General Description/History

• Root vegetables
• Closely related to each other
• Large spherical tubers 10-20cm in diameter

Select well rounded, smooth skinned turnips and swedes. Check stem end for deterioration or softness.

Wash and peel. Small turnips can be used whole, but large ones should be cut into chunks. Use in soups, stews or roasted. Use steamed and pureed for baby food as an introduction to solids.

Turnips and swedes are cool climate vegetables. They are resistant to mild frosts and are grown from seed in moderately deep, well drained fertile soil. Seeds are sown in late summer to mature in autumn, or in autumn to mature in winter or spring. They have a relatively short growing period of 60-70 days for turnips and 100-120 days for swedes. Swedes and turnips are at their best when they have gone through a period of cold frosty weather.

Turnips have been grown since about 10,000BC. It was used for medicinal purposes as well as a food source. Today the turnip is valued for its distinctive flavour. Both the leafy stalks and the root can be eaten. The swede is a variety of turnip and is a relatively recent root vegetable, believed to have been developed in the 17th century.

Nutritional Value

An excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of dietary fibre. 80kJ/100g.

Storage/Handling

0°C and 90 -100% relative humidity.

Consumer Storage: Store in a cool, dark, well ventilated place. Can be stored in the refrigerator crisper.

Interesting Facts and Myths?

Today’s gardeners are always trying to grow the biggest tomato, watermelon or pumpkin. Back in the 1800’s the prize of every gardener was a gigantic turnip. Fifteen-kilogram monsters were quite common and a grower in California was said to have grown a turnip of over 45 kilograms in 1850.

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Botanical Name: Brassica rapa var. rapa (Brassicaceae)

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Growing Areas: 

QLD – Fassifern Valley, Lockyer Valley
NSW – Finley, Griffith, Windsor
VIC – Melbourne Metropolitan Area
TAS – Inland, North West
SA – Adelaide Plains, Riverland
WA – Perth Metropolitan Outer Areas