Parsnips, Rutabagas, Turnips - Oh My!

Parsnips, rutabagas and turnips are vegetables with funny-sounding names, and something of a reputation. Some folks love ’em, while others turn up (pardon the pun!) their noses at just the mention of these edible roots.

Toss cubes of any of the three into soups or stews or roast in a hot oven to bring out their natural sweetness.

Parsnips are cousins of carrots, fennel, parsley, celery, celeriac and chervil. They are best harvested late in the fall after a light frost which is thought to enhance their sweetness. Small to medium parsnips are best as large ones tend to have a woody core.

Rutabagas can be either white or yellow-fleshed, with the yellow being higher in vitamin A content. Good quality rutabagas are smooth, firm and heavy for their size. Commercially-grown rutabagas may be dipped in wax to prevent loss of moisture during storage.

Turnips are valued for their green tops as well as their fleshy roots. The tops, like other greens, have a relatively short shelf life, about one week. The roots may keep 4 to 5 months under ideal storage conditions. As with parsnips, turnip roots are sweeter after they have been lightly kissed by frost.

These vegetables can be preserved by freezing, drying or root cellaring. Turnips and parsnips may be canned as well. However, the strong flavor of rutabagas rules out that form of preservation for this member of the trio.

Freezing
Rutabagas—select young, medium-sized rutabagas. Cut off tops, wash and peel. For cubed, cut into cubes and water blanch 3 minutes. Cool, drain and pack, leaving ½-inch headspace. Seal, label and freeze. For mashed, cut into chunks and cook until tender in boiling water. Drain, mash, cool and pack into containers, leaving ½-inch headspace. Seal, label and freeze.

Parsnips or Turnips—Select small to medium, firm turnips or parsnips that are tender and have a mild flavor. Wash, peel and cut into ½-inch cubes. Water blanch for 2 minutes. Cool promptly in cold water and drain. Pack into containers, leaving ½-inch headspace. Seal, label and freeze.

Turnip Greens—Select young, tender green leaves. Wash thoroughly and cut off woody stems. Water blanch 2 minutes. Cool, drain and package, leaving ½-inch headspace. Seal, label and freeze.

Root cellaring
Turnips, parsnips and rutabagas may be stored in a root cellar if adequate temperature and moisture conditions can be maintained. Ideal storage conditions are 32ºF and 90 to 95% humidity. In our climate a spare refrigerator would be most practical for storing these vegetables. Under these conditions, parsnips are expected to keep 2-6 months, rutabagas for 2-4 months and turnips 4-5 months.

Prepare these vegetables for storage by washing to remove all garden soil, then allow to air dry. For rutabagas, leave 1 inch of stem and the root intact. Leave 1 inch of stem on turnips as well, and keep turnips separate from other vegetables as they have a strong odor.

Canning
Turnip Greens—Can only freshly harvested greens. Discard wilted, discolored, diseased or insect-damaged leaves. Leaves should be tender and attractive in color.
Wash thoroughly in several changes of water. Cut out tough stems and midribs. Blanch 1 pound of greens at a time, until well wilted (about 3 to 5 minutes). Pack hot greens loosely into hot jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Add ¼ teaspoon salt to pints; ½ teaspoon to quarts, if desired. Fill jars to 1 inch from top with boiling water. Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rims. adjust lids and process in a dial gauge pressure canner at 11 pounds pressure or in a weighted gauge pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure:
Pints 70 minutes
Quarts 90 minutes
Turnips or parsnips—Wash turnips, scrubbing well. Peel, slice or dice. Place turnips in a saucepan, cover with boiling water and boil 5 minutes. Drain. Pack hot into hot jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Add ½ teaspoon salt to pints; 1teaspoon to quarts, if desired. Fill jar to 1 inch from top with boiling hot cooking liquid. Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rims. adjust lids and process in a dial gauge at 11 pounds pressure or in a weighted gauge pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure:
Pints 30 minutes
Quarts 35 minutes

Drying
Quality of these vegetables when dried is fair to good. Dried parsnips, rutabagas or turnips may be added to soups and stews. Begin the drying process by washing thoroughly then peel thinly. Follow information in the table below for specific directions. The dryness test for all three is the same. They should be dried until very tough to brittle.

 

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