Rutabagas: Getting to Know Another Unsung Root Vegetable
There are so many delicious vegetables at our disposal that it’s no wonder that some of them get overlooked. Supermarket shelves are heaving with tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and potatoes. We even see a good lot of sweet potatoes, onions, peppers, and broccoli. These are things we go to the shop for and buy regularly.
But, there are some vegetables that rarely make the shopping list. The onions and squash and potatoes, we just are accustomed to cooking and eating, so it’s easy not to branch out beyond our favorite dozen or so choices from the produce aisle. Unfortunately, that means we are missing out on a lot.
One of the vegetables that many of us are missing out on is rutabagas. In an effort to right this injustice, it might be time to get a little familiar with this lowly root veg and give it a try.
What Are Rutabagas
Rutabagas are root vegetables. There are also known as swedes. They are fairly similar to turnips, and genetically, they are actually a cross between turnips and cabbage.
The roots are round and heavy, with thick skin that must be removed before eating. They have a bit of bitterness, milder than a turnip when raw, and they get buttery when cooked.
Rutabagas are a good source of vitamin C, potassium, and dietary fiber, and they provide fresh food at just the right time. They are in season from late fall to early spring, when all those popular vegetables are being imported from halfway around the world.
What to Do with Rutabagas
Rutabagas are extremely versatile. They can be eaten both raw and cooked, and like turnips, the greens are also healthy to eat.
The classic way to cook rutabaga is to roast it. But, it also makes fantastic mash, particularly when mixed with potatoes or parsnips (another unsung root veg). It can add depth to soups and stews. Rutabaga makes great hash or fries, and they are good baked or boiled.
When eaten raw, it can be added to salads and will have a flavor that tastes like a mix between cabbage and turnips. They are great cut really thinly or grated.
Growing Rutabagas
Like many other root vegetables, rutabagas are relatively easy to grow, and like other brassicas, they do best in cooler weather. They are good to grow in USDA Zone 2-10, which basically the entirety of the United States.
Rutabagas should be sown about six weeks prior to the last frost in spring or about three months prior to the first frost in autumn. Seeds should be planted in loosened soil with a bit of compost. They can be sown densely but thinned to about six inches apart when the young plants reach a couple of inches tall.
Rutabagas are going to want plenty of water, and as with other root vegetables, it should be done as consistently as possible. Wet and dry cycles in the soil will cause the roots to split. A little sprinkling of compost or compost tea every couple of weeks will do them well, too.
For good companion plants, try growing rutabagas with other roots like beets, carrots, and turnips, as well as other cool-weather crops like peas and onions. They don’t jive with potatoes.
Harvesting and Storing Rutabagas
All in all, rutabagas take roughly three to four months to reach maturity. They should be harvested when the root ball is around four inches in diameter, and they get sweeter after a frost. Waiting for the extra month for them to get this size is worth it.
Once ready, they can be left in the ground and harvested as needed as long as the summer doesn’t get too hot or the winter freeze solid. If the weather requires pulling the rutabagas, they can be stored for months in a cold, moist root cellar. Smaller harvests will keep for quite a while in a vegetable crisper in the fridge.
Roasting with Rutabagas
Rutabagas are going to be a great find in autumn and winter farmers’ markets. They can often be found in the far corners of the produce section at the supermarket as well. And, as we’ve established, they are totally realistic for just about all home growers in the United States. So, maybe it’s about time to start roasting with rutabagas.
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