Turnip Help

[michiganmom]

Can i can turnips? Not the greens the actual turnip? If so how and if not what is the best way to keep them? Any help would be great. Thank You
michiganmom

[annabella1]

This is the way I can turnips:
Canning Turnips (Root).
Wash turnips, scrubbing well. Peel, slice or dice. Place turnips in a saucepan, cover with boiling water and boil 5 minutes. Drain. Pack hot into hot jars, leaving 1-inch head space. Add ½ teaspoon salt to pints; 1 teaspoon to quarts, if desired. Fill jar to 1 inch from top with boiling hot cooking liquid. Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rims. Adjust lids.

Process in a dial-gauge pressure canner at 11 pounds pressure, or, in a weighted-gauge pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure, pints for 30 minutes; quarts for 35 minutes. Adjust time according to your canner directions for altitudes over 1000'.

Don't can mashed turnips, they are too dense and will not can properly, you can freeze them.

[NCLee]

Agree - don't mash them. Safety issue.

Here's a link for canning/freezing both the roots and the greens, in case you'd like more info.

http://extension.missouri.edu/stcharles/qfk/sep00/turnip.html

Lee

[momma_to_seven_chi]

I am just curious why you are picking them so early? Is it just the greens? We pick several bushel in mid-late Oct. I just store them in the cellar.

[michiganmom]

Thanks every one for the help.
I am picking them now because they are over crowded so the others can grow. I also am having trouble with these skinny brown worms getting in them from under ground? This is my first time growing turnips my self.
Thanks
michiganmom

[annabella1]

The worms are root maggots, you can purchase beneficial nematodes at a lawn and garden store that will get rid of the root maggots next year. This year if you dust the ground with wood ashes it might help get rid of them.