FoodFood InformationVegetablesRoot Vegetables
White turnips are available year-round. They are also widely grown, especiallyin the South, for the green tops. The root is as colorful as any fresh fruit.It is global in shape, like a beet, smooth-skinned, and pure white in color,with a royal purple crown. If they weren't so plentiful, they might wellsell as an exotic vegetable.
White turnips may be eaten raw or as a cooked vegetable and are also usedto enhance the flavor of soups. In the late spring and early summer monthsthey are shipped to market packed in bunches with their green tops attached,not unlike beets. During the fall and until the new crop arrives in latespring they are marketed without the greens. In the fall these white turnipshave a shelf life of months on end if they are stored in a cold area orin a root cellar.
Choose attractive-looking, colorful, firm, fresh, white turnips that areheavy in relation to size. The smaller ones will have a better flavor andtexture than the larger ones. Avoid any that are misshapen, discolored,or soft. A sprouting at the crown end (top) of the topless turnip is a signof age or improper storage.
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