The first trick to cooking with neeps is figuring out what they are!
“Neep” is a generic Scottish term for a variety of different root vegetables, including rutabagas, turnips, and parsnips. Now, when it comes to root vegetables, most people don’t get much farther than regular, old potatoes and onions. You’re missing out if you don’t try out some of these beauties!
Basics of Cooking with Neeps. Cooking with neeps is fairly straightforward. Pretty much anything you can do with a potato – frying, roasting, mashing – you can do with a neep. The hardest part is preparing these root vegetables, because they tend to be very hard. When cutting them, make sure to be extra careful. You don’t want the knife to slip and potentially cause injuries!
The hardness of the vegetables is good for keeping them around for a while before using them, but it does also affect cooking times. Expect neeps to take a little longer in the oven or boiling on the stove than potatoes.
Neeps are pretty much always peeled before cooking.
Neeps Flavors and Textures. Another great thing about neeps is the variety of flavor options they provide. Turnips and rutabagas are fairly similar, except rutabagas tend to have a more yellowish flesh, are larger, and slightly sweeter. Parsnips look somewhat like whitish carrots, and have a fairly sweet flavor, especially after being roasted. Note that they may be a little more fibrous than the other two types of neeps. Try out each one individually to see which taste you prefer.
Storing Neeps. Ideally, you’d have a root cellar to store neeps almost indefinitely at the perfect temperature. Neeps can be kept at a cooler temperature than potatoes, so the second best option is to keep them in the refrigerator.
For recipes, check out Neeps Recipes: Parsnips, Rutabagas, and Turnips.
Emma Squidoos 