Slow Cooker Turnip Greens Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you cook turnip greens so they are not bitter? ›

Braise them. For sturdy greens with a bite, like rapini, collards, kale, and turnip greens, consider braising. Not only will this slow-cooking cut the bitterness, but it will also soften the otherwise tough leaves.

No, you don't need to soak turnip greens before cooking, but if your greens have a lot of dirt or grit on them, it's a good idea. Place them in a large bowl or pot of very cold water, swish them around, let the grit sink to the bottom for about 15 minutes. Remove the greens, rinse them, and proceed with the recipe.

Wash greens and roots well. Some suggest soaking the greens in a little salty water. One turnip website from the United Kingdom notes that if you boil them, add a little sugar to tame the scent and add baking soda to reduce bitterness.

Blanch Them

Blanching your greens is key to getting that bitterness level down. Because glucosinolates are water-soluble compounds, a lot of them are leached out into the water, allowing for a less bitter green.

How do you get the bitterness out of turnips? Smaller turnips tend to be sweeter and less bitter, so start by selecting fresh, small, tender turnips and peeling them. Adding a little sugar to your turnips after cooking can also help to counteract any bitterness.

Place the turnips in a pot and cover with about 2 inches of salted water. Bring to a boil, adjust the heat and simmer until the turnips are tender when pierced with a toothpick or the tip of a paring knife, 20 to 30 minutes. Step three: Season and serve. Drain the turnips and season with salt and pepper.

This version contains salt pork, but you can use another kind of pork cut—bacon, streaky bacon (pork belly), ham hocks, hog jowl, smoked pork chops, or similar meat.

This might seem like an unusual addition if you're new to making collard greens, but the vinegar adds a welcome tangy note that brightens the dish and balances out the salty, savory flavors. A tablespoon of sugar also helps balance out the greens' potential bitterness.

Many recipes just have you chopping the greens and adding them to the frying pan with a little bacon and fat. If those greens are REALLY bitter and tough, that is not enough to help make those greens taste good. So, blanching in a little hot water for 30 seconds to 1 minute can really help.

Some people (especially food service establishments relying upon your satisfaction) add an alkaline ingredient, such as baking soda, to the cooking water to help retain the color of green vegetables. This is a bad practice, however, and you should avoid adding baking soda when boiling any type of vegetable.

How to tell if turnip greens are bad? ›

If you're using both the greens and the root, make sure to get turnips with healthy greens. Try to avoid mushy or yellowed greens when you can. Also, check for major soft spots on the root and if there are any, cut those out before storing at home.

If you want to try a different cooking method, I tend to like turnip boiled and mashed. If the turnip is old (and likely bitter) you can add an apple. I've also read that you can stir in baking soda after the turnips have boiled to remove the bitterness. You would then need to rinse thoroughly.

Sweetness: From sugar, honey, fruits or otherwise, sweetness will counteract bitter and sour flavours. It can also be used to cut down the heat of a particularly spicy meal. Saltiness: Salt plays two very important roles in flavouring a dish.

Your secret weapon: salt. Although sugar may seem like a natural antidote, your taste buds won't think so. Try this: Sprinkle a bitter green like radicchio or endive with sugar and eat it. Most likely, you'll get a punch of sweetness followed by a disturbing bitterness.