Rutabaga
Rutabaga is a large yellow-fleshed root, sweet and peppery. The English call it swede, Scots neeps or turnip, and Swedes kålrot. Here is how to cook it.
Also called Swede, Neeps, Swedish turnip, Yellow turnip, Kålrot.
Rutabaga is a large, round root vegetable with purple-tinged skin and firm, pale yellow flesh. It is a cross between a cabbage and a turnip. Raw, it is crisp and peppery. Cooked, it turns sweet, earthy and buttery and goes orange. It is mashed, roasted, added to stews and soups, and grated raw into slaws.
How to do it
- Cut off the top and bottom so it sits flat.
- Peel it with a sharp knife, cutting down the sides. The skin is thick, and in shops it is often waxed. A peeler can struggle.
- Cube it into 2 to 3 cm (1 inch) pieces.
- To mash, boil the cubes in salted water for 20 to 30 minutes, until very soft. Drain well and mash with butter, black pepper and a pinch of nutmeg, or push through a ricer.
- To roast, toss the cubes in oil and salt and roast at 200°C (400°F) for 35 to 45 minutes, until golden at the edges.
How to tell it is done
A knife slides into a cube with no resistance. Undercooked rutabaga is still slightly crunchy and tastes sharp and cabbagey.
How to use it
It has many names, some of them confusing:
- Rutabaga in the US and most of Canada, from an old Swedish dialect word.
- Swede in England, Wales, Australia and New Zealand, short for Swedish turnip.
- Neeps in Scotland, served with haggis and "tatties" (potatoes) on Burns Night. In Scotland, Ireland and parts of northern England and Canada it is often just called turnip.
- Kålrot in Sweden, where it is mashed with potatoes into rotmos.
In the US, a turnip is a smaller root with white flesh and a purple top. If a British or Irish recipe says "turnip" in a dish with haggis or in a winter stew, it may mean rutabaga.
How to store it
Whole rutabaga keeps for 2 to 4 weeks in the fridge or a cool, dark place. Wrap cut pieces and use them within a few days.
Common mistakes
- Trying to cut it with a small knife. It is hard and can roll. Use a large, sharp knife and cut a flat base first.
- Mashing it watery. Drain well and let it steam dry in the pot for a minute.
In recipes
You will see "1 medium rutabaga, peeled and cubed", "½ swede, diced" and "neeps and tatties". A medium rutabaga weighs about 500 to 700 g.
Recipes that use it
1 recipe from the sites we collect.
Related terms
- PeelTo peel is to remove the skin or rind from fruit and vegetables with a peeler, a knife, your fingers or a quick blanch, keeping as much flesh as you can.
- CubeTo cube is to cut food into even blocks, usually 1.5 to 2.5 cm on each side, bigger than a dice. It is the usual cut for stew meat, kebabs and croutons.
- BoilBoiling cooks food in water heated to 100°C (212°F) at sea level, where big bubbles break the surface. It is used for pasta, potatoes, eggs and grains.
- RoastRoasting cooks meat or vegetables uncovered in a hot oven, so dry heat browns the outside and concentrates flavor while the inside cooks through.
- RicerA ricer is a press that pushes cooked potatoes through small holes for the smoothest mash and light gnocchi. Here is how to use one.