It is not surprising that the word “rutabaga” tells us little: after all, it is not on store shelves. Despite everything, people show interest in this vegetable (especially those who seek to diversify their diet). On culinary Internet resources there are many recipes for rutabaga dishes: soups, main courses, appetizers, side dishes, porridges - you name it! Residents of Northern Europe consume this vegetable along with beets, potatoes and carrots. Rutabagas are given tribute in Estonian, German, Irish, Finnish, French, and Canadian cuisine. It is especially appreciated in Germany: they prepare very tasty rutabaga delicacies. In this country there is even a popular fairy tale about rutabaga, similar to the Russian “Turnip”.

Maybe it’s time for us to “reanimate” an ancient vegetable from oblivion? First, let's take a sightseeing tour of the “rutabaga kingdom.”

Story

Rutabagas are a close relative of turnips and cabbage (their interspecific hybrid). It appeared in Europe and the Mediterranean at the very beginning of our era. Interestingly, rutabaga has not yet been found anywhere in the wild. The crop was widely cultivated first in European countries, and in the second half of the 19th century it came to Canada, the USA, Japan, New Zealand and Australia, where it immediately became popular. Rutabagas were brought to India and China from England in the 20th century.

The time when rutabaga acquired Russian “citizenship” has not been precisely established. There is information that it was brought to us from Greece in the 14th century. One way or another, by 1800, rutabaga took the place of the main vegetable crop in the Saratov, Simbirsk, Voronezh, Kursk, Little Russian, and Slobodo-Ukrainian provinces. Later, together with farmers from different regions, she developed Siberia. However, after the advent of potatoes, its cultivation decreased sharply. For what reason she “gave up without a fight” is difficult to say now.

What's good about it?

Carefully

Rutabaga has a mild laxative and diuretic effect.

In terms of ascorbic acid content, rutabaga ranks first among root vegetables. Moreover, in this indicator our heroine is significantly superior to tomatoes, onions and is closer to fresh cabbage, but is richer in minerals and sugar. At the same time, vitamin C in rutabaga is highly stable during cooking and storage. And this is not the only value - it contains vitamins B1, B2, P, carotene (in rutabaga with yellow pulp), mineral elements important for the body - potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, as well as pectin substances.

Rutabaga is a low-calorie product: it contains only 35 kcal per 100 g. Nutritionists advise everyone who watches their figure and follows a balanced diet to consume it.

The value of rutabaga is especially great for northern regions, where heat-demanding plants do not always produce crops and there are not so many vitamin-rich vegetables and fruits.

Ascorbic acid-rich rutabaga dishes are useful to eat during a cold. They dilute mucus, quickly relieving the sick person of a dry cough. The beneficial properties of this vegetable are used for acute and chronic respiratory diseases, including bronchial asthma.

Biology

In the first year of life, rutabaga forms a rosette of leaves and a root crop, in the second - stems, flowers and seeds. The leaves are covered with a waxy coating (hence their bluish color). Root crops are round in shape and covered with thick, smooth or slightly mesh bark. They are either white or yellow inside. The rutabaga pulp is dense, juicy, sweetish, with a specific rare taste. France is considered the homeland of varieties with white flesh, and Scandinavia with yellow flesh.

Varieties

The current seed market does not at all reflect the full diversity of rutabaga (the collection of the All-Russian Institute of Plant Growing named after N.I. Vavilov in St. Petersburg contains more than 250 varieties of this crop from around the world). You don’t have to choose much - seeds of old common varieties are sold. These are Krasnoselskaya, Swedish, Latvian variety Dzeltenie abolu, Pskovskaya local, Esko, Kohalik sinine. If you decide to try sowing rutabaga for the first time, take Krasnoselskaya.

Is it difficult to grow?

Rutabaga can be safely classified as an unpretentious crop. It is frost-resistant and can be grown in both northern and high mountain areas where heat is insufficient for many vegetable plants. Seeds begin to germinate at two to three degrees, and the best temperature for growth is 13-17 °C. Rutabaga seedlings tolerate frosts down to 4 degrees below zero, and the leaves of an adult plant can withstand temperatures of even minus 8 degrees.

Rutabaga can be grown in two ways: through seedlings and by sowing seeds directly into the ground. With the first method, the harvest is harvested in August, with the second - towards the end of September.

Storage

The optimal temperature for storing rutabaga is 0…-1 °C with an air humidity of 90-95%. The method of storing rutabaga in plastic bags has proven itself well. This creates conditions for increasing the concentration of carbon dioxide and relative air humidity, which contributes to better preservation of root crops. You can store it in a cool place in your apartment for a couple of months. In February - March, beautiful bright yellow leaves will begin to grow on the root crops in the cellar. It's okay, but it's worth going through the rutabaga and tearing off all the excess.

Conclusion

Why did we talk about the “rutabaga kingdom” at the beginning of the article? Try growing this crop in the garden, and you will see for yourself how the modest Cinderella will turn into a queen in the fall. Don’t be confused by its rough appearance, protruding roots and rough skin: after all, inside there is juicy and tasty pulp.

Rutabaga is a biennial plant of the Brassica family, producing high yields on fertile sandy and loamy soils with good moisture. The most common varieties are Krasnoselskaya and Swedish. The growing season is 110-120 days. In the regions of Russia it is sometimes called kalega, bukhva or Swedish turnip.

Rutabaga came from crossing turnips and white cabbage. There are different views regarding the origin of rutabaga. Some researchers believe that it was bred in the Mediterranean region, while others believe that its homeland is Sweden.

After planting the seeds, a rosette of leaves and roots grow in the first year, and flowers and fruits, which are multi-seeded pods, grow in the second year. In the second year, the root becomes round or oval, similar in appearance to a turnip, but somewhat larger, its flesh is yellow, orange or white, covered with a green-gray or red-violet peel.

Calorie content of rutabaga

Rutabaga contains only 34 kcal. Due to this and its mild laxative effect, it is widely used as a dietary food product.

Nutritional value per 100 grams:

Useful properties of rutabaga

Rutabaga contains sugars, proteins, fiber, starch, pectins, group vitamins, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), carotene (provitamin A), rutin, mineral salts (potassium, sulfur, phosphorus, sodium, iron, copper), essential oil. The ascorbic acid contained in rutabaga is highly resistant to heat treatment and long-term storage.

Rutabaga contains the highest percentage of calcium trace elements, making it a good remedy for treating patients suffering from softening of bone tissue. In the distant past, rutabaga seeds were used to treat measles in children and to rinse the mouth and throat during inflammatory processes. Rutabaga root vegetables were considered an excellent wound-healing, diuretic, anti-inflammatory and anti-burn agent. Rutabaga juice is an effective remedy for healing wounds. Rutabaga is a valuable food product, especially in winter and early spring, when there is a lack of vitamins. In medical nutrition it is recommended for constipation, and is included in the diet of patients with atherosclerosis. However, eating rutabaga dishes is contraindicated in case of acute diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

This composition helps to normalize the activity of the gastrointestinal tract (fiber cleanses the intestines), loosens stools, and reduces swelling (diuretic effect). Rutabaga also has a mucolytic effect - the ability to thin sputum.

In the Russian village several centuries ago, rutabaga was consumed in winter; it was believed that it was especially useful for older people, as it helped maintain vitality. Young people used it for colds - this contributed to rapid recovery, which is quite rational, since rutabaga contains a lot of ascorbic acid, which strengthens the immune system. With a dry cough, rutabaga helps transform it into a productive cough, with sputum (by diluting it in the bronchi), which leads to recovery. Rutabaga helps especially well with chronic inflammatory diseases of the bronchi and lungs.

Rutabaga has also been taken to relieve swelling in cardiovascular and kidney diseases, as it has diuretic properties and removes excess fluid from the body.

Rutabaga helps improve metabolic processes and remove “bad” cholesterol from the body, which is deposited in the form of plaques in the walls of blood vessels. Therefore, it is recommended to take it for atherosclerosis.

The large amount of fiber contained in rutabaga helps normalize stool - this property is used for chronic constipation. It enhances peristalsis, improves digestion and metabolism, which is very useful for obesity.

Rutabaga juice has antibacterial properties; it has long been used to treat purulent wounds and burns.

Rutabaga is a biennial plant belonging to the Brassica family. This is a relative of the turnip, similar to this vegetable in appearance and in basic properties. At the beginning of the 19th century, rutabaga was one of the most popular and widespread vegetable crops, but then interest in this plant, if not disappeared, then dropped significantly.

Story

The plant was developed by crossing white cabbage and turnip. Views on the origin of rutabaga are controversial. Some scientists are sure that Sweden was the birthplace of this plant, other researchers claim that the vegetable began to be grown in the Mediterranean regions.

This culture gained popularity during the Middle Ages, spreading widely throughout Europe. In Germany, this vegetable was especially loved. If the Russian people have a famous children's fairy tale about turnips, then the Germans have been familiar with the mountain spirit Rübetzal since childhood, who believed that rutabaga grew in his garden. In the 16th century, the culture was brought to England and became no less popular than in Germany. Now rutabaga with meat is one of the national English dishes.

Rutabaga was brought to Russia in the 18th century and became widespread due to its composition and taste. However, then the country began to actively grow potatoes, as a result of which the area allocated for rutabaga decreased noticeably.

What is another name for rutabaga?

In everyday life, rutabaga is often called fodder beet, but this name is erroneous. We are talking about a plant that is a type of root beet, while rutabaga belongs to a completely different family.

In remote cities and regions of Russia, the vegetable is known under other names. The plant is called earthenweed, Swedish turnip, bukhva, German or bruchka.

Useful properties and contraindications

Rutabaga is a low-calorie vegetable, 100 g of which contains only 34 kcal. It also contains proteins (1.2 g), fats (0.1 g) and carbohydrates (7.7 g). Rutabaga is rich in sugars, essential oils and minerals: copper, iron, sodium, sulfur, potassium, phosphorus and other trace elements. The product contains, which remains in the vegetable during long-term storage and is not afraid of heat treatment.

The vegetable has a lot of useful properties:

• contains a lot of calcium, which speeds up the recovery of patients suffering from bone tissue destruction;
• removes excess fluid from the body, alleviates pain from burns and eliminates inflammation;
• heals wounds and scratches, fights pathogenic bacteria in the area where the skin is damaged;
• saturates the body with missing microelements during the period of vitamin deficiency;
• cleanses the intestines and loosens stool, thereby combating constipation;
• thins mucus;
• strengthens the immune system and improves the body's condition during colds.

The vegetable is contraindicated in case of hypersensitivity to the components and a tendency to allergic reactions. It is also not recommended for use by people who suffer from gastrointestinal pathologies. The root vegetable contains coarse fibers that can damage the inflamed mucous membrane and aggravate the course of the disease.

What does rutabaga look like?

Rutabaga grows and matures within 2 years. The first year after sowing is spent on the formation of roots and leaves. In the second year, the plant blooms and produces seeds. Depending on the selected variety, the shape of the root crops can be round, flat-round, round or cylindrical.

The pulp of the vegetable is quite dense and has a white or yellowish color. Rutabaga roots are strong and rise above the soil surface when ripe. The lower half of the plant always has a yellowish tint, while the upper half can be dark green or purple.

Anyone who doesn’t know what exactly this vegetable looks like has a question about the similarity between rutabaga and turnip. What is the difference between them and how not to confuse similar cultures?

The difference is even evident in appearance: rutabaga roots are slightly larger, the flesh is soft orange and firm. Another difference is in the composition: rutabaga contains more minerals and vitamin C. Despite its usefulness, rutabaga is not suitable for consumption raw: unlike turnips, this vegetable does not have a pleasant bitterness.

Planting rutabaga

The advantage of the vegetable is its cold resistance: rutabaga seeds germinate at temperatures from 1°C, and the fruits can withstand frost. Young plants are stored at -3°C, and adults at -5°C. The most cold-resistant vegetables are two-year-old vegetables that have produced seeds. They can withstand temperatures down to -8°C. When the thermometer rises to +16°C, rutabaga begins to actively germinate, form and produce seeds.

Before planting this vegetable crop in the ground, consider the following points:

1. Soil preparation. Neutral or acidic soil is equally suitable for rutabaga. Preference should be given to cultivated peat bogs, sandy loam or loamy soils. Pay attention to the soil moisture: it should retain moisture, but not allow water to stagnate. For this reason, it is not recommended to choose sand or clay soil for growing rutabaga.
2. Fertilizer. As additional nutrition, you can use compounds based on phosphorus and potassium, wood ash, lime, dolomite flour or manure. It is recommended to add fertilizer to the soil during autumn digging. If you give the vegetable additional nutrition during growth and formation, it may turn out dry and crumbly.
3. It is not recommended to plant rutabaga next to closely related crops.

The distance between the rows on which the plant is planted must be at least 45 cm. The optimal distance between the seeds is from 3 cm; upon germination, the plants must be thinned out so that the final distance between them is 15 cm. At the same time, it is recommended to pour several seeds into the prepared hole, because that some of them may not rise.

Rutabaga care

The vegetable can be purchased at the market or in the store, however, due to the low prevalence of rutabaga, growing this product is an issue that is equally relevant for beginners and experienced gardeners. Cultivation of this vegetable crop is a simple process that includes watering, feeding, weeding and loosening the soil. In order for the plant to grow and bear fruit, it is important to follow the basic rules:

1. The beds where rutabaga grows need to be loosened regularly. This will provide the plants with free access to air and facilitate the absorption of essential substances from the soil. Loosen the soil after each watering or rain. Carry out the first loosening immediately after germination, but do not plunge the tool into the ground too deeply. As vegetables grow, the depth of tillage should be about 8 cm.
2. To maintain proper nutrition for the vegetable, weed the beds regularly. Weeds growing in close proximity to a vegetable crop take away part of its nutrition. Because of this, the quality of root crops decreases, and young plants may die.
3. To create comfortable conditions for growth, the vegetable must be regularly watered with warm water. For 1 square meter of soil, use 10 liters of water. The frequency of watering depends on weather conditions and average temperature. Excessively moist or excessively dry soil is equally unfavorable for rutabaga growth.
4. Insect pests are neutralized using insecticides - products designed specifically for their destruction. Effective biological products include Lipidocid, Bitoxibacillin and Fitotherm. Gardeners use ash, tobacco dust and pepper as alternative means.
5. Don’t forget about fertilizing - fertilize the soil up to 3-4 times per season. Feed the plant for the first time when it has formed 2-3 leaves. Apply the second fertilizing at the moment when the vegetable begins to form a root crop. Fertilize rutabaga for the third time a month before harvesting from the site. Use mullein solution, water-soluble preparations, and ash as fertilizer.

The main rule of caring for the future harvest is regularity. Otherwise, the fruits will dry out and will not receive the necessary nutrition.

Delicious rutabaga: recipes

Rutabaga has a laxative, anti-inflammatory and choleretic effect. The vegetable normalizes the activity of the gastrointestinal tract, therefore it is useful for those who experience problems with stool. You can prepare salads, stews and other dishes based on this vegetable crop.

Salad with nuts and eggs

Ingredients: 1 root vegetable, 2 chicken eggs, 2 tbsp. peeled or, 2 tbsp. mayonnaise.

Preparation:

1. Peel the vegetable and grate on a coarse grater.
2. Boil the eggs, peel and cut into small pieces.
3. Crush the nuts and mix with the rest of the ingredients.

Season the salad with mayonnaise and serve.

Mushroom stew

Ingredients: 1 root vegetable, 1 onion, 100 g champignons, 200 ml. sour cream, salt to taste.

Preparation:

1. Peel the vegetable and then cut into cubes.
2. Chop the pre-peeled onion.
3. Wash the champignons and cut into small slices.

Mix all the ingredients, then pour sour cream over them, put on low heat and simmer for half an hour.

Carrot puree

Ingredients: 1 root vegetable, 2 carrots, 1 onion, 1 tbsp. vegetable oil, 3 sprigs of dill, salt.

Preparation:

1. Place pre-peeled root vegetables in hot water, add salt and cook until softened.
2. Mash the vegetables with a masher - you should get a puree.
3. Peel and chop the onions and carrots. Fry the food until golden.
4. Add onions and carrots to the main mixture. Mix the ingredients using a blender.

Garnish the finished dish with dill.

What do we know about rutabaga today? Perhaps the only thing is that it grows in the garden. The rest has been successfully forgotten. And this is despite the fact that this root vegetable is incredibly useful and brings truly decent yields if you take care of its cultivation. Moreover, rutabaga grows best in cold places. So we simply must grow this magnificent root vegetable everywhere. But for some reason we don’t grow...

Although the same Germans, Finns and Swedes are happy to grow and eat rutabaga. In some places there is even a special “rutabaga” holiday - Raben Childi (in Switzerland).

We hope that you will see something in this article that will encourage you to include rutabaga in your family’s diet on an ongoing basis. And then together we will “promote this wonderful product to the masses.”

Composition of rutabaga

Useful properties of rutabaga

There is an opinion that the healthiest products are those that grew in their native region of residence. This means that for residents of central Russia, as well as for residents of the northern regions, rutabaga is an ideal food that is in no way inferior to potatoes, cabbage, turnips, winter garlic and even apples.

Rutabaga contains a lot of dietary fiber, which improves intestinal function and promotes the growth of normal microflora. In addition, people who regularly consume rutabaga do not know what constipation is, because their peristalsis works like a Swiss watch, made by the best Swiss craftsmen!

It cleanses rutabaga and blood, or rather blood vessels, from cholesterol plaques and other debris. On top of that, rutabaga lovers, even with chronic heart and kidney diseases, rarely experience edema. Because this root vegetable has a pronounced diuretic effect.

Many microbes cannot resist rutabaga, so for all kinds of colds, burns and open wounds, rutabaga juice is taken orally and applied to damaged areas. This allows you to avoid complications and unnecessary inflammatory processes.

It should be noted that rutabaga is useful not only for those with colds and injuries; its juice and crushed pulp can turn a dry, debilitating cough into a productive procedure for getting rid of phlegm. True, to enhance the effect, it is better to mix rutabaga with honey.

Well, finally, we would like to recall two particularly important elements from the composition of rutabaga: calcium and vitamin C. Vitamin C in one serving of rutabaga (300 grams) is enough to fully satisfy the body’s daily needs. Moreover, it is important to know that in this root vegetable vitamin C is almost completely preserved even after heat treatment. Do you want your immunity to work without failures? Eat rutabaga!

As for calcium, its amount may seem insufficient, but this is a misleading impression. For a plant product, this calcium content is a very good indicator. So lean in!

The only case when it is not recommended to eat rutabaga is an exacerbation of gastrointestinal diseases (fiber will irritate the mucous membrane). Otherwise there are no restrictions.

Rutabaga in cooking

Rutabaga tastes like a cross between cabbage and turnip. We understand that not everyone has tried turnips, but believe me, this root vegetable will really suit your taste buds.

Usually rutabaga is boiled or steamed. It is eaten raw only by exceptional gourmets and people trying to “squeeze” the maximum benefit out of this product.

Boiled rutabaga resembles potatoes, so it can be safely used as a side dish for anything. In addition, rutabaga goes well on its own – in the form of a puree.

In general, rutabaga is useful in any form. The main thing is to find it in our modern world and bring it into the house. And making something delicious out of it is not such a difficult task...