TASTE TEST SURVEY

Join us in celebrating Rutabagas

Veggie of the Month for March 2013

TEACHER NAME:___________________ TOTAL # OF STUDENTS:_______

TEACHERS: Please share the info below with your class. Then, administer the taste test. Finally, ask for a show of hands and complete the survey below. Thank you!

Rutabagas:

Rutabagas are believed to have originated as an accidental cross between a turnip and a cabbage, probably in Europe in the 1600’s.

Rutabagas are often confused with turnips. They may look somewhat similar but they are not the same. For one thing rutabagas are bigger than turnips. They also have a rougher texture. Turnips have while flesh while most rutabagas have yellow flesh. Also rutabagas are sweeter than turnips and less bitter.

Because Rutabagas thrive best in colder climates, they became popular in Scandinavia, especially in Sweden. In Europe, rutabagas are still called Swedes.

Canada and the northern Plains states are produce most of our rutabagas today. The public has largely ignored this vegetable; our annual consumption in the U.S. is less than one

pound per person. Rutabagas can be steamed, boiled, baked, roasted, etc. They can be added to soups or chopped up

and served fresh in tossed salad. They can be served mashed with an equal amount of potatoes. One serving of rutabaga provides 30% of the adult daily requirement of Vitamin A, and 35% of

the recommended Vitamin C. It also has trace minerals like potassium and magnesium and it’s low in calories but high in fiber.

SHOW OF HANDS SURVEYRAISE YOUR HAND IF… # of students

I tried it.

I like it a lot.

I like it a little.

I don’t like it yet.

I’d eat it again at school.

Thank you for helping collect this data. It will aid us in determining the success of the project!Please return this form ASAP to (Insert Teacher Name Here)

Fun FactsPity the poor rutabaga, most people don’t know what it is, so it often gets lumped in with turnips. Close, but not quite. Rutabagas are believed to have originated as an accidental cross between a turnip and a cabbage, probably in Europe in the 1600’s. Both these crops belong to the mustard family, and grow best in cool weather. They look somewhat similar but are not the same. For one thing, turnips have been around since ancient times, while rutabagas have not. Another difference is that rutabagas are bigger than turnips, and they have a rougher texture. Their roots are tougher and starchier than turnips. Most turnips have white flesh and most rutabagas have yellow flesh. After cooking, turnips stay whitish in color, but rutabagas change to yellowish-orange. Finally, rutabagas are sweeter than turnips and less bitter.

Because Rutabagas thrive best in colder climates, they became popular in Scandinavia, especially in Sweden. In Europe, rutabagas are still called Swedes. In America, rutabagas were first cultivated in the northern parts of the country in the early 1800's by European immigrants. Canada and the northern Plains states are produce most of our rutabagas today. The public has largely ignored this vegetable; our annual consumption in the U.S. is less than one pound per person.

Rutabagas can be a nutritious food for both people and livestock, though different varieties are grown for the table than for the barn. Rutabagas can be steamed, boiled, baked, roasted, etc. They can be added to soups or chopped up and served fresh in tossed salad. They can be served mashed with an equal amount of potatoes.

One serving of rutabaga provides 30% of the adult daily requirement of Vitamin A, and 35% of the recommended Vitamin C. It also has trace minerals like potassium and magnesium and it’s low in calories but high in fiber.

Rutabagas are easy to grow if you have a well-drained soil with a neutral pH. They need 90 to 100 days to mature, so they should be sown in early spring. They need regular watering of one inch each week, or they will get tough. The mature roots can be left in the ground through light frosts, and that often makes them sweeter.

The most famous rutabaga was developed right here in Windham County Vermont but alas, it is known as a turnip. Yup, the Gilfeather Turnip was first propagated in Wardsboro in the early 1900’s by farmer John Gilfeather. It is renowned for its delicate flavor but it sure looks like a rutabaga than a turnip--at least to people that can tell the difference.

- Vern Grubinger, University of Vermont Extension