TURNIP

Updated 04-May-2020.

Mondo shtuff from around the internet, all about TURNIP!

Are ‘neeps’ swedes or turnips?: It’s Burns Night tonight, and high time to answer a vexed question. What’s a turnip, what’s a swede, and what exactly is the ‘neeps’ eaten with haggis?

My botty best at summarizing from Wikipedia: turnip is a root vegetable commonly grown in temperate climates worldwide for its white, fleshy taproot . small, tender varieties grown for human consumption, while larger varieties are grown as feed for livestock . in the north above-ground part develops from stem tissue, but is fused with the root . the interior flesh is entirely white; the root is roughly globular, from 5–20 centimetres (2.0–7.9 in turnip greens are a common side dish in southeastern u.s. cooking, primarily during late fall and winter . smaller leaves are preferred, but bitter taste of larger leaves can be reduced . turn turnip roots weigh up to 1 kilogram (2.2 lb), although they are usually harvested when smaller . most baby turnips can be eaten whole, including their leaves . size is partly a function of variety and partly turnips are sold in yellow-, orange-, and red-fleshed varieties . their flavor is mild, so they can be eaten raw in salads like radishes and other vegetables . the boiled green boiled turnip is 94% water, 5% carbohydrates, and 1% protein, with negligible fat . there are almost no archaeological records available to help determine its history and domestication . the turnedip was the hot turnip and its relatives the mustards and radishes are found over west Asia and Europe . they suggest their domestication took place somewhere in that area . as a root crop, turnips grow best turnips are a biennial plant, taking two years from germination to reproduction . the root spends the first year growing and storing nutrients, and the second year flowers, produces seeds, and dies . in warm in areas with less than seven-month growing seasons, temperatures are too cold for the roots to survive the winter . to produce seeds, pulling the turnips and storing them over winter is necessary, taking care not to damage the leaves turnips are carved out as lanterns for Halloween festivals in the Isle of Man, Ireland and Scotland . at Halloween in Scotland in 1895, masqueraders in disguise carried lanterns made out of scooped-out turnips