Seasonal Spotlight: Turnips

Did you know locally grown turnips are available all year round in Nova Scotia? 

What we call a “turnip” in Nova Scotia is actually known as a “rutabaga” in other parts of North America. Turnips are root crops and members of the mustard family with a long history of human cultivation. Plants have slightly hairy green leaves, small yellow flowers, and white or yellow bulbs, with tops that can turn purple or green when exposed to sunlight as they grow above the soil.

Turnips provide a healthy serving of fibre, vitamin C, vitamin B6, folate and potassium. The root can be eaten raw, stewed, roasted, boiled, or mashed and the leaves are delicious cooked and eaten like spinach or kale.

Grow your own or pick up some at a Nova Scotia Farmers Market near you. Though you may only be aware of the classic purple top varieties found in grocery stores, this versatile crop comes in many cultivars varying in size, color, and flavor including: Purple Top, Royal Globe, Just Right, Tokyo Express, Market Express, Shogoin, and Hakurei. 

Turnips are best stored between 0-4 °C and store well in root cellars and other locations that have low humidity.

Try one of our turnip recipes below!