Turnips Delivery or Pickup

As a root vegetable usually associated with beets or potatoes, turnips are actually more closely related to cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. Turnips are one of the oldest and hardiest vegetables, and it's believed that they originated in eastern Asia, where they grew wild when dinosaurs roamed the earth. Later, it was widely cultivated throughout the Roman Empire.

Today it's commonly grown in temperate climates worldwide, and there there are more than 30 different varieties of turnips. The most common type is known as the purple-top turnip, which has a white part that remains underground, while the purple color comes from where the sun has hit. However, it's important to note that a turnip actually refers to rutabaga in certain parts of the United Kingdom and Canada.

Unlike most other vegetables, you can eat the turnip's leafy greens and its root. When biting into a turnip, you might notice a slight spiciness. This flavor makes the turnip a perfect pairing with other root vegetables or those with stronger flavors, such as ginger. If you're using older turnips in cooking, you might notice a slight mustard flavor, which often mellows once you cook it.

Although they're available year-round, turnips are in season from October through March. They're best eaten in the fall when the mature vegetables are ripe or in the spring when they remain smaller and sweeter. The warmer months cause the roots to become woody and not as tasty.

Its root can be about 4 inches in length, but some retailers cut off this part before selling it. When selecting turnips, look for ones that are heavy for their size, have a firm shape, and possess smooth skin. Avoid ones with cuts or soft spots. If they have leaves, make sure they look healthy.

Turnips are an extremely versatile vegetable as you can prepare them in several different ways. You can eat turnips raw, just like you would radishes. The baby turnips work well sliced and added to salads, or cut them into wedges and serve them with a dip. If you do opt to eat them raw, it's up to you if you want to peel off the skin. Use a vegetable brush to scrub them clean before eating.

The more common way of eating turnips is to cook them much like you would sweet potatoes. After you rinse them, trim off any attached greens and roots, and prepare as desired. Roasting, baking, stewing, or baked are some of the preferred ways of enjoying them. Make a soup out of them, much like you would prepare potato soup. The greens can also be prepared in a way that's similar to mustard greens — sauteed in butter or oil.

While you're busy figuring out exactly how you want to prepare your turnips, order your turnips through Instacart. Simply open the Instacart app, add turnips to your cart, and an Instacart shopper will get started on your order. You can even get your turnips delivered directly to your door in as little as 2 hours!