Rutabaga & turnip are often called by the same name. Yet they are two quite different vegetables. Shall we get to the “root” of this culinary misunderstanding?
The turnip, a member of the mustard family, has been around for at least 4,000 years. This small, roundish vegetable is white with a purple crown and no neck. It has a texture similar to a radish and a slightly peppery flavor that is a cross, I would say, between a tart fresh apple and a crisp radish.
Although turnips are generally sold with the tops removed, their thin green leaves are good in soups or steamed as greens. Because of its high water content, turnip does not store well.
While the small, white-fleshed turnip is one of Europe’s more popular vegetables, North Americans are generally more familiar with the stronger flavored rutabagas. These vegetables are a descendant of Swedish rotobagge (meaning “round root”), which led to it also being called a Swede or Swedish turnip. Rutabaga is a large, yellowish-orange vegetable with a muted purple crown and a swollen, ridged neck where its bluish leaves were cut off. It has a sweeter, stronger flavor and slightly more nutritional value than turnip.
When at the produce market, I look for smooth, firm, well-formed, blemish-free turnips & rutabagas. Trust me when I say that small turnips are less likely to be spongy in texture. I keep turnips in the refrigerator crisper drawer; but I store rutabagas in my cool basement.
Rutabagas are an ideal vegetable to include in a hearty lamb stew. Along with grated turnips & carrot, they make a delicious three-root slaw. And a thick cream-of-rutabaga soup is great sustenance on a cold winter’s day. I think that the simplest method for preparing rutabaga is to honey-glaze it after boiling; it makes for a pleasant side dish to accompany roast capon or turkey. I cook turnip less often: My favorite ways to serve it are either roasted or stir-fried in a wok with fresh ginger.