How to properly store and prepare turnips?

Experienced gardeners know how to properly preserve a bountiful turnip harvest for a long time. It's important to prepare them properly and follow the proper growing conditions. More on that below.

Selection and preparation of turnips for storage

Typically early varieties of turnips They are harvested as they ripen and eaten fresh throughout the summer. Late-ripening varieties, which have optimal shelf life, are chosen for storage.

Late turnips are harvested strictly before the onset of frost. The best time to harvest the root crop is late September and October. If the crop remains in the soil for too long, it risks softening, losing flavor, and storing poorly.

You can tell when turnips are ready to harvest by watching the vegetables emerge from the ground. When ready for harvest, the root vegetable will emerge from the garden bed, making it easy to pull out.

If the soil is dry and hard, dig up the turnips with a pitchfork or shovel, carefully removing the roots from the soil. Immediately trim off the tops with a sharp knife, leaving no more than 1 cm of green, and trim the petiole that was in the ground by 2-3 cm.

The fruits are laid out briefly to dry in the fresh air, choosing a well-ventilated, shaded area. If left in the scorching sun, they will quickly wilt.

If you leave turnips to dry in the garden bed along with the greens, the nutrients and vitamins will go into the tops.

After this, the turnips are sorted. Any cut sides or damaged skin indicate that the turnips should not be stored for long periods of time due to a high risk of rotting. Small and medium-sized turnips are selected from the whole root vegetables. Larger ones are susceptible to internal spoilage and are unsuitable for storage; they can be eaten immediately after harvesting.

Storage conditions for turnips

The optimal storage conditions for fresh turnips are quite strict: a cool, dry place with a temperature no higher than 4 degrees Celsius and humidity no higher than 90%. Exposure to sunlight will cause the root to wilt, and high humidity will cause it to rot.

Under proper conditions, turnips can be stored fresh for no more than 10-14 days if they are late-ripening varieties. In the refrigerator, they can last up to 30 days, and in the freezer, up to 200 days.

Methods and periods for storing fresh turnips

To extend the shelf life of the root vegetable, it is placed in special conditions in which it feels acceptable and retains its beneficial qualities.

In the cellar

Those lucky enough to have a cellar can extend the storage of turnips up to 5-6 months. In the cellar, the temperature during winter is maintained at around 1-3 degrees Celsius, with humidity no higher than 90-95% (similar wintering conditions are possible in glassed-in, unheated balconies and basements of apartment buildings).

There are several ways to store root crops for the winter:

• Place in a single layer on wire racksTurnips are covered with spruce branches to protect them from rodents.
• Place in cardboard or wooden boxesAdd 2-3 cm of sand to the bottom and arrange a layer of vegetables, making sure they don't touch each other. Cover with sand and add more root vegetables. The top layer should be sandy and completely cover the vegetables.
• Place in tarred barrelsThe bottom layer is made of peat crumbs, then turnips are placed and sprinkled with peat.

When storing in a cellar, there are a number of conditions that must be taken into account when arranging crops. Close proximity to each other can lead to the spread of rot if even one root vegetable is affected. When arranging the harvest, it is important to keep in mind that you will need to periodically sort and inspect the vegetables to discard any that have spoiled. In harsh winters, the storage area should be covered with old blankets to prevent freezing.

In the refrigerator

Both early and late turnip varieties are stored in the refrigerator. Regardless of variety and ripening time, turnips will keep for up to 1 month at a temperature of 1-2 degrees Celsius.

Before placing the fruits in the vegetable compartment, they are washed, dried and wrapped in protective material:

• cling film;
• plastic bag;
• newspaper or paper.

This method of packaging will prevent the spread of rot throughout the entire crop, even if one of the roots begins to spoil.

The fruits are periodically checked for integrity and questionable specimens are removed from the common container.

In the freezer

In severe frosts, the root vegetable remains edible until spring after harvest. Prepare the fruit as follows:

1. Wash and peel.
2. Cut into cubes or bars of 1-2 cm.
3. Place the cubes in boiling water for 4-5 minutes.
4. Place the blanched pieces in ice water.
5. Throw it into a sieve and leave it to drain.
6. They are packaged in bags and placed in the freezer.

In the freezer, turnips must be portioned out - re-freezing of this semi-finished product is impossible.

Methods of preparing turnips

Besides storing turnips fresh, there are many ways to preserve them, extending their shelf life and flavor. If you have a large harvest left over after long-term storage, it's worth taking the time to process it so you can enjoy the vegetable anytime.

Dried turnips

An alternative way to store turnips is to dry them. To do this:

1. Vegetables are washed, peeled and cut into 4-5 mm strips.
2. Steam the turnips with boiling water and let them dry on paper towels.
3. Place the bars in one layer in an oven or electric dryer for 9-10 hours at a temperature of 70-80 degrees.
4. After cooling, the dried vegetables are distributed into cloth or paper bags and consumed within six months.

Salted turnips

To pickle the root vegetable, you can use an old Russian recipe. Ingredients:

• 1 kg turnips;
• 1 kg of salt;
• 200 g cumin;
• several cabbage leaves.

The root vegetable is salted as follows:

1. Wash and peel the turnips and cut them into 0.5-1 cm slices.
2. Place a layer of the prepared root vegetable in a saucepan or wide-mouthed jar and sprinkle with the salt and caraway seed mixture. Combine all ingredients in this manner.
3. The top is covered with clean cabbage leaves.
4. Fill the container with boiled water and place a heavy weight on the cabbage layer.
5. The pickled vegetables are put away in a dark place for 12-14 days.

After the specified time, the turnip is ready to eat or use as an additive in cooking.

Spicy pickled turnips

Those who love spicy snacks pickle turnips with carrots and chili. This method requires a minimum of ingredients:

• turnip;
• carrot;
• chili pepper;
• salt.

Turnips are fermented like this:

1. A strong brine is prepared simply: 2.5 liters of water and half a glass of salt are brought to a boil and left to cool.
2. Turnips are thoroughly brushed and the stems and roots are trimmed off. Small and medium-sized turnips do not require slicing, while larger ones are divided into 2 or 4 pieces.
3. The carrots are peeled and cut into large bars.
4. Hot peppers are washed and seeded, then cut into rings.
5. Place carrots and turnips in layers in a large saucepan, sprinkling with pepper.
6. After placing all the vegetables, pour cold brine over the ingredients.
7. Place a weight on the top layer and hide the pan in a dark place.

After 40-45 days, the pickled root vegetables are ready for consumption.

Turnips pickled with apples

If you've harvested a large number of small turnips, this method will allow you to harvest the entire crop, even after grading. To prepare the product, gather ingredients for 1 kg of turnips and 1 kg of apples.

The marinade is prepared in the following way:

1. Pour 1 liter of water into a saucepan and place it on the stove.
2. Gradually add the following ingredients to the water: half a cup of apple cider vinegar, 1 cup of sugar, 10 g of ground cinnamon, and 2 tablespoons of salt. Stir everything slowly.
3. Bring the marinade to a boil and remove from heat.
4. Cool until cold.

Turnips with apples are pickled as follows:

1. Apples are selected from a firm, dense variety and peeled.
2. Small turnips are thoroughly cleaned with a stiff brush, cutting off the stems.
3. Place the apples and turnips in a clean container, cover with a weight, and pour the marinade over them. Place in a dark place.

In 2 weeks the treat is ready.

Canned salad

Turnips can be sealed and opened at any time as needed. To preserve the Turnip and Carrot Salad, you'll need the following ingredients:

• 0.5 kg turnips;
• 200 g sweet carrots;
• 1 medium onion;
• 80 g bell pepper;
• a bunch of greens;
• 2 cloves of garlic.

In addition, for each half-liter jar of salad, you need to prepare spices: a teaspoon of salt and sugar, 1 tablespoon of vinegar; 4 peppercorns and a bay leaf.

Preparation and preservation don't take much time. The process is step-by-step:

1. Wash the carrots and turnips thoroughly and trim the stems. Cook the vegetables over low heat until half-cooked.
2. The turnips and carrots are removed from the water, cooled and cut into medium-sized bars.
3. Blanch the bell peppers in a small amount of boiling water for 5-7 minutes. Once cooled, chop the peppers into small pieces.
4. Garlic, onion and fresh herbs are peeled, washed and chopped.
5. All ingredients are mixed in a large bowl.
6. Sterilize half-liter jars. Place a bay leaf and peas at the bottom of each jar, and add vinegar. Add the mixed vegetables.
7. Dissolve salt and sugar in water at a rate of 1 teaspoon of each per 0.5 liters of water. Pour this mixture into the jars to fill the salad.
8. The jars are placed in a sterilizer. Each jar is steamed for 5 minutes.
9. Glass containers are rolled up with sterilized iron lids, turned over and wrapped in blankets for 24 hours until completely cooled.

Appetizer “Honey turnip”

Honey helps add a new flavor to the root vegetable. To prepare this exquisite winter dish, you'll need the following ingredients:

• 250 g honey;
• 0.5 kg small turnips;
• 0.1 l of apple cider vinegar;
• carnation;
• 50 g salt;
• 1 liter of water;
• 0.5 tbsp. l. nutmeg.

The appetizer is prepared according to the following algorithm:

1. The turnips are washed thoroughly with a brush. The tops of the greens are cut off, leaving the stems on the vegetable. The root vegetable is placed in a container.
2. Prepare the marinade. Add water, salt, nutmeg, and 3-4 cloves to a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil and add the honey. Stir the mixture, remove from heat, and let cool.
3. Add vinegar to the cold marinade and pour the mixture into the pan with the turnips. Leave the appetizer to marinate in a dark place for 2 weeks until ready.

For another recipe for Chinese-style pickled turnips, watch the following video:

Turnips are a healthy and delicious vegetable enjoyed both fresh and as a cooking ingredient. Thanks to proper storage conditions and a variety of recipes, this root vegetable can delight with its unique flavor for a long time.

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