Turnip Seeds Kingston Ontario - Purple Top Summer Turnip
Purple Top turnips grow larger than many other varieties, making them an excellent choice for a home gardener with limited space. The tops develop their characteristic reddish-purple color as they mature and push out of the soil, while the bottoms remain a pure porcelain white. The young greens are tender and delicious, adding a pleasant mild mustard flavor to salads, sandwiches, and other dishes.
Bulbs can grow 4” to 6“ across but are sweetest and most tender when picked young. Peeled and sliced, their bright white color accents their crisp, pleasantly peppery flavors adding a crunchy and tasty addition to raw vegetable plates. Add them to hearty soups and stews in the fall to soak up the rich flavors while adding a unique, earthy essence of their own. Roasting them with olive oil and rosemary transforms the classic roasted root vegetable dish from ordinary to memorable.
Traditionally grown as a spring vegetable, it excels as a fall and winter crop in almost all areas, and especially where cool spring weather isn’t dependable or transitions into heat too soon.