Questions & Answers - Peeling Turnips

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turnipsQuestion:

What is the easiest way to peel a turnip. Particulary the ones with a wax coating. I would love to hear your answer. - Leah Colern (3/15/99)

Answer:

The only way that I know to peel a turnip is to use a vegetable peeler (a paring knife can cut too deeply into the nutritious flesh near the surface). I have never heard of any other way to do this process.

Baby turnips (those less than 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter) can simply be scrubbed and cooked whole. There are two school's of thought on cooking larger turnips - they can either be peeled and quartered or chopped before cooking - or they can be cooked in their skin and then peeled (they are said to be sweeter this way). If you are baking turnips in the oven, do not peel before baking.