Rutabaga is a very popular vegetable in Ireland, but the name is never used by the Irish to describe this favorite side for a chicken roast, ham or bacon dinner.
In Ireland, this favorite Thanksgiving vegetable is called a turnip.
Why Do The Irish Call A Rutabaga A Turnip?
The Irish call this root vegetable a turnip. Why exactly is not clear.
The English call it a swede, and in Scotland it is often called a neep.
The term rutabaga comes from the Swedish word “rotabagge”.
It is a bulbous root vegetable with a purple hued outer skin covering a dense inner yellow core.
American rutabagss, Irish yellow turnips and British swedes all belong to the Brassica napobrassica family of plants.
Now small little white turnips are technically called Brassica rapa. These smaller, white fleshed roots are very popular in southern American cooking, and provide us with that ever so southern staple, their famous turnip greens.
Rutabagas for Thanksgiving:
My thoughts turn to rutabagas with Thanksgiving approaching. I know it’s not a traditional vegetable for Americans to serve, but a turnip tale links it to this holiday for me.
When I was close to seven months pregnant with triplets, my aunt visited for Thanksgiving. She was born in Ireland, but has lived in America for over fifty years. She suggested we have Irish mashed turnips with our turkey that year, since serving rutabaga at Thanksgiving had become a personal tradition for her over the years.
Despite resembling a moving mountain at this point in my pregnancy, I dutifully waddled to the grocery store, plonked my colossal self into a motorized cart, and sped through the vegetable aisles, never dreaming there might be a shortage of rutabagas. Lo and behold there wasn’t a single rutabaga to be had.
“We always run out of rutabagas at Thanksgiving,” the produce manager explained. “It’s the one time of year they are in demand.”
I returned home shocked and empty-handed.
But never fear!
Irish American Dad fancied a scoop of mashed turnip instead of an overly-sweet, sweet potato casserole that year. He rose to the challenge, searching high and low, from grocery store to fresh fruit market, along the turnip trail.
He did not fail us. He found one hiding beneath a head of cabbage in a Meijers store far, far away. And so that year we gave thanks, for one man’s perseverance in his quest to deliver a Thanksgiving rutabaga.
And being an Irish man, he knew exactly what he was looking for, once we told him he was on a quest for a good, old Irish turnip.
Purchasing Rutabaga in America:
Practically every time I buy a rutabaga at the grocery store, the check-out guy or gal holds it up with a quizzical expression.
“What’s this called,” comes the inevitable question.
I think very few Americans buy rutabagas, probably because they simply don’t know how to cook them.
So be prepared to advise the checkout person that the vegetable they are weighing and scanning is a rutabaga.
However, things are beginning to change in the American rutabaga world. They’re becoming a staple in the Keto loving community, with many Keto lovers using them as a replacement for potatoes.
There are many ways to cook turnips or rutabagas. They’re delicious in soups and many people love to roast them. I make a delicious carrot and rutabaga soup which you might enjoy.
But no matter which recipe you choose, the first step to cooking with rutabaga, involves peeling it.
How To Peel and Prepare A Rutabaga, Swede or Irish Turnip for Cooking:
Today I will solve that problem of how to prepare a rutabaga for cooking, with a short synopsis of my more in-depth tutorial on how to peel and cut a rutabaga.
The most difficult and dangerous part of this process is cutting up the rutabaga.
When picking one in the grocery store, I try to find one with a flat bottom end. It makes it much easier to balance to make that first cut through the hard inner core.
Place the root on a cutting board, balanced on its flattest end. Cut through the middle separating it into two equal halves.
Perform this step with care.
Some people like to microwave the rutabaga before peeling it to make the whole process easier.
I personally don’t microwave my rutabaga before peeling, but I have years of rutabaga cutting experience under my belt. What a claim to fame!
If you would like to soften your rutabaga in the microwave to make it easier to peel, then follow these steps.
- Prick the rutabaga skin in several places with a skewer.
- Wrap it in damp paper towels and place it in a microwavable dish.
- Cook it on the high microwave setting for 5 minutes.
- Then turn it upside down and repeat for another 5 minutes.
- Remove it from the microwave and allow it to cool before slicing it in half as directed above.
- You are now ready to move on with the next steps outlined below.
Turn each half onto its flat side, then cut it into 1/2 inch thick semi-circles. Throw away the first and last piece which are covered in thicker skin.
Use a paring knife to remove the outer skin.
This method is much easier than trying to peel a rutabaga with a potato peeler – really a mission impossible.
Next cut each piece into one inch cubes. Each semi-circle usually yields nine cubes by cutting 3 vertical slices and then three more perpendicular slices.
Now you’re ready to cook your rutabaga.
Today we’re going to be boiling our turnip or rutabaga using the tried and trusted cooking method of most Irish cooks.
So enough of my waffling, let’s get down to cooking this tough little root. Here’s my traditional recipe, handed down from my mother, and her mother before her.
Ingredients for Irish Style Mashed Rutabaga:
Here you’ll find a quick list of what you’ll need for this recipe. Check out the printable recipe at the bottom of this post for US and Metric equivalent versions of the recipe. There you can choose the measurement system that works best for you.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- rutabaga
- butter
- salt
- white pepper
- sour cream (optional)
- light brown sugar (optional)
Directions for Cooking A Turnip Irish Style:
Here you’ll find step-by-step photographic instructions to help you recreate this recipe successfully. There are plenty of tips included along the way.
Peel and cube the rutabaga.
Add the diced rutabaga to a medium saucepan and cover it with cold water.
Some of the pieces will float in the water making it impossible to cover the top by an inch.
Season with salt at this point.
Make sure you add plenty of water though. If the pot boils dry the smell of burnt rutabaga is horrible. Believe me – I know from experience.
Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 40 to 50 minutes until the rutabaga is fork tender.
It takes quite a long time to boil this tough little vegetable.
If you microwaved your rutabaga when peeling it, the cooking time will be a little shorter.
Drain the boiling water once the rutabaga is cooked. Return it to the pot.
Use a potato masher to break it up. Add 2 tablespoons of butter. Season with salt and white pepper.
Most Irish people use white pepper since we don’t like black flecks through mashed turnip.
Mash the rutabaga well together to make sure the melted butter is thoroughly mixed through.
Add the sour cream, if using, and mix through the rutabaga mash.
If you wish to limit how much butter you use, you can omit butter and increase the amount of sour cream used instead of using butter.
Sour cream flavor compliments the sweet yet tangy taste of the rutabagas. Some people like to purée the rutabaga in a food processor, but I prefer to leave a little bit of texture by using a potato masher.
Another tip to sweeten the rutabaga is to add a few teaspoons of brown sugar at this stage. It adds an extra layer of deliciousness.
I didn’t grow up eating brown sugar sweetened turnips so I’m going to make this step optional.
Served hot, as a side for roast turkey dinner, mashed rutabagas are simply delicious.
I love two nice, big mounds of rutabaga mash on my plate. Once I dined at a fancy restaurant in New Jersey. I grew excited when I saw a pork dish on the menu with a side of rutabaga puree. Oh how disappointed I was when all I got was a yellow squiggle of rutabaga on my plate. It didn’t fill a hole in my tooth.
So heap those rutabagas onto your plate. Not only do they taste great, they’re good for you too.
Here’s the printable recipe:
Mashed Rutabaga
Ingredients
- 1 medium rutabaga peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons sour cream optional
- 2 teaspoons light brown sugar optional
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon white pepper optional
Instructions
- Peel and cube the rutabaga. Add the diced rutabaga to a medium saucepan and cover it with cold water.
- Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 40 to 50 minutes until the rutabaga is fork tender.
- Drain the boiling water once the rutabaga is cooked. Return it to the pot. Use a potato masher to break it up. Add 2 tablespoons of butter. Season with salt and white pepper and mash again.
- Add the sour cream, if using, and mix through the rutabaga mash.
- Add the brown sugar, if using, and mix through the rutabaga mash.
- Serve hot as a vegetable side dish for dinner.
Nutrition Information is estimated based on the ingredients and cooking instructions as described in each recipe and is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Please note that nutrition details may vary based on methods of preparation, origin and freshness of ingredients used.
Irish people love to serve rutabaga with mashed potatoes. They’re delicious with Irish style fluffy mashed potatoes, which are made with floury potatoes and are less creamy than American style mash.
And for special dinners like Christmas and Thanksgiving we love to serve roast potatoes, with our turnips or rutabagas.
Rutabags or Irish turnips may not be on everyone’s menu, nor be to everyone’s taste. They probably fall firmly into either the ‘totally love it’ or ‘completely hate it’ category for nearly everyone.
Nevertheles, judging by all the wonderful comments on this blog post, readers around this little corner of the world wide web, definitely place it in the ‘love it’ category.
Happy Thanksgiving cooking to all, and thanks for following my recipes and ramblings.
Slán agus beannacht,
(Goodbye and blessings)
Irish American Mom
Here are some more recipes and ramblings you might enjoy…
Shrimp and Cucumber Bites
Irish Expressions Of Gratitude For Thanksgiving
How To Steam A Christmas Or Plum Pudding In A Crockpot
We eat leftover rutabaga for a couple of days after Thanksgiving. It re-heats fine. It can get a little watery, so you just have to stir it up well. To help with the prep, I peel and dice the day before and put it in a big ziplock bag. That way, Thanksgiving day, all you have to do is pour it in a pot of water.
Thank you so much for the tip! That is what I will do this year! I must say, leftover turnips are a non existant thing in my family! There are never any left!
The only reason we have any left is because I make a ton of them!
I live in Miami, FL and we love rudabagas I cook them quite often and always season them with some fresh pigtails, i decided to make some this thanksgivings for my granddaughter (6yrs old) and father-in-law (88 yrs old) he loves them also.
I’ve never had them mashed but will try that the next time.
Hi Beverly – Mashed turnip or rutabaga seems to be a very Irish way of preparing this wonderful winter vegetable. I sometimes roast them with other root veggies, but most of the time I boil and mash them just like my mother and grandmother did before me. Glad to hear your family love this humble vegetable too.
Best wishes, and have a lovely Thanksgiving in Florida.
Mairéad
I would have them a little more often if I could peel them. Your hints are very helpful. Mama peeled them like an apple. I still have a question. How do I get the wax off? Or do I cut the baga in 1/2 and in slices and peel the wax off with the skin?
We cook a piece of boneless pork w/salt added until tender. Then put the chopped up bagas in the pork water until tender. Drain & mash. Serve with sliced pieces of pork. If any remains, I freeze them for about a month.
Hi Vera – Your tips for cooking turnips with a piece of boneless pork are great – sounds very tasty.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Don’t worry about the wax. Cut the R in half, any direction. Each half flat side down, cut in slices: thinner makes easier to peel, but more slices is more work. Using a sharp short knife, slide it around the R under the peel. You want to get the white layer as well as the purple layer and wax all off at once.
Great tips, Bruce. Thanks for letting people know how important it is to remove the white layer beneath the purple skin.
All the best,
Mairéad
I’m of Irish descent and we’ve always had turnip for Thanksgiving or whenever we had turkey. I remember when I was little I didn’t like them at all, I’d fill my plate with Butternut Squash though lol. I couldn’t understand how my Mom could have so much turnip on her plate. Now I know! I love it now. My Mom told me of her little secret of putting a pinch or two of sugar in the pot while mashing them if they’re too bitter tasting. I also add turnip to my beef stew. 😉
Hi Annie – It’s lovely to hear from so many Irish people who love turnip at Thanksgiving, and all year round. I understand how you grew fond of turnips with the passing years. Parsnips were a vegetable I detested as a child, but love to eat them now. I suppose our taste buds change with time. Thanks for your great turnip tip for beef stew. I sometimes toss in diced turnip when I make my “farmhouse stew”. I must share that recipe soon.
Best wishes and have a lovely Thanksgiving.
Mairéad
My mother was born in Ireland and always served “turnips” at our American Thanksgiving meal. She passed in December of 2013, but I continue the tradition. I never liked them growing up, but now I can’t get enough! Happy Thanksgiving. 🙂
Hi Loretta – I’m so sorry to hear of your mother’s passing in 2013. I’m glad to hear you continue your family’s Thanksgiving turnip tradition. They seem to be a taste that grows on us with age, especially when they are associated with such loving memories.
Best wishes, and enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday.
Mairéad
Thanks, Mairead!
Mairead, I commented a year or two ago. I love rutabaga at Thanksgiving. My mom always made it, so now I carry on the tradition. I have a question for you. Would it be ok to peel, cube, boil and mash it on Weds, then reheat it in the oven on Thursday to serve it?
Or, can I at least peel it and cube it on Weds, put it in a ziplock bag, then boil and mash it on Thursday to serve it? I’m trying to not have to do all my cooking on Thursday.
Thanks.
Hi Sue – I often make rutabaga in advance. I sometimes make a big batch on a Sunday and we eat it throughout the week. I reheat it in the microwave, but I usually reheat it in portion sizes by this method. It can get a little watery with time and with microwave reheating. For reheating on Thanksgiving Day I would put it in a casserole and reheat it in the oven. Add extra butter knobs on top since the upper layer can get a little dry in the oven. I enjoy rutabaga best when freshly mashed. You can definitely prepare it in advance and store it in the fridge. I keep my cubed uncooked turnip in water in an airtight container.
Have a lovely Thanksgiving.
All the best,
Mairéad
Thanks so much. Happy Thanksgiving!
When I cook rutabaga, I put sugar in the water, same amount as salt. It reduces the boiling time. 😉
All the best
Gina
Hi Gina – Adding sugar is a great tip, especially if it cuts down on boiling time.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
I’m 49 yrs old and have always loved these. Even though I only eat them in the fall and thanksgiving. This is exactly how I have always made them and they are delicious. I’m from Connecticut and your right about not many people knowing what these are. It’s to bad cause they don’t know what they’re missing!!!
Thanks for this post! Growing up we always ate turnips with our Thanksgiving and Christmas meals. When I had a family I missed the tradition and tried to revive it one year, not knowing that what I craved was actually rutabaga. I mashed up turnips and they were terrible! Fortunately I figured it out and the tradition continues another generation. Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi Chris – I’m so glad you rediscovered the rutabaga and have been able to continue your family’s Thanksgiving Turnip Tradition. The confusion arises when we Irish call the rutabaga a turnip. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
All the best,
Mairéad
Hi American Irish Mom from an Irish Mom….Today for the first time I heard of Rutabaga….im excited as now instead of common turnips my family will be served rutabaga. we eat turnips all the time. cubed, mashed,roasted. As children we used them at halloween hollowed out and candles inserted and of course the were chief fodder for out cows. I often pulped them before going to school. now that I know what Rutabaga is tge common turnip will never feel common again. Nollag Shona Dhuit. ( Happy Christmas)
Hi Anne – A good “feed of rutabagas” does sound more intriguing than a “feed of turnips”. I grew up eating turnips in Dublin. I loved them mashed into my potatoes with a big knob of melting butter. It’s funny how so many people cook rutabaga to accompany their turkey at Thanksgiving in America, whereas in Ireland we think of the good old turnip as an everyday veg, rather than a special occasion dinner treat.
So glad you found my blog and checked out my recipes and ramblings.
All the best,
Mairéad
I have an Irish daughter in law and when I asked her if she liked turnips, she replied Yes!! Well I cooked her our American version of turnips and when she tasted it she graciously remarked, “this isn’t like our Irish turnips”. When I did some investigating, I learned that what we call rutabaga, the Irish call turnip. Now I know and truly appreciate the big difference. I have learned to cook rutabaga and we love it! Thanks for the great description of how to best deal with the tough skinned treasure!
Hi Judi I’m delighted to hear you have mastered the art of cooking rutabaga. It’s a great side dish especially with ham and mashed potatoes.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
I love rutabaga whenever! I just made myself a big plate of roasted rutabaga “fries” for lunch.
Hi Mary – Sounds like a great lunch. I love how this page has become a place for rutabaga eaters to share their love of this humble vegetable.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
My dear departed dad always griped I was serving the family “horse fodder” when I prepared mashed rutabaga for Thanksgiving (but he secretly loved it). I sweeten them up by sauteeing some diced apple in butter and add to the mash along with some brown sugar (to taste). Actually this dish is even better if made a day or two in advance so the flavors marry and then reheated for serving.
Hi Mary – My dad also refers to turnips as fodder, but he still mashes them up with his spuds and licks his lips. Glad to know your dad enjoyed his turnips for Thanksgiving nonetheless. I bet you had a smile on your face remembering your late father as you mixed your turnips for Thanksgiving. I love your tip of adding a little diced apple and brown sugar. I’ll have to try that out.
Best wishes, and thanks so much for stopping by. Wishing you and yours, and very happy Christmas.
Mairéad
Yes, smile on my face and tear to my eye. Let’s lift a glass this holiday to all those loved ones that made Christmas so wonderful. Merry Christmas to all.
Beautifully said, Mary. So many loved ones will be smiling down on us from Heaven this Christmas. I’ll raise my glass to them as many fond memories come flooding back.
Nollaig shona duit,
Mairéad
just to let you know if you add one or two tablespoons of mash potato to turnip or swede, it really dries it up and its not soggy when served ! enjoy!
Loved you rutabaga story. Years ago before my daughter was born we were stationed in Bingen Germany. We had to pass the pigs pen to go up our steps to our apt. One day our landlord placed a truck full of Rutabags near the steps. As a very pregnant young girl from Ala. I wanted one and ask for one. She said no, they were only for pigs.I explained that I had eaten them all my life. Still she said No! So as any one in my condition would do, in the middle of the night I took one, cooked it and the forbidden fruit was wonderful. A few days later I learned that she always went through our garbage to recycle and compost.when she ask if I enjoyed it.
Hi Ceceil – I love your rutabaga rustling story. I would have done the exact same thing if I had a hankering for a good old turnip or rutabaga in your condition. Thanks so much for sharing. I think I’m going to call this post “the turnip tales.” I have really enjoyed reading everyone’s comments and learning about what rutabagas mean to them. It’s amazing how a rutabaga can take us on a lovely trip down memory lane.
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and best wishes for 2016.
Mairéad
rutabagas and turnip are two distinct vegetables
grown in abundance in Ireland—used a pig feed along with corn…called
grown in abundance in North America as well.
grew up in southern Ontario Canada—we ate lots of rutabagas and we made the mistake of calling them turnip as well
We’ve been cooking rutabagas this way for as long as I can remember so I wouldn’t classify this as being an Irish dish
Hi Julie – Since writing this post I have learned how popular mashed turnips are in Canada as well as Ireland. I’ve really enjoyed reading so many comments from Canadian readers who love rutabagas or turnips too. Thanks so much for adding your two cents to this little discussion.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
What you are eating are called swedes in the uk, purple skin and orange flesh . They are grown for winter feed for cattle as well as
human consumption. Turnips are smaller with a paler skin and white flesh, they taste completely different to swedes, which are very common here. Mashed swede mixed with mashed potato and butter is delicious !!
Thanks, Rod. I spent some time working in England many years ago, and during that time I learned that what we call a turnip in Ireland is actually a swede. The smaller, white-fleshed roots are also called turnips in America. In the southern states people love to eat turnip greens, something we never ate in Ireland when I was a kid.
Thanks so much for stopping by.
Mairéad
My father loved mashed turnips. It was a special meal when we had them as a kid. When I saw them the other day in the grocery store I thought how long it had been since I had eaten them. Unsure of how to peel them I googled and found your blog. Thanks to your blog I finally understand why we always called them turnips and the stores where I live call them rutabagas. Anyway, I’ll be introducing my kids to mashed turnips today and thinking of my mom and dad too.
Hi Terence – I hope your kids will enjoy turnips and mash, just like we did as children. I’m delighted to hear my rutabaga recipe and ramblings helped kindle good memories, and helped you figure out how to peel and cut your turnip.
Thanks so much for stopping by,
Mairéad
My grandparents hail from Germany and (like you) I remember having this dish every Thanksgiving since childhood. However I remember it being referred to as turnips so imagine my surprise when I went to the store and asked for turnips and they gave me a waxy white looking vegetable. That was the first time I heard the term rutabaga. We love them and also add a carrot or two into the mash. I also have included them with other vegetables in turkey soup, ham soup, vegetable soup. I like your suggestion re: how to cut them. Will try with the next batch.
Thanks for the tips!
Agnes
I too grew up in an Irish/American family. My mother and I loved our “turnips”at Thanksgiving. In addition to butter my mother put a tablespoon of bacon fat in the mashed turnips. I have continued that “turnip” tradition for the las 36 years. Ironically I just learned yesterday that they are actually rutabagas ? No wonder my husband either brings home the wrong kind of turnip or can’t find them when he does the food shopping.
Hi Maureen – Turnips vs rutabagas – an important cultural lessons for all Irish in America. Since writing this blog post I’ve learned that our Canadian neighbors call rutabagas ‘turnips’, just like Irish people do. It looks like we both send our husbands out on the turnip trail when really they are in search of rutabagas. On his turnip mission my Irish born husband knew how to identify the vegetable he was looking for, but naming it was a whole different ball game altogether.
Thanks so much for stopping by to check out my recipe and ramblings.
All the best,
Mairéad
Hey there. As an American that works in a grocery store in Maine, I can tell you we sell a lot of rutabaga! LOL. It’s funny though, because there’s an argument here over whether the root (which you illustrate above) is supposed to be called rutabaga or turnip. I try to explain to people that the name comes from an old Swedish word for “root bag”, so rutabaga is correct, but they still argue with me. They call the smaller purple-top turnips rutabaga, and the large, yellow, waxy root a turnip. Eventually I just give up and nod.
During our Canadian Thanksgiving I make rutabaga casserole for dinner. I make it the same as the recipe above except I put in some brown sugar, white sugar, some nutmeg and allspice and white pepper, And then I put it into a 9×13, make some fork marks on the top of it and add two pats of butter on either side of the casserole.
Then I bake it for about 35 minutes in the oven at 350 F.
Put it on the table for Thanksgiving and watch it disappear.
Hi Howard – I’m not surprised your rutabaga casserole disappears once it reaches the table. It sounds delicious and nutmeg and all spice are perfect partners for this root veggie. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
First I’d like to say thank you for teaching me how to cut them. I’ve always needed to use a hammer. To hammer the knife through. My mother is Irish and father is Scottish, so I’ve ate turnip and by far my absolute fav. along with potatoes. We have lived in Canada probably the first generation that came here so for all intents and purposes we are very Canadian. Could live off these two. I have a funny story my mother told me. She had a friend who discovered turnip/rutabaga as an adult and loved them. One night she phoned my mom to ask how long it took to cook it. She said it had been boiling for hours and was still very hard. My mother burst out laughing when she discovered that her friend had put it into a pot of water peelings and whole. Sorry I can’t tell you the outcome of this ladies turnip as my mother passed a couple of years ago and I never asked her.
Hi Bridget – Your story made me laugh – I could just picture your mother’s friend poking her whole turnip with a fort or knife as she boiled it, trying to determine if it was “ready”. I wonder how she planned to slice and serve it.
Like you I love mashed potatoes and turnips, especially with butter melting on top. Just brilliant.
Mairéad
Rutabagas are a wonderful vegetable. When I was a youngster we grew them in our garden and mom would cook them with our roast beef dinner on Sunday’s. She would mash them with butter and brown sugar. Great with the roast beef gravy. I carry on this tradition.
Hi Mo – Rutabagas or turnips are just perfect with roast beef. Glad to hear you carry on the rutabaga on Sundays tradition in your family.
All the best,
Mairéad
Hi! I am 60 years old and have eaten rutabagas all my life and even loved them as a little girl. I grew up in eastern North Carolina and my mother fixed them in quite a different way. I never had mashed rutabagas until I was an adult. Our method of cooking them was to cut them in medium sized chunks and boil them in water seasoned with pork drippings, though now I just use real butter. After they had cooked alone for a bit, since it takes them so long, we add a couple cut up potatoes and some dumplings made from finely ground white cornmeal (another southern item), water, salt and pepper. The dumplings are mixed and hand patted into small flat rounds and gently put into the simmering “pot likker” to cook as the rutabagas and potatoes finish up. When done, it is served in bowls, complete with the delicious pot likker, almost like a stew. A biscuit crumbled in it never hurts either. I generally mash the items up a bit to make the flavors blend, so I suppose that would be another form of mashed rutabagas! Tonight, I will cook them by your recipe for a change! Thank you!
Hi Carol – Thank you so much for sharing your rutabaga cooking tips – southern style. Those dumplings with rutabaga and “pot likker” sound absolutely delicious. It amazes me how many similarities there are between Irish food and southern food.
Best wishes, and thanks for stopping by. Hope you enjoy your rutabagas Irish style.
Mairéad
I have been eating rutabaga all my life (I’m 68+). This was a family tradition for Thanksgiving. My Mom’s family all came from New England. We had it a lot with poultry of any kind. I cut it exactly how you show in your article. I also add a couple white potatoes, diced with the “Turnip”. The potatoes help to give a more smooth consistency to the final dish when mashed.
I always had waxed rutabaga all my life. The taste was real “Earthy”. A nice flavor that is just right for a bit of apple cider vinegar when served. I moved to the southwest (Nevada) in the late 90s. Since then I am unable to get waxed rutabaga. I can however get small (baseball sized) Fresh Rutabagas. They peel easier, cook quicker, and have a much milder taste with hardly any aroma at all.
Since I like the stronger flavor I now wax these smaller fresh rutabagas myself. All you need is an old pot and some food grade paraffin. You can find it right with the jelly making supplies in your supermarket. After waxing and drying I wrap each one in 2 absorbent paper towels and put them in a paper grocery bag. I keep them in the coolest and darkest area of our home. They last well and do pick up a more prominent aroma and flavor.
Hi Bill – In Ireland only unwaxed rutabagas are available, but in Kentucky they’re always waxed. Now that you mention it, the flavor of my Kentucky rutabagas are always a little stronger than mashed turnip in Ireland. Thanks so much for your tips on how to wax a turnip. This post is one of my favorites on my whole blog. The comment section has grown and grown over the years, and is filled with amazing tips about rutabagas and turnips. Thanks for adding to this compendium of information.
Best wishes, and thanks for checking out my blog.
Mairéad
We have always had the waxed variety of turnip. I have only had the unwaxed kind once. It was wrapped in plastic wrap. The strong smell is what reminds me of the holidays. Most people think of the aroma of a roasting turkey, but for me it’s the smell of turnips!
My Mom, rest her soul, was a gardener for well over 70 years and somehow passed the love of it on to me. She invested many hours over several years trying to find rutabaga seeds for me. She finally scored last year I’ve since done them scalloped, au gratin, mashed, and I just finished a stew with rutabagas, potatoes, kale, onions garlic, and ham hocks. All of it was from my garden, except the hocks. Thanks, Mom!
Hi Michael – I’m delighted to hear you continue to garden, just as your late mother did. It sounds like you have quite a garden, with a wide array of vegetables. The humble rutabaga is one of my favorites – I love how you cook your rutabagas so many different ways. Enjoy the rest of your fall produce.
Thanks so much for stopping by.
Mairéad
Growing up the 2 things I used to look for at Thanksgiving was mashed rutabagas and brussel sprouts. And over 50 years later I still look forward to them. My ancestors originally came from Sweden and Britain but these are still favorite vegetables in my family. My dad’s meatball vegetable soup has to have rutabagas, no rutabagas available the soup is put off until they are.
Hi Laura – I often heard that rutabagas are popular in Sweden. It’s always lovely to hear from others who share my love of rutabagas – now I know it’s an Irish and Swedish thing. Thanks so much for stopping by to check out this recipe.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
It’s funny you mention the German rutabaga and water stew as being a poverty food. I, too, was a very poor college student when my South African roommate brought home a large rutabaga, wondering what it was and how to cook it. I peeled it, cut it up, and cooked it for her the next day in chicken stock with a bit of salt and pepper and the last bit of an onion. She thought it was horrible and said I could have it. I thought she had lost her mind because I thought it was like the best vegetable ever. I hadn’t eaten anything that day or the day before and I ate the whole thing. Since I’d cooked it thoroughly I had no ill effects.
Since then I have always prepared it in this way and thought of it as “lucky soup”. I now live in Ireland, and my husband, who dislikes “turnips”, also leaves me to enjoy my greedy pot of gold by myself. I’ll be boiling some up with gammon tomorrow, though, and instead giving him the large number of potatoes he requires. 🙂
Thanks so much for checking out my rutabaga recipe and for sharing your turnip tales. I hope you enjoyed your turnip and gammon dinner this week. It sounds delicious. I love mixing mashed turnip with my spuds with melting butter. Yummy!
Take care and thanks for stopping by.
Mairéad
I’m American and have been eating rutabagas since I was a child am now in my 60’s. We call them rutabagas not turnips because turnips are yet another type of vegetable. I peel them while they are whole, saves a lot of time rather than peeling individual pieces. Adding garlic to the mashed or whipped rutabagas tastes lovely too.
Hi Ginna – Lovely to hear from another rutabaga lover. I like your tip for adding garlic to the mash – what a great flavor addition.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Yellow turnips are a Thanksgiving staple for my family. My mom, who grew up in New England, prepared them by boiling until just tender then added carrots and boiled both until done. She would then mash the turnip and carrots together with lots of butter and salt and pepper. (She said the carrots cut the natural bitterness of the turnip.) This is a wonderful simple recipe that my family loves. Mom was German and Polish so I’m certain where the recipe came from, but I have enjoyed it for almost 60 years. I normally boil the turnips early Thanksgiving morning, but this year I am going to try to cook them on low in a Crockpot over night.
Hi Terry – Carrot and turnip mash is a wonderful tasty combination. Thanks for sharing your family’s love of yellow turnips with us here. I hope your crockpot cooking method is a great success. It sounds like a brilliant get ahead strategy for Thanksgiving meal preparation.
Best wishes, and happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
Mairéad
Great post.
Did you ever try boiled back bacon for dinner, turnips cooked in bacon water then mashed with butter & pepper, bacon glazed (brown sugar or marmalade or whatever you fancy) and finished off in oven, mashed potato (not sweet potato!). Food for a king.
Alternative to turnip is cabbage cooked in bacon water – but be brief, do not overcook cabbage!
Good to see the Irish turnip getting positive reviews!
Hi Maura – You’ve just described one of my favorite dinners. It can’t be beaten. I had it nearly every week as a child. Thanks so much for stopping by.
Mairéad
Saw your recipe for rutabagas/turnips and wondered roughly how many servings it provides? I’m planning on serving 8 for St. Patricks Day. Thanks.
I find turnips come in two sizes. They are either small, like the size of a large grapefruit, or large, like the size of a cantaloupe. To fill a round covered glass casserole dish, you know the Pyrex ones, I make two large cantaloupe sized ones or three of the smaller grapefruit size. This will probably give you enough for 8 smaller servings. You might want to make it 4 small grapefruit sized ones just to be on the safe side or if you want leftovers. Some of the eight people might not like them or even know what they are and just try a small sampling or not even try them at all, or they may be in love with them and put a big mound on the plate. Better to have too much than not enough!
Thanks for this great reply Jedi1111. I really like your comparisons for rutabaga sizes, because they truly vary greatly in size. Two large cantaloupe size should be good for 8 servings, but leftovers are always great.
Best wishes to you and Eidin.
Mairéad
Thanks very much for the information. Looking forward to a turnip-fest on St. Patrick’s Day!
Eidin
Actually, rutabaga can be used to make Swede Chips, which have the flavor and texture are the same as potato chips. Have you ever try it out?
Hi Lita – I haven not tried making rutabaga chips but I do make parsnip crisps. I’d say rutabaga chips are delicious. Thanks so much for this tip.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Hahaha I was loling. So funny to me. Thanks for the laughs.
Hi Rose – Glad you enjoyed this little turnip tale.
All the best,
Mairéad
Donegal dad and a Monaghan mam, so we always had turnips! Love them as leftovers heated up in some bacon fat, too!
I love turnip leftovers too. They make lovely fried cakes when combined with mashed potatoes.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Yes, mixed with mashed potatoes and fried in butter til a little crispy! Delicious! I am happy to report, at 20 something years old, my children finally decided they like rutabagas! They are on for Thanksgiving this year, but I can now make them when ever I want!