Maple Glazed Turnips

Ah, the lowly turnip. No one loves turnips anymore! And their reputation is wholly undeserved. They happen to be one of the most kid-friendly veggies out there, as long as you don’t use the dreaded T-word. We call them “white carrots,” around here, because that’s what they taste like. Don’t you just love that funny purple skin? But it’s not so great to eat, so it’s destined for the trash, unfortunately.

Peel one pound of turnips with a vegetable peeler. The good news is they’re soft, so they peel very easily. Easier than a potato, or even an apple. You’ll be done before you know it.

Then chop them into bite-sized pieces.

In a large pot with a lid, add 1/4 cup water…

And 3 Tablespoons of 100% real maple syrup. If you absolutely must use one of those “high fructose corn syrup with a drop of maple flavoring” concoctions, make sure you check your brands for gluten. But seriously, the real thing is healthier and has no chance of poisoning your kid. It’s a no-brainer.

For some reason I decided to experiment with adding a little pepper this time. It didn’t work out. Don’t do it.

But these other seasonings are tried-and-true: 1/4 teaspoon of salt…

And 1/4 teaspoon dried sage.

Dump in your turnip pieces, and stir to coat.

Bring the liquid to a boil, then cover with the lid and simmer for about 15 minutes.

See how some parts are looking darker, but some are still white? These aren’t done yet. Give them a stir and put the lid back on for a few more minutes.

There we go, that’s better. Now let it simmer for just another minute or two with the lid off, until the remaining liquid is reduced to a glaze.

Like I said, the final product tastes very much like steamed carrots, which is why the maple glaze goes so well with both vegetables. As you can see, we were having ham that night, which also has a very complimentary flavor to this dish. A subtlety that the pepper totally overwhelmed and ruined, I might add. Just pretend those ugly little black flecks aren’t even there.

Happy Eating!

Maple-Glazed Turnips

1 lb small turnips, trimmed and peeled
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons 100% maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried sage