Turnips and rutabagas are both globe-shaped root vegetables of the Brassicaceae family which also includes cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower. Although similar in appearance, taste and texture, turnips and rutabaga are indeed different species. In fact, rutabagas are a hybrid cross between cabbage (Brassica oleracea) and turnip (Brassica rapa).
Having originated in Switzerland, rutabagas were introduced to Canada by European immigrants in the 19th century. Both were grown to feed humans and livestock in Europe and North America.
How do you tell them apart?
Turnips, or white turnips, have white skin with purple tops and very white flesh on the inside. They are generally smaller and spicier than rutabagas. Raw turnips have a mild radish flavour and crisp, starchy texture similar to potatoes, while cooked turnips become soft and velvety.
Rutabagas are also known as Swedish turnips, wax turnips, swedes or neeps. They are larger than white turnips and have a creamy tan or yellow skin and a purplish brown top. Inside, their yellowy-orange flesh is sweet and earthy.
When cooked turnips are a creamy white while cooked rutabagas turn a soft mustard yellow.
Both turnips and rutabagas have edible leaves, in fact, boiled turnip greens are a popular Southern United States dish.
How to buy:
Turnips are best to eat when small and tender – their flesh is thin enough that it doesn’t have to be peeled. Choose turnips the size of tennis balls.
With rutabagas, grapefruit-sized roots are best as the larger ones tend to be woody and less flavourful. The wax coating on the outside helps keep the moisture in. It is peeled off with the skin.
When choosing root vegetables, look for ones that feel heavy for their size and don’t have cracks or bruising.
How to store:
Refrigerate:
Both turnips and rutabagas can be stored in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator for up to two weeks. However, rutabagas can also store well on your counter or in a dark pantry for up to a week.
Freeze:
Diced turnips and rutabagas freeze well after being blanched in boiling water, or you can put leftover cooked turnips in the freezer in a sealed plastic container or zip-top bag for up to 10 months.
How to Prepare:
Both turnips and rutabagas are nutritious and full of flavour. They can be eaten raw, steamed boiled, baked or roasted and pair nicely with other fall flavours.
Like potatoes, peel rutabagas with a vegetable peeler and cut into whatever size or shape you need (slices, strips, cubes). They can be a substitute into most potato dishes and are excellent mashed, cooked in cream sauces or in stews.
Raw turnips have a mildly spicy radish flavour, similar to daikon, and are very crunchy. They also make delicious pickles. Try drizzling diced turnip with canola oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and toss in a salad. When cooked, their flavour turns sweet, nutty and earthy like parsnips.
Try this Classic Canadian Recipe: Jiggs Dinner
Nutrition Facts:
Both turnips and rutabagas are high in vitamin C. One cup (125 mL) of raw turnips is 30 calories, while a similar serving of rutabaga has 50 calories. They are also high in fibre and contain dietary nitrates and potassium which may help reduce blood pressure.
How They Are Grown:
Like other root vegetables, turnips and rutabaga are cool weather crops. Production in Canada is relatively small with the majority of these crops are harvested in Ontario, Quebec and Prince Edward Island respectively. Turnips and rutabagas are actually biennials, meaning they have two-year lifecycle in the wild. Farmed turnips are harvested in the first year as the root is developed enough to eat within that time frame.
Turnips may be grown throughout the summer and can be harvested from July to the end of October. The last a short while in storage so are only available for a few months after harvest. Rutabagas store extremely well, making it one of the few vegetables we can access year-round. Rutabagas that are intended to be grown for storage are seeded into field plots in mid-June. Precision seeding machines are used to space the seeds at the right distance from each other for optimal root sizing and to reduce the need for thinning later on.
Early market rutabagas are started in a greenhouse or nursery in late March and set in the field in late April. If a farmer plants some fields with transplanted seedlings and others with seeds, then they can stagger the rutabaga harvest and harvest more produce over the course of a larger period. This is necessary to ensure there’s enough labour to help pick and process the crop, and it also spreads income out over the year.
Farmers keep careful watch on their rutabaga and turnip fields throughout the growing season (June, July, August). They look for harmful pests, weeds and diseases and ensure the plants are receiving the right fertilizer and adequate moisture for optimal growth.
Rutabaga harvest begins in September and October when the plants are mature. Immature rutabagas can be bitter and overripe roots become woody and fibrous. Like carrots, early fall frosts can improve the sweetness of rutabagas. Harvesting is done mechanically or by hand; however, rutabagas bruise easily and damaged roots spoil quickly in storage so care must be taken to handle them gently.
The stems are removed or ‘topped’ from the rutabaga roots before they are dug from the ground. Stems will rot in long term storage and make the roots unmarketable. Harvested rutabagas are often cooled and washed and a thin layer of wax is applied to prevent the loss of moisture during storage. The rutabagas are then stored in a temperature and humidity controlled warehouse with air circulation to prevent moisture buildup and bacteria growth for up to 7 months.
Turnips, on the other hand, are harvested when they are over 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter and marketed as quickly as possible, but will last in storage for 4 to 5 months.
Not much processing of rutabagas or turnips occurs as the majority of the Canadian production is consumed locally from markets and grocery stores.
Canadian Crop is Available:
Turnip: July – October
Rutabaga: July – October from fresh and October – July from storage.
Grown in:
Ontario, Quebec and Prince Edward Island (small acreage – only 1,800 hectares in 2012)
Industry Websites
- Association des producteurs maraichers du Quebec
- BC Fresh
- Canada’s Food Island
- Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada
- Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association
- Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs
Fun Facts
- Clubroot (Plasmodiophora brassicae) is a prolific disease that affects brassica plants like rutabagas, turnips, cabbage, canola and mustard. This fungus causes the growth of club-like tumours on the roots of the plant that become infected with secondary bacteria and rot easily. Researchers and scientists are working on new varieties of brassica plants that are resistant to this easily spreadable disease.
- Thinning is when the farmer removes up to half of the plants that are growing in the seed row after they reach a certain size. This helps the remaining plants get the most moisture and nutrients and reach optimal size and shape without being crowded. The premature plants that are removed are too small to market so they are composted or fed to livestock.
