How and how much to cook turnips?
Before cooking turnips, root vegetables must be rinsed as thoroughly as possible, tails and skin must be removed. Turnips are peeled in the same way as potatoes. If the skin is not removed, then the cooking time of the root vegetable will increase.
Nuances of cooking turnips:
- turnips are placed in pre-boiled water (you can immediately add the required amount of salt at this stage);
- the readiness of the turnip is checked by the traditional method using a fork or a sharp knife;
- when laying turnips in a saucepan, the water should completely cover the roots;
- it is necessary to cook turnips on low heat (with high heat, the cooking time will not be reduced, and the water will boil away, but it is not recommended to add liquid during the cooking process);
- it is recommended to cook turnips with the pan lid open;
- if you plan to make turnips an ingredient for a vegetable dish (for example, a stew), then it is better to cook it separately and add it to the main mixture of vegetables a few minutes before they are ready;
- it is recommended to cook young turnips (light in color with a thin skin), otherwise the root vegetable can spoil the taste of the dish with the bitterness that appears after heat treatment;
- during the cooking process, a small amount of vegetable oil can be added to the water (the turnip will be softer and boil better).
If, after boiling, the turnips are planned to be re-cooked (for example, stewed or baked in a stuffed form), then you can not cook it a little. The cooking time in this case should be reduced by 5 minutes from the recommended rules.
You can cook turnips in different forms:
- “In uniform” (with skin);
- kiss, but cleansed;
- cut into cubes or circles.
For cooking turnips, you can use not only an ordinary pan, but also all known kitchen appliances – a pressure cooker, a double boiler, a multicooker and even a microwave. The root vegetable is prepared in different techniques in accordance with the instructions. In a multicooker, turnips are placed in a special bowl, filled with water, and then cooked for a certain time. In a double boiler, root vegetables are steamed, so the turnips are placed on a special grid, and the liquid is poured into a special container. In the microwave, turnips are cooked using the traditional method of pouring water into a special container for this category of equipment.
How much to cook turnips
The cooking time for turnips depends on their size. Large root vegetables reach readiness within 20-25 minutes, medium – in 20 minutes, small – in a maximum of 20 minutes. In order for the turnip to boil better and faster, it can be cut into small cubes or circles (this method is used if root vegetables are cooked for soups or mashed potatoes).
In a slow cooker, turnips are boiled in the “Cooking” mode with a timer of 20 minutes. Using this type of kitchen technique, the root crop can be cooked in two ways – the traditional method with the addition of water, or select the “Steam cooking” mode. The cooking time will not differ from changing the mode.
In a double boiler, turnips are cooked for 20 minutes. Before starting cooking, root vegetables must be poured with water in the same way as using a regular saucepan. If necessary (if the turnip is not cooked), the cooking time is increased by 5 minutes.
If turnips are cooked for a children’s diet, then it is better to increase the cooking time to 25-30 minutes. Often, the root crop becomes an ingredient for the first feeding, so the likelihood of the formation of uncooked lumps must be excluded. If a turnip puree soup is being cooked, then the root crop must first be cut into small cubes, and then boiled for 30 minutes in any way (pressure cooker, double boiler, slow cooker or ordinary saucepan).