Calories in Turnips

What makes turnips so powerful?

Before the potato crossed the Atlantic in the 16th century, the turnip was the undisputed caloric workhorse of European peasant diets. A member of the Brassica rapa species, turnips store exceptionally well in cool, dark root cellars, which made them a critical winter food source. What many people don't realize is that the turnip's chemistry changes significantly depending on how it is grown and stored. When exposed to cold temperatures, the root converts its starches into sugars to prevent freezing, acting as a natural antifreeze. This is why fall-harvested turnips left in the ground through a light frost taste noticeably sweeter than those pulled in summer. Additionally, the purple ring near the top of the root isn't just pigmentation; it is a concentration of anthocyanins that develop when the top of the root protrudes above the soil surface and is exposed to sunlight. The turnip's slightly bitter, mustard-like undertones come from glucosinolates, sulfur-containing compounds also found in horseradish and cabbage, which break down into volatile isothiocyanates when the cells are crushed during chewing.