The food turnip is an ancient vegetable and known by many names and many species. Yet the value of turnip greens was long misunderstood. Today, the ancient vegetable is being rediscovered and is also experiencing a renaissance in upscale restaurants and is once again simmering in the pots of star chefs. Navettes, Teltower Rübchen, or autumn turnips are just a few of the types of turnips that are making a career for themselves again, because in post-war times they were mainly a “poor people’s food” or were used as cattle feed.
Here’s what you should know about the food beet
The turnip is an ancient vegetable and is known by many names and many species. Yet the value of turnip tubers was long misunderstood. From Stone Age settlements of the Alpine foothills come the oldest European seed finds of the turnip. As an ancient cultivated plant, the turnip was already known to the Greeks in ancient Rome and was an important crop there; in ancient Greece it was even considered a staple food for a long time. As early as 35 – 65 AD, the Roman agricultural writer Columella described the cultivation and preservation of the turnip. He described the preservation by lactic acid fermentation so precisely that this “turnip cabbage” is still appreciated today. For the preservation process, the beets are shredded, then alternately layered with salt in a stone pot and tamped firmly until after a few weeks, similar to sauerkraut, the fermentation process is complete. In Tyrol, schnapps made from turnips, “Krautinger”, is still known and popular today. In the herbal books of the Renaissance and the Middle Ages one finds the food turnip already mentioned. It is also documented in historical archives that the turnip was already cultivated in pre-Christian times in India and China. In Europe, the turnip was a staple food until it was displaced by the potato. In the 19th century, it disappeared completely from menus and was only used when other foods were in short supply. In Bavaria it was common around 1900 as Bavarian turnip. In the Nuremberg cookbook, the oldest recipe is from 1691. The most important dish during Lent was considered to be “Bayerischer Rübenentauch,” a kind of soup with brown roux. The smaller varieties in particular have enjoyed great popularity since the rediscovery of old vegetable varieties. These include the Mairübe, the Teltower Rübchen, the Pfatterer Rübe, the Gatower Kugel, the Herbstrübe and the Bayrische Rübe. These types of turnips belong to the cabbage family of the turnip species. The turnip is a very old cultivated plant, whose area of origin is believed to be in western Pakistan, eastern Afghanistan and the Mediterranean region. Today it is grown in temperate climates and also at tropical altitudes. Depending on the variety, the turnip can be harvested after 50 or 100 days. Since it has a short development time, it can be grown as a pre-crop in spring as well as a post-crop in fall. Thus, there is harvest from summer to spring, after all, half of a year in which the turnip can also be found on market stalls. Its taste is similar to that of mild radish or radish. Mustard oils, which beets contain like all cabbages, are responsible for the sweet spicy taste.
Importance for health
In the leaves, as well as in the turnip itself, are all the nutrients that are important for energy metabolism. It also contains a lot of folic acid, which is very important in pregnancy for the good development of the child, as well as for the formation of new cells. Its iron content stimulates blood formation and its zinc content ensures strong nails, beautiful hair and healthy skin. As early as the 1st century A.D., the Greek physician Dioscorides wrote: “The cooked root of the white turnip is nutritious, produces flatulence, and excites the taste for love. If the shoots of the same are boiled and eaten, they have a diuretic effect.”
Today’s scientists describe that the ingredients and fiber, especially the secondary plant compounds, glucosinolates, of the turnip can protect against rectal and colon cancer. It is also certain that their consumption has a spasmolytic, diuretic and invigorating effect.
Ingredients and nutritional values
| Nutritional information | Amount per 100 gram |
| Calories 28 | Fat content 0.1 g |
| Cholesterol 0 mg | Sodium 67 mg |
| Potassium 191 mg | Carbohydrates 6 g |
| Dietary fiber 1.8 g | Protein 0.9 g |
In edible beets and their equally edible leaves, is potassium, calcium, iron and phosphorus, as well as vitamins C, B1, B2, B6, and provitamin A. Especially in the leaves there is a high content of vitamin C, folic acid and beta-carotene. Turnips belong to the cruciferous family and are thus also related to radishes, cabbage and mustard and, like them, contain mustard oil glycosides, which give the vegetable a subtle pungency and are known to inhibit cancer development and fight bacteria. Turnips have a water content of about 90% and only 35 calories per 100 grams – so they’re great for a low-calorie diet.
Intolerances and allergies
Because edible beets belong to the cruciferous family, they can cause allergies in people with
Allergies to early bloomers such as birch and alder, trigger cross-reactions. This is because similar structures are found within the genus Brassica, and all edible turnips belong to this genus. If these vegetables are overcooked, the sulfur they contain can result in quite a bit of bloating.
Shopping and cooking tips
When purchasing, young turnips should be preferred. Good quality is indicated by an undamaged, firm and smooth skin. It should also feel quite compact, because if they appear too light and give way when pressed, it is a sign that the cell structure inside may already be woody. Older turnips will also show slight wrinkling and longitudinal grooves. Turnips are best eaten fresh. However, they can also be stored unwashed in the refrigerator for up to a week; the greens must be cut off first to prevent them from drying out. Covered with a damp cloth, they will keep fresh for as long as two weeks. The greens can stay in a perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator for a few days and can then be prepared like spinach. To freeze, beets should be blanched, then they will last six to eight months. An almost forgotten storage method is the sand bin – an old classic winter staging area for root vegetables. The fresh turnips are buried without the greens, in a box of damp sand. However, they must not touch each other. In this way, they will keep for up to five months and will not lose nutrients or taste. Before storing, whether in sand or in the refrigerator, beets should not be washed in any case, this would damage their outer cell layer and they will quickly become soft, shriveled or rotten.
Preparation tips
Turnips can be prepared in many ways, raw or cooked. Peeled, cut into slices or strips, they are steamed, boiled or fried and are then, for example, a delicious side dish to fish. Finely grated, they are served as a salad with herbs and fine oils. As an ingredient for soups or stews, they are well-known and popular. A soup made only of turnips, refined with a little cream and curry, or a tender turnip puree is worth trying. They are recommended as a side dish with roast, pork or lamb chops as well as with roast duck or bratwurst. Cut into fine carpaccio in keeping with the times, the turnip is a real treat for the palate.
