Are you looking for a delicious and nutritious way to cook your turnip greens? If so, then why not try cooking them with bacon?
This simple recipe is easy to follow and will leave you with a tasty dish that you can enjoy any time.
So, what are you waiting for? Give it a try today!
Table of Contents
How to cook turnip greens with bacon?
Ingredients:
- Turnip greens
- Bacon
- Salt & pepper to taste.
Step 1: The first thing you’ll need to do is put a skillet on your stove and cook your bacon until it’s nice and crispy. You want the fat around the bacon to liquefy so that you can use it as cooking oil. Let the fatty pieces sit on paper towels while preparing your turnip greens.
TIP: If you don’t like using bacon or vegetarian, skip this step! You can still enjoy delicious turnip greens by following the rest of the recipe!
Step 2: Once your turnip greens have wilted after being washed thoroughly, drain them in a colander. Now, put them into a large pot and pour your bacon grease over them. You can also add some water, but you want to make sure that the turnip greens are submerged in liquid to cook thoroughly.
Step 3: After this, bring everything to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-high. Allow the mixture to cook for about an hour or two until it’s nice and soft!
Step 4: Finally, season your dish with salt and pepper before serving and enjoy! Today, learn how to prepare turnip greens with bacon with this quick and easy recipe!
How do you get the bitter taste out of turnip greens?
One way to get the bitter taste out of turnip greens is to blanch them in water with a little lemon juice, which will help mellow out the bitterness.
Another way is to cook them with bacon, which will add some salt and flavour and help to take away some of the bitterness.
Which is healthier, collard greens or turnip greens?
Collard greens are slightly healthier than turnip greens, but both are nutritional powerhouses. Collard greens have more calcium and vitamins A and C than turnip greens, and they also contain more antioxidants.
Turnip greens are a better source of vitamin K, magnesium, and potassium than collard greens. In short, both types of green leafy vegetables offer a wealth of essential nutrients for good health. So enjoy them both!
How do you clean and cook turnip greens?
To cook and clean turnip greens, chop off the ends of the leaves and slice them on a base. You want thin leaf slices not too thick because they’ll take longer to cook than thicker pieces. Remove any whole stalks or strings, then give the entire bowlful a rinsing in cold water to clean it up.
Next, place the chopped leaves into a pot filled with cold water to submerge everything, then bring it up to boil and let simmer for some 15-20 minutes, depending on how much you’ve prepared.
If you’re only cooking one handful of leaves, this would mean letting it go 20 minutes, but if you’re making enough for 4 people, multiply that by four and do 40 minutes total time per batch boiled gently until everything is nice and soft.
Once the leaves are cooked, drain them in a colander but make sure to keep the cooking liquid since you’ll need it later on to boil the bacon with – which brings us to that other ingredient required for this recipe: bacon!
What do you eat with turnip greens?
Turnip greens are often eaten with rice, cornbread, and fried bacon.
How do you tenderize turnip greens?
One way to tenderize turnip greens is to blanch them in boiling water for a minute or two, then shock them in ice water. You can also massage the leaves with your hands to break down some tissues or use a food processor to chop them into smaller pieces.
How do you cut bitterness in greens?
One way to cut bitterness in greens is to blanch them. This means immersing them in boiling water for a minute or two, then transferring them to ice water. You can also add a pinch of baking soda to the pot of boiling water.
Are turnip greens poisonous?
Turnips do not contain any toxic elements, and the plant is also commonly cultivated for its delicious greens. Remove the dirt and sand from the leaves, then drain and dry them. Serve them cooked or add raw greens to a salad.
Are turnip greens bitter?
Some people think turnip greens are bitter, but others find them pleasantly tangy. The truth is that the bitterness of a particular green can vary depending on its growing conditions, age, and variety. So if you’re not sure whether turnip greens are bitter or not, it’s best to taste a small amount before cooking them into a dish.
Are turnip greens gassy?
Yes, turnip greens are gassy, and they contain a good amount of dietary fibre, which can cause gas and bloat in some people. If you’re sensitive to high-fibre foods, you may want to avoid eating turnip greens.
How do you prepare turnip greens?
A common Southern way is to cook the bacon until crispy, then use warm bacon fat as a cooking medium for the turnip greens. The next step is to add salt and black pepper (to taste) and reduce heat.
Cover and simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat, stir in freshly squeezed lemon juice, cover again and let stand five minutes before serving hot cooked rice.
Can turnip greens be eaten raw?
Yes, turnip greens are often eaten raw in salads, especially when they are still young and small. Just wash the leaves well so that any dirt is removed, strip off the stems, tear the leaves into pieces and add other salad ingredients like tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers to create your combination.
What meat goes with turnip greens?
A few different types of meat can be paired with turnip greens, but the most popular option is bacon. Pork belly bacon is a good choice because it has a lot of flavour and a crispy texture that goes well with the tender greens. Ham or sausage can also be used, but they don’t have much flavour as bacon.
Do you cook turnip green stems?
Some people do, and some people don’t. I usually don’t cook them, but if you want to, you can slice the stem into thin pieces and boil them for 5-7 minutes before adding them to the pot of greens.
Do you put baking soda in greens?
Yes, The green from the vegetable is a bit pungent, and some people find it too flavory. Adding baking soda to greens reduces the flavour for those who find it very strong by breaking down the acid levels in the gardens, thus reducing its pungency.
It’s so easy!
- Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda to boiled water
- Blanch quickly if desired (I like my vegetable on the raw side)
- Drain off any excess liquid (I feel this makes them more crispy!)
- Roll up into meal or cracker strips, or eat with your favourite dip! YUMMY 🙂
How do you make tough greens tender?
Wash them well and remove the ribs. Cut or tear the greens into large pieces so they won’t have too long a cooking time. Add some water to cover the greens, cover with a lid and turn up the heat until there is a boil, then reduce to stir occasionally for about 10 minutes (or until the desired doneness).
Add salt to your recipe. If you use bacon drippings in your water, add salt otherwise.
Don’t cook longer than necessary – overcooking will make any tough foods like rice, pasta, and dark leafy greens mushy and unappetizing.
Are turnip greens the same as mustard greens?
The answer is no. Turnip greens are the leaves of a type of vegetable known as a root cabbage, while mustard greens are in the cabbage family and are not related to either turnips or radishes.
Conclusion:
The key to cooking turnip greens with bacon is getting the bacon nice and crispy before it’s mixed into a pot of cooked turnip greens, which is then boiled until soft enough for eating.
When you’re ready to cook this dish again, use these steps as your guide. You’ll be amazed at how easy it can be!
