202noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12997259.post-84332412970600533792011-11-30T08:55:36.457-06:002011-11-30T08:55:36.457-06:00Hi DevynLance,
The size of the turnip greens will ...<b>Hi DevynLance,</b><br />The size of the turnip greens will vary depending on the age of the plant and the variety you're growing, but in my experience, the ones in these photos are pretty much average, with the smallest being just a few inches across and the larger ones getting as big (or even bigger) than your hand. <br /><br />Good luck with your project! :)Farmgirl Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04851855517852917202noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12997259.post-353321554294613062011-11-29T17:22:11.599-06:002011-11-29T17:22:11.599-06:00hi. im doing a project on purple top turnips at sc...hi. im doing a project on purple top turnips at school and i was wondering, do the turnips leaves always look as big as they do in the pictures up there?DevynLancehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12798363830752602276noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12997259.post-78163440627811319642008-11-08T14:23:00.000-06:002008-11-08T14:23:00.000-06:00Hi Rick,Yeah, that does sound pretty frustrating. ...<B>Hi Rick,</B><BR/>Yeah, that does sound pretty frustrating. As long as the leaves aren't completely smothering the turnip plants, I think they should be fine. The might even act as a mulch and/or a little insulation protection from the weather.<BR/><BR/>If you have any floating row cover or an old piece of screen (you want something lightweight that sunlight and water can get through), you could lay it over the plants and then just lift it and the leaves off as they collect.<BR/><BR/>Great to hear you're growing turnips! : )Farmgirl Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04851855517852917202noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12997259.post-66638182369657624852008-11-08T14:04:00.000-06:002008-11-08T14:04:00.000-06:00i sewed a patch of turnip greens in september for ...i sewed a patch of turnip greens in september for a winter crop.they are collecting falling leaves. i try to pick them out everyday.relentlessly.frustrated. is this nessecary?any advice?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12997259.post-2932201910497334692008-07-31T16:39:00.000-05:002008-07-31T16:39:00.000-05:00I'm surprised on one has mentioned my favorite way...I'm surprised on one has mentioned my favorite way to prepare turnips and greens. Simply peel and dice the turnips and boil them with the greens. To me, there's no need to add bacon or fat or anything else.<BR/>A surprising thing about the highly nutritious turnips and greens is they have 5 grams of very well balanced protein per cup. They're 34% protein, in fact (see nutritiondata.com).<BR/>Like the article said, another benefit is that they germinate well in warm soil, which many greens won't do.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12997259.post-31857574404099547162008-04-25T16:26:00.000-05:002008-04-25T16:26:00.000-05:00I planted my first garden this year. If I can grow...I planted my first garden this year. If I can grow turnips, anyone can! We have a great, almost overwhelmingly large, harvest already.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12997259.post-1170032775980742642007-01-28T19:06:00.000-06:002007-01-28T19:06:00.000-06:00Just cooking some turnips as we speak. I went to t...Just cooking some turnips as we speak. I went to the local "curb market" in Montgomery, AL yesterday morning. Then today I "stripped" every single leaf from 3 bunches, peeled, sliced and quartered all the turnip roots and cooked then with a few slices of thick sliced bacon cut into 1 inch sections. I cook them for quite a long time before I season them with salt(be careful, the bacon will "salt" them too). Then I start adding straight old granulated sugar until I get the perfect balance...again be careful but it is more than the aforementioned teaspoon. They are fabulous. The secret is that I strip the leaves off the stems and do not cook ANY stems in them. It takes awhile but with no strings in them...they are fantastic. Because of the time involved,I do this only 2-3 times a year. But in a few minutes my cornbread will be ready and I plan to indulge as I get to only rarely. Nothing will go to waste after all this time spent. I will freeze some and the remainder will be eaten tomorrow or the following day. Talk about good...probably better as leftovers. Just a comment from a Southern boy...but try it sometimes.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12997259.post-1159900498919739912006-10-03T13:34:00.000-05:002006-10-03T13:34:00.000-05:00never tried turnip mashed with potatoes however t...never tried turnip mashed with potatoes however turnip is great mashed with carrotsAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12997259.post-1155726241161387292006-08-16T06:04:00.000-05:002006-08-16T06:04:00.000-05:00I am from Mississippi and that is how we cook Turn...I am from Mississippi and that is how we cook Turnip Greens and Root. Fry Sliced Salt Pork in a large heavy bottom Stock Pot. Slice well washed greens in 1/2 inch ribbons, add to pot. Wilt them down, add water to cover and add roots on top. Cook until tender. Serve with pepper sauce and cornbread.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12997259.post-1149964568421287802006-06-10T13:36:00.000-05:002006-06-10T13:36:00.000-05:00In Tennessee we grow turnip greens, mustard and ka...In Tennessee we grow turnip greens, mustard and kale all together. To cook they are boiled in water until tender and drained. Then they are "fried"...put in a skillet with bacon grease and cooked dry, until all water is gone. I know a lot of folks think the ole' southern greasy food will kill ya, but my grandpa lived to 99 eating this kind of food. Take a chance and give it a try. To complete the meal serve with pinto beans (cooked with fat back) fried potatoes, cracklin cornbread and green onions. Yummmy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12997259.post-1146463978333838912006-05-01T01:12:00.000-05:002006-05-01T01:12:00.000-05:00That's beautiful. Turnips are quite regular used i...That's beautiful. Turnips are quite regular used in Indian cooking- as a vegetable to eat with chapatis (indian thin bread) or used as chunks in Sambhar ( south indian tamarind lentil soup) that's eaten with steamed rice.<BR/>Your idea of a turnip mash sounds good Susan!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08343211073306086159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12997259.post-1143161721090798342006-03-23T18:55:00.000-06:002006-03-23T18:55:00.000-06:00Thanks for this. I confuse parsnips and turnips. ...Thanks for this. I confuse parsnips and turnips. I don't like one of them, so I don't get either just in case.<BR/><BR/>I might remember now.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12997259.post-1141325555571606082006-03-02T12:52:00.000-06:002006-03-02T12:52:00.000-06:00Oooh, and also? Boiled sweet potato and rutebega e...Oooh, and also? Boiled sweet potato and rutebega equal parts mashed with salt and pepper. Unbelievable.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12997259.post-1141325497115371232006-03-02T12:51:00.000-06:002006-03-02T12:51:00.000-06:00Many of the tomatoes and beans I planted last year...Many of the tomatoes and beans I planted last year were from High Mowing. I loved the results, the plants were very robust, and the fruits just gorgeous. <BR/><BR/>I'm hoping my soil will take turnips this year, the past two seasons they rotted in the ground. Very heavy clay, but slowly improving. I love turnips, and turnip greens sauteed with mustard greens? Scrumptious.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12997259.post-1141272797388705852006-03-01T22:13:00.000-06:002006-03-01T22:13:00.000-06:00Hi Farmgirl, great read. I have 75 paper cups full...Hi Farmgirl, great read. I have 75 paper cups full of dirt and seeds that have taken over my dining room and not one of them is turnips so guess what # 76 will be?? :)3wisheshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07996112695151178354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12997259.post-1141235558858211932006-03-01T11:52:00.000-06:002006-03-01T11:52:00.000-06:00This is wonderful. I *love* turnips, and have lat...This is wonderful. I *love* turnips, and have lately become very fond of rutabagas too. <BR/>I usually roast them with whole garlic cloves. Just bought a copy of "Mr. Wolf and the Enormous Turnip" For my Nephew, but I don't know if I can part with it anytime soon. <BR/>I like the idea of mixing the greens with lentils.the chocolate doctor מרת שאקאלאדhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17844956689807749316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12997259.post-1141192539348763952006-02-28T23:55:00.000-06:002006-02-28T23:55:00.000-06:00I'm so jealous. Being raised by a native Texan me...I'm so jealous. Being raised by a native Texan meant eating a lot of turnips and turnip greens as a child. I've only recently come back to them. One of my daughter's favorite side dishes is boiled, mashed turnips, like the ones you described, and with the older turnips that aren't as sweet, we just sprinkle in a teaspoon of sugar or Splenda. Turnip greens--I swoon over turnip greens. Canned ones. cookiecrumb has encouraged me to give fresh ones a try, so I'll be buying some this weekend. I guess they cook up like spinach, right? <BR/>Anyway, great story about turnips! It was fun reading.Cyndihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08485300845528483642noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12997259.post-1141170346685132852006-02-28T17:45:00.000-06:002006-02-28T17:45:00.000-06:00Ugh, turnips! ;) Growing up, Mom used to mix turni...Ugh, turnips! ;) Growing up, Mom used to mix turnips in with mash potatoes. All us kids hated it that way. We couldn't understand how people would want to spoil perfectly good mash potatoes with these turnips.Tim Ricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01305530681191503858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12997259.post-1141160533547048662006-02-28T15:02:00.000-06:002006-02-28T15:02:00.000-06:00Wow, i´m jealous, i wanna grow my own turnip too =...Wow, i´m jealous, i wanna grow my own turnip too =) maybe in a few year´s time I can move to the French countryside with my darling. btw, have you had them raw before? I´ve a recipe on my blog inspired by the Japanese way of savoring this healing food.*kelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03899660466554175066noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12997259.post-1141070783989645292006-02-27T14:06:00.000-06:002006-02-27T14:06:00.000-06:00Okaaaay, panicky brainless loon is back! My apolog...Okaaaay, panicky brainless loon is back! My apologies, <B>Riana,</B> for thinking you were a new visitor. You've been around for ages (well, a month). I think I'm probably gonna have to stop doing the personal welcome thing. : )<BR/><BR/>So did you talk DH into a couple of adorable little sheep yet? Did you explain to him that he's all wrong about sheep ranchers making problems in western movies (LOL)? And besides, <I>he</I> isn't going to be the sheep rancher--you are! Just think: (practically) free lawn maintenance, free organic fertilizer, free lamb chops. : )Farmgirl Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04851855517852917202noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12997259.post-1141068660622281682006-02-27T13:31:00.000-06:002006-02-27T13:31:00.000-06:00Hi Kalyn,Thanks. I bet you could sneak a few turni...Hi Kalyn,<BR/>Thanks. I bet you could sneak a few turnip seeds inbetween your herbs. : )<BR/><BR/>Hi B'Gina,<BR/>Maybe you should go out on a limb and buck the No Turnip trend! I'm sure there are probably a dozen kinds of turnips available at farmers' markets in your area, lucky girl. : )<BR/><BR/>Hi Lindy,<BR/>Ha ha, see what happens when you hang around hens too much? I had a friend who used to slow cook kale with lots of either salt pork or bacon (I forget which) and then mix it into mashed potatoes. She would eat a huge bowl of "green potatoes" for dinner. I never thought of doing that with turnip greens.<BR/><BR/>Hi David,<BR/>Yes, you'll just have to settle for looking at pictures of my garden while lounging around in your Paris flat munching on French bread, French cheese, and French pate. And chocolate. Rough. Very rough. : )<BR/><BR/>Hi Tana,<BR/>You are the sweetest. <BR/><BR/>Hi Sher,<BR/>Thanks so much. What's happening to you? You're turning into <I><B>one of us!</B></I><BR/><BR/>P.S. I was thinking that you'd commented before, so I didn't want to embarrass myself and say 'Welcome to the farm!' again, but then I realized that if I hadn't said it before, not saying it now would be even worse. So, now that I've sounded like a completely panicky loon: Welcome to the farm! : )<BR/><BR/>Hi Riana, <BR/>Welcome to the farm! French seeds would be lovely. : )<BR/><BR/>Hi Obachan,<BR/>Always nice to hear from you. I was looking at turnips at the store the other day, too. Blech. But by the time mine got to you, they'd probably look worse! : )<BR/><BR/>Hi Isil S.,<BR/>Welcome to the farm! Turnip greens in curried lentil soup? Sounds delish! I'll have to try that. I bet I could just make a variation of my <A HREF="http://foodiefarmgirl.blogspot.com/2005/12/use-it-or-lose-it-lentil-escarole-soup.html" REL="nofollow"><B>Use It Or Lose It Lentil & Escarole Soup</A></B> using turnip greens and adding curry.<BR/><BR/>Hi Amy,<BR/>Yes, turnips are indeed very easy to grow. I bet you could grow them year round in Florida without covering them up or anything. So add some seeds onto your Pinetree order. Ha ha, I told you that you'd probably be placing another order! Yes, you definitely need to get that asparagus patch started. : )<BR/><BR/>Hi Jamie,<BR/>If only I could figure out how to crave turnips instead of chocolate. . .<BR/><BR/>Hi Kevin,<BR/>No problem. I'll send you some seed catalogs. I've got loads of them. Ha ha, if I'd thought of that earlier, you could have picked out what you want me to grow 'for you.' : )<BR/><BR/>Hi Gracious Acres,<BR/>Yes! And another gardener turns to turnips! : )<BR/><BR/>Hmmmm. No internships planned at the moment. People would probably expect there to be things here like, oh, reliable plumbing and other luxurious amenities. : )<BR/><BR/>Hi Laurie,<BR/>Congratulations on the new edible love of your life! And thanks for the cooking tip.<BR/><BR/>Hi Kat,<BR/>I'm actually surprised there are so many turnip lovers coming forth. And hey, I hear you on the okra thing. Girl's gotta draw the line somewhere. : ) (And yes, I've tried it. Twice. No go.)<BR/><BR/>Hi Cynthia,<BR/>How wonderful that you teach an entire class on turnips! And thanks so much for the turnip and apple salad recipe. It sounds great. I'm so glad you shared it. When I was looking at recipes online while writing up this article, I came across several different "turnip salad" recipes, but they all called for lots and lots of mayonnaise. Kinda shot the whole "healthy" thing to you know where. Your version is much more of what I had in mind. Thank you!Farmgirl Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04851855517852917202noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12997259.post-1141065951990559712006-02-27T12:45:00.000-06:002006-02-27T12:45:00.000-06:00In my work as a nutrition educator for Cooperative...In my work as a nutrition educator for Cooperative Extension, I teach a class on Turnips - how to grow, harvest, store, shop for and prepare. One of the recipes I demonstrate is a grated turnip and apple salad. Class after class this recipe is the suprise favorite. It sounds weird, especially to the largely Latina groups I work with. But to those familiar with Thai food, the flavor is very similar to green papaya salad - which was my inspiration when developing the recipe. The key to the recipe though is to use a thai style shredder (see link below for picture of "Miracle Knife")instead of the typical cheese grater because the shredded pieces are much thicker. To prepare, shred 2 peeled turnips, 2 peeled green apples. Mix together and then add juice of 1/2 lemon or lime, a handful of chopped cilantro, 1 minced jalapeno or serrano chile, 1 minced garlic clove and 1 T. oil. Maybe little salt and pepper. Mix it up, and enjoy. It's even good without the chile for those who don't like the heat. <BR/>http://www.templeofthai.com/fruit_carving/miracle_knife.phpCynthia & Danhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17154240163425269827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12997259.post-1141058836298131082006-02-27T10:47:00.000-06:002006-02-27T10:47:00.000-06:00I just learned to like turnip greens in the last t...I just learned to like turnip greens in the last two weeks. I couldn't believe how much I liked them. The secret is that cooking them a very, very long time makes them much milder.Lauriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13607467794651542046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12997259.post-1141057325241220862006-02-27T10:22:00.000-06:002006-02-27T10:22:00.000-06:00I've always thought I was a little odd liking turn...I've always thought I was a little odd liking turnips (my favorite is to mash them with new potatoes and mix in a little butter & sour cream). You've convinced me to put a few in the garden this year! So...when will you be offering one-week internships for wanna-bes like me? SeriouslyGracious Acreshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17102600044057378230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12997259.post-1141056914734323072006-02-27T10:15:00.000-06:002006-02-27T10:15:00.000-06:00Susan,The biggest drawback to being an appreciator...Susan,<BR/><BR/>The biggest drawback to being an appreciator of gardens as opposed to being a actual gardener is that I don't get to anticipate spring with seed catalogs.Kevinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01385923797403540154noreply@blogger.com