First Ever Turnip Harvest [Gardening]

It's Turnip Season!

How d'ya like 'em?

Theses are the first turnips I ever grew. They are about the size of an orange.

When I pulled them out of the ground, they were sitting entirely on top of the soil with only the taproot buried.

Potentially Disturbing Image Warning!

Of all the lousy luck!

These turnips are full of holes. Who knows what kind of worms, bugs, and mud might be hidden beneath the surface.

Washing It Clean

On this side, they look much better after I clean them up.

They kind of look like Christmas ornaments.

The smaller turnip was completely inedible when I cut it up. The holes went all the way through. The larger one, the holes only went half way through when I sliced it open.

So I peeled off the skin and all the unedible brown holes, and I roasted it up in a pan with spices, and ate it up. Not woody at all, and turned out tender. The flavor was a bit off, but that might be because I went a bit overboard with the spices (ginger, pepper, salt, garlic, fennel seed).

For folks who have never eaten a turnip, you are missing out. A good turnip, to me, should taste a lot like a potato. It can have the texture of a cooked carrot or a roasted or fried potato. They are best in soups.

What is really interesting is cutting into a turnip. Peel off the beautiful purple and white skin, and underneath is exactly like the flesh of a juicy apple. It takes a bit of muscle to shove a large kitchen knife through a turnip. These suckers are slippery when peeled and tend to glue themselves onto the knife halfway through a deep cut, so be careful not to lose a finger.

Where I Grew Turnips

This is the little shade garden the turnips were growing in. The turnips seemed to like this area better than all my other garden spots. Must be because of the cooler temperatures, dappled sunlight, and heavy soil.

Nearby I'm also growing garlic, radish, corn, carrots, peas, beans, and lettuce.

The ground I mulched with fir branches. Not sure if it inhibits the growth of anything, but it is aiding by providing cooler shade to the roots and soil. It's also helping to keep moisture inside the soil longer on hot days.

Bonus

This daisy I grew from seed has surprisingly blossomed. I thought they were going to have to overwinter before they would bloom. As I recall these are the purple Swan River Assorted Daisy mix.

Should have more blooms appearing soon, as this is only the first one. They are really tiny. About the size of a shirt button.