What is a rutabaga and what does it taste like?
What Is a Rutabaga? The rutabaga is an often overlooked, but sweet and nutrient-packed, root vegetable. Originating sometime in the 17th century, it’s a hybrid between a turnip and a wild cabbage. In fact, a rutabaga kind of looks like a giant, ugly turnip.
What is rutabaga (Swedish turnip)?
What Is Rutabaga? Rutabaga, also called Swedish turnip, is a root vegetable that is similar to a turnip. It belongs to the same plant family as cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, radish, turnip, and cauliflower.
What is rutabaga napus?
The species Brassica napus originated as a hybrid between the cabbage ( Brassica oleracea) and the turnip ( Brassica rapa ). Rutabaga roots are eaten as human food in a variety of ways, and the leaves can be eaten as a leaf vegetable.
How to grow rutabaga vegetables?
Also, it loosens the soil around the root of the growing rutabagas allowing for larger root growth. Since rutabagas are a root vegetable, you want the dirt to be firm around the bottom of the leaves but looser underneath so the root is not stopped in growth. When harvesting rutabagas, pick them when they are tender and mild.
Are rutabagas healthier than potatoes?
A 1-cup serving of boiled cubed rutabaga contains only 51 calories and 12 grams of carbohydrates, including 3.1 grams of fiber, making the net carbs 9 grams. The same amount of boiled potatoes contains 136 calories and 31 grams of carbohydrates, including 3 grams of fiber, which means 28.8 grams net carbs.
What does the vegetable Rudebaker look like?
What Does a Rutabaga Look Like? They are orb-shaped, sometimes quite round, sometimes a bit more elongated. Rutabagas are often purple on the outside, though the purple usually covers about half of the vegetable, much like a purple topped turnip. The rest of the skin is a yellow-ish white.
What kind of vegetable is a rutabaga?
Rutabaga is a root vegetable that belongs to the Brassica genus of plants, whose members are informally known as cruciferous vegetables. It's round with a brownish-white color and looks similar to a turnip. In fact, it's commonly referred to as a cross between a turnip and a cabbage.
What is the difference between turnip and rutabagas?
Turnips are usually white-fleshed with white or white and purple skin. Rutabagas usually have yellow flesh and a purple- tinged yellow skin, and they're bigger than turnips. (There are also yellow- fleshed turnips and white-fleshed rutabagas, but you won't generally find them in supermarkets.)
What is the best way to eat rutabaga?
They can be eaten raw, but are usually roasted, cooked and mashed (sometimes with potatoes or other root vegetables), and used in casseroles, stews and soups. They are high in vitamin C, a good source of potassium and high in fiber.
Do rutabagas cause gas?
As a cruciferous vegetable, rutabagas contain raffinose, a complex sugar that can cause bloating, abdominal pain and flatulence in some people. Talk to your doctor about ways to incorporate nutrient-dense rutabagas into your diet while minimizing these side effects.
Is eating rutabaga good for you?
Rutabagas are rich in antioxidants such as carotenoids and vitamins C and E. Antioxidants can help reverse oxidative damage to your cells and prevent chronic health problems. They help you stay healthy by protecting your immune system and organs from free radicals. Helps prevent cancer.
Can a diabetic eat rutabagas?
Root vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, beets, radishes, turnips, rutabagas, celery root and jicama are particularly ideal if you are have diabetes and are trying to lose weight.
Who eats rutabaga?
1) Do as the Swedes—and Finns—do. In England, the rutabaga is called a swede, or Swedish turnip. Swedes like their swedes much as my future in-laws do—boiled and mashed, sometimes with carrots. But in the next Scandinavian country over, Finns make a slightly jazzier version, called Lanttulaatikko.
Which is healthier turnip or rutabaga?
Nutrition Notes Per cup, turnips have only 36 calories and 2 grams of fibre, while rutabagas have 50 calories and 4 grams of fibre. Both are good sources of calcium, potassium, vitamin B6 and folate and excellent sources of dietary fibre and vitamin C.
How do you buy a rutabaga?
How to Select Rutabagas:Look for rutabagas that feel heavy for their size with smooth, heavy and firm roots.The skin should be free of major damage although smaller cuts around the top are natural.Smaller rutabagas (4 inches in diameter or less) tend to have a sweeter flavor than larger varieties.
Why is rutabaga waxed?
If you've never cooked with it before, the first thing you need to know is that rutabagas from the grocery store are usually sold coated in paraffin wax to keep them from drying out in storage. You'll definitely want to remove it before cooking with them.
Which is healthier turnip or rutabaga?
Nutrition Notes Per cup, turnips have only 36 calories and 2 grams of fibre, while rutabagas have 50 calories and 4 grams of fibre. Both are good sources of calcium, potassium, vitamin B6 and folate and excellent sources of dietary fibre and vitamin C.
How do you prepare rutabagas?
1:292:01How To Prepare Rutabaga - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipI'm going to cut straight in half. And there's our rutabaga cut in half then we'll dice it byMoreI'm going to cut straight in half. And there's our rutabaga cut in half then we'll dice it by slicing into chunks like this. And then cut each slice. Into charge chunk that's how you slice peel.
Are parsnips and rutabaga the same?
Rutabagas are a mildly sweet root vegetable that originated as a cross between the cabbage and the turnip. Their taste truly shines when cooked. Parsnips are also a root vegetable, and they are closely related to the carrot and parsley. They taste similar to carrots but have a nuttier, grassy taste.
What do rutabaga fries taste like?
Rutabaga is larger in size than turnips, their color is more yellow-ish/brown-ish instead of white and purple, and they actually taste sweeter than turnips. That's a good thing since turnips can be somewhat bitter.
Etymology
Rutabaga has many national and regional names. Rutabaga is the common North American term for the plant. This comes from the Swedish dialectal word rotabagge, from rot ( root) + bagge (lump, bunch). In the U.S., the plant is also known as Swedish turnip or yellow turnip.
History
The first known printed reference to the rutabaga comes from the Swiss botanist Gaspard Bauhin in 1620, where he notes that it was growing wild in Sweden. It is often considered to have originated in Scandinavia, Finland or Russia.
Cuisine
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Other uses
The roots and tops of "swedes" came into use as a forage crop in the early nineteenth century, used as winter feed for livestock. They may be fed directly (chopped or from a hopper ), or animals may be allowed to forage the plants directly in the field.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Brassica napus subsp. rapifera.
Mashed Rutabagas
One of the simplest and tastiest ways to eat rutabagas is just to cube, boil, and mash them with butter. Unlike potatoes, which can get gluey if you mash them overzealously, there’s no danger of overdoing it with rutabaga. If you want them really smooth, you can throw rutabagas in the food processor. Mash it with carrots for added color.
Rutabaga Noodles
Your spiralizer is good for so much more than zucchini! To make low-carb rutabaga pasta, run rutabaga through a spiralizer. You can eat them raw, but they’re lovely baked into a casserole. Try then tossing them with olive oil and herbs or transform into a gooey, rutabaga-noodle casserole.
Rutabaga Gratin
If you're bored with potatoes, try making a creamy rutabaga gratin: Thinly slice rutabaga, layer in a buttered cast-iron pan, pour hot cream over, sprinkle with Gruyere, and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.
Rutabagas Hasselback
In this riff on potatoes hasselback, a single rutabaga is cut into thin slices but left joined at the bottom, then baked and basted with melted butter until the slices are bronzed and crispy. I love this recipe for rutabagas hasselback, which includes slices of red onion and garlic between each rutabaga wedge for extra flavor.
Rutabaga Spice Cake
Think carrot cake, but lighter with a honey-colored crumb. If you have food sensitivities, try this marvelously dense, dairy- and gluten-free rutabaga spice cake or this dairy- and flour-intensive version of rutabaga spice cake with browned-butter icing.
Rutabaga Oven Fries
Rutabaga also makes superb oven fries: Toss rutabaga spears in in fat (olive oil, coconut oil, or even bacon fat or beef tallow) along with salt and seasonings of your choice (like garlic powder, dried thyme, and cayenne ), then roast at 425 degrees for 30 minutes.
Rutabaga and Cheddar Cheese Soup
Rutabaga is a cousin of broccoli, and it makes a fine stand-in for that vegetable in this rich rutabaga and cheddar soup. Try adding a glug of beer in there for good measure.
Mashed Potato, Rutabaga, And Parsnip Casserole With Caramelized Onions
This is great with Apricot Glazed Turkey and Green Beans With Walnuts And Walnut Oil. This dish can be made one day ahead. The broth made in this recipe can be used as stock for turkey soup.
Roasted Root Vegetables With Apple Juice
Caramelized roasted vegetables made with a white wine syrup. Originally submitted to ThanksgivingRecipe.com.
Pasties II
A traditional Upper Peninsula of Michigan treat! Complete with rutabaga! I am from the UP and this is the real deal! Rub pasties with a little milk for a golden color.
Roasted Winter Vegetable Soup
This is a tasty and satisfying pureed soup that makes the best of the humble produce that winter farmers' markets have to offer.
Cornish Finnish Michigan Pasties
I make these pasties about once a month for my family and extended family. I weigh my ingredients for accuracy and flavor.
Pot-au-Feu
The flavorful broth is often traditionally served first, dotted with croutons and sprinkled with Gruyère cheese. The main dish, or 'bouilli' - a platter of boiled meats and mixed vegetables - follows usually with gherkins and a variety of mustards, horseradish, and sauces alongside. The two courses can also be combined into one course.
Neeps and Tatties
When we went over to Edinburgh for Hogmanay, our friends made this for us, along with a slice of haggis! This is a traditional Scottish side dish, and goes well with a beef roast or chicken. It is also a great way to use an often overlooked vegetable: the swede (aka the yellow turnip, the rutabaga, or the Swedish turnip).
Did you make this recipe?
Preheat the oven. Rutabaga is best roasted at 425 F (218 C), so set the oven and let it preheat to that temperature. Line a baking sheet with cooking spray, parchment paper, or a silicone mat. This will prevent the rutabaga from sticking to the pan.
Did you make this recipe?
Stir fry it. Heat a tablespoon (15 ml) of vegetable oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet. Wash, peel, and cut a rutabaga into thin slices. When the oil is shimmering, add the rutabaga slices. Cook the slices for about seven minutes, until golden brown and soft. Season with salt, pepper, garlic, and other seasonings if desired.
About This Article
This article was co-authored by Vanna Tran, a trusted member of wikiHow's volunteer community. Vanna Tran is a home cook who started cooking with her mother at a very young age. She has catered events and hosted pop-up dinners in the San Francisco Bay Area for over 5 years. This article has been viewed 238,881 times.
How to Grow Rutabaga
Remember that these plants are not much different from turnips. The difference is that the roots are larger, firmer, and rounder than turnip roots and the leaves on the rutabaga are smoother.
Planting Rutabaga
When planting rutabaga, throw the seed down in the prepared soil and rake it in lightly. Plant the seeds at a rate of three to twenty seeds per row and rake them about half an inch (1 cm.) deep. Allow enough room to put one or two feet (31-61 cm.) between rows. This allows space for the roots to plump up and form rutabagas.
Harvesting Rutabagas
When harvesting rutabagas, pick them when they are tender and mild. Growing rutabagas are ready for harvest when they are about medium sized. Harvesting rutabagas when they are about 3 to 5 inches (8-13 cm.) in diameter will yield the best quality rutabagas.
Overview
Rutabaga or swede (British English and some Commonwealth English) is a root vegetable, a form of Brassica napus (which also includes rapeseed). Other names include Swedish turnip, neep (Scots), rwden/rwdins (Welsh), and turnip (Canadian English, Irish English and Manx English) – however, elsewhere the name "turnip" usually refers to the related white turnip. The species Brassica n…
Etymology
Rutabaga has many national and regional names. Rutabaga is the common North American term for the plant. This comes from the Swedish dialectal word rotabagge, from rot (root) + bagge (lump, bunch). In the U.S., the plant is also known as Swedish turnip or yellow turnip.
The term swede (from "Swedish turnip") is used in many Commonwealth Nations, …
History
The first known printed reference to the rutabaga comes from the Swiss botanist Gaspard Bauhin in 1620, where he notes that it was growing wild in Sweden. It is often considered to have originated in Scandinavia, Finland or Russia. According to the Natural Resources Institute of Finland (Luke), rutabaga or lanttu was most likely bred on more than one occasion in Northern Europe, aro…
Cuisine
In the Netherlands, rutabaga is traditionally served boiled and mashed. Adding mashed potatoes (and, in some recipes, similarly mashed vegetables or fruits) makes stamppot (English: mash pot), a dish often served alongside smoked sausage.
In Sweden and Norway, rutabaga is cooked with potato and sometimes carrot, a…
Phytochemistry
Rutabaga and other cyanoglucoside-containing foods (including cassava, maize (corn), bamboo shoots, sweet potatoes, and lima beans) release cyanide, which is subsequently detoxified into thiocyanate. Thiocyanate inhibits thyroid iodide transport and, at high doses, competes with iodide in the organification process within thyroid tissue. Goitres may develop when there is a dietary imbalance of thiocyanate-containing food in excess of iodine consumption, and it is possible fo…
Other uses
The roots and tops of "swedes" came into use as a forage crop in the early nineteenth century, used as winter feed for livestock. They may be fed directly (chopped or from a hopper), or animals may be allowed to forage the plants directly in the field.
People living in Northern England, West England, Ireland and Scotland have lon…
See also
• List of vegetables
External links
• Alternative Field Crops Manual: Rutabaga—Center for New Crops & Plant Products, Purdue University
• Smillie, Susan. "Are 'neeps' swedes or turnips?", The Guardian, 25 January 2010.