Organic White Globe Turnip (purple collar) - Brassica rapa

The White Globe Turnip with Purple Collar is a beautiful variety with white and violet roots. It is productive and cold-resistant. This biennial herbaceous vegetable plant, measuring 25 cm (10in), is grown for its fleshy, spherical, and conical roots. Its firm flesh is slightly sweet and can be used raw or cooked in many dishes. Sow from May to August for a harvest two months later.

The turnip has been known since prehistoric times and has always been part of the people's diet in Northern Europe. It is often consumed cooked in gratins, mashed, or as an accompaniment to soups, stews, and casseroles. Baby turnips do not need to be peeled and can be eaten raw, grated, and mixed with other raw vegetables. The young turnip leaves can also be used in soups. Turnips have diuretic, refreshing, and remineralising properties and contain vitamins (A, B5, B6, C, PP) and minerals (calcium, iron, copper, magnesium).

The many varieties of turnips allow for year-round harvesting. This root vegetable comes in various shapes (long, semi-long, round, or flat) and colours (white, yellow, pink, or purple).

Turnips require a supply of well-rotted compost (3 kg/m²) in late autumn or early spring.

Harvest: Turnips are usually harvested two months after sowing. Spring-summer turnips will be harvested from May to July according to needs and desired size. Autumn-winter varieties, intended for storage, will be pulled up from October and before the first frost. To harvest them, lift with a fork and gently pull on the base of the leaves.

Storage: Cut the foliage above the collar and let the turnips dry on the ground for a few hours. Turnips can be stored in a cool and dark place for several months in a cellar in dry sand.

Gardener's tip: Good to know! Planting fennel next to turnips helps repel flea beetles and turnip flies. For better protection, use a protective cover or insect netting. Regular weeding and hoeing should be done.

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