What a funny name, rutabaga. It makes you want to cook with it just so you can say it. A sweet root brassica that is hardy in the north and hearty on the plate. They are also really good for your heart as well, so it is win all the way with these, even though they are often passed by for their more glamorous cousins in the family.
If they get really big, peeling them is a job!
We grew these when I was growing up and while I didn’t care for turnips when I was little, I did like rutabagas because they had a nicer flavor. As I got older, I liked them less because dad would grow them really, really large and they were terrible to peel, one of my jobs. You really do have to peel them unless you get a really clean one because they get rather gnarly from their long stay underground.
The Gilfeather Turnip
The most famous rutabaga in Vermont is the Gilfeather Turnip, improperly named since it really is a rutabaga. It’s the state vegetable, and there’s even a festival to celebrate its season. If you can find those late in the fall in the northeast, they are sometimes even uglier than the standard, but mild and sweet.
Local is best
If you don’t have room in your garden, try to buy these locally. The rutabagas you get in the supermarkets are usually grown conventionally and then coated with wax to preserve them, and make them even tougher. Unfortunately, that means they are just kept around way too long, and the nutrients suffer. The difference in flavor between a local rutabaga and one that has been shipped across the country a month ago are like day and night.
The nutrition facts
According to Healthline, these golden fleshed delights are packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, and can help in controlling weight, reducing inflammation, and reducing the risk of cancers. Also known as swede or Swedish turnip, these vegetables are thought to help reduce the effects of premature aging helping to protect the skin from UV rays. Sound good? A full cup is only 52 calories, no fat, 12 g. of carbs, 3 of fiber, and a whopping 427 mg. of potassium, along with substantial amounts of Vitamin C, calcium, and iron.
Let’s give them a little more interest
When cooking roots for a mash, or even cauliflower, infuse them with a few herbs and simmer them in milk. This simple addition coaxes such nice flavor, and elevates that little corner of the plate to something more memorable. The end result does not scream the spices, but just rounds things out nicely.
Spiced Rutabaga Mash
- 1 quart chopped rutabaga
- Milk or plant milk to cover
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- 2 stars anise
- ½ cinnamon stick
- Butter or plant butter
Place the rutabaga in a saucepan and just cover with milk of choice. I used oat milk, but use what you like and have on hand. Season with salt and pepper and tuck in the bay, anise, and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook for about 25 minutes, or until tender.
Remove the bay, anise, and cinnamon, and use a slotted spoon to place in a food processor or food mill (yes, you can also just use a potato masher, but the texture will not be as fine). Add a bit of the cooking milk, and a good knob of butter, salt, and pepper, and process, adding more cooking liquid until you get the texture you desire. Serve up with a bit more freshly ground black pepper and butter melted on top.
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I call them swede, and think they are wonderful!
Thank you, Dorothy, for writing about so eloquently!
Joanna
Thanks for stopping by Joanna! I really love these too!
Can’t say I am a fan of rutabaga, but your recipe sounds really good.
Thanks Laurie! The fresher the rutabaga, of course, the more flavor.
You are welcome, Dorothy!
Joanna
One of my winter favourites (I know them as swedes, not half as linguistically exciting) but sadly, they just will not grow here. You’ll have to enjoy them on my behalf, Dorothy! 😉
I will Lis! They are a pretty wonderful yet humble vegetable.
It’s been awhile since I cooked rutabagas. Your delicious recipe is a delicious one to made.
Thank you Jovina! Always good to go back to the old garden standards!
Looks delicious!
Thank you! We have plenty from our CSA right now.
Hi, Dorothy – i don’t think that I have ever eaten a rutabaga…at least not knowingly. I have now idea why not. I will seek them out in our local farmer’s market.
You will find them in late fall and they are stored and usually available all winter long where they are grown.
This looks delightful! I made rutabagas once, in a dish with roasted sweet potatoes and rutabagas. It was wonderful! Mom used to serve rutabagas occasionally, but that is about all I remember of them. I was just thinking in your final photo that they were certainly not a pretty veggie, and then laughed at your comment! But, that mash in the green beans is worth it.
Thanks Suz! I really look forward to the rutabagas at this time of year, a nice change from the other root vegetables. I think I’ve had enough carrots and cabbage for a while…
I have only roasted rutabagas, so I must give this recipe a try. And lately I have done some research on the humble rutabaga and learned they are packed with health benefits! Thanks for sharing this recipe with me! 💖
I would call them turnips or swedes. The Scottish classic is haggis, neeps (swedes) and tatties (potatoes). Mashed swede is very good.
It is really an often overlooked vegetable! But it is quite tasty and good for us.
I don’t think I’ve seen a rutabaga in Oklahoma! I need to search them out.
Time to round up a search party!
Rutabagas — my mother’s old favorite!
Mine too! Very New England, comfort food.
What a great name for them you have! I believe these are what we know as swedes in the UK. I agree they are great to make a buttery mash to accompany a variety of mains. The herbs and spices you’ve included sound a good enhancement.
Thanks Kevin! They really are one of the winter vegetables I look forward to, and it’s fun to experiment with different flavors.
Having been born in northern Europe I grew up eating and loving swedw dishes as I know them – boiled, steamed, baked and in delicious soups. I very much like your recipe with anise and cinnamon and the recipe has already flown into the kitchen for the first cooler day! No trouble buying them at the supermarket even now!
So glad to know there are other lovers of this beautiful vegetable!
One of my favourite vegetables and the only ones I can get here are imported, the size of a tennis ball and with a price tag that would make your eyes water..I am so jealous…
Oh, so sorry Carol! I’m sure you miss them!
I do so you can guess that when anyone visits their case contains veggies I can’t get here 🙂
I can see the bulging suitcases!!!
😂😂😂
It’s such a tasty vegetable. Love the idea of combining the rutabaga with star anise and cinnamon. Thanks.
Thank you! The spices are subtle, but definitely there as great supporting actors.
Delicious, and I love those green beans too!
Thanks! Green beans are one of the veggies I don’t get tired of!
If I were to try them, Dorothy, I would want my first taste to come from your kitchen. 🧡🍃
Well, you are invited the next time they are on the menu!
You’re sweet! 🌷🍃
💕
Haha… Yes, Dorothy, they are not the prettiest of veggies. Can’t say I’ve eaten them mashed, though I am up for it!
Give them a try! A nice change on the starch side of the plate!
I never really connected with rutabaga, but I also never cooked it with star anise and cinnamon, so maybe it’s time to give it another try! 🙂
It’s always worth a try, isn’t it? You never know…
I remember my Mom making mashed turnips. I’m guessing that both would be acceptable using your spices?
I have never tried those. Sounds interesting, and healthy!
Thank you! They are quite tasty and you are right, so good for you!
Looks delicious! My Mom always made rutabaga slices and ate it cold. She also added it to soup.
Thanks for the reminder to find some and make this.
Thanks Nancy! I like it on a crudite platter with a lovely dip. Unexpected!
Rutabagas are new to me. I will explore. Thanks for the yummy inspire.
Always good to explore new foods.
Or coffee!
I have never heard of them but that mash looks absolutely delicious 😋
Thanks! Lots of places call them Swedes, you may be familiar by that name?
Nope…turnip yes but others no…
I didn’t realize rutabagas were so good for you! I don’t think I’ve ever eaten one! I love this idea of serving them mashed!
If you happen upon them, give them a try! One of my favorite winter roots.
My goodness, this sounds good! When I visited last summer, didn’t we have slices of raw rutabaga with hummus for a post-shopping snack? I never knew that this vegetable was so versatile!
We did indeed! Raw, roasted, boiled, mashed, in soups and stews, it’s everywhere!
My son became a fan of rutabaga when he lived in Norway. His host Mum was from the border with Sweden and made a dish called ‘Rutas’ – I am unsure of the exact spelling. I have always added these to casserole dishes so I was surprised to read of some sweeter styled spice like cinnamon being added to it. Although perhaps I shouldn’t be that surprised as the Scandinavians do love to use cinnamon.
I love infusing different spices in any vegetable I use in a mash, so this was an experiment, one that I intend to keep!
One of my favorites! A big yum!!! 🙂
Thanks! I love rutabagas, and I don’t get tired of them.