Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi is a European member of the broccoli family and is a new vegetable for most people.  Its name is derived directly from German dialect, kohl meaning cabbage, and rabi meaning turnip.  Kohlrabi has a nice sweet taste like sweet broccoli stem.

Kohlrabi offers a balanced array of your essential minerals including calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, and is particularly high is potassium.  It is also quite high in Vitamin C.

Storage and Handling:

If you plan to use the kohlrabi soon you can store the whole thing in your refrigerator crisper drawer in a loosely closed plastic bag for up to 3 days.  Otherwise, remove the leaves and store them in a loosely closed plastic bag in your refrigerator crisper drawer and use within a week.  Store the bulb in a loosely closed plastic bag in the crisper drawer for up to 2 – 3 weeks.

Before using the bulb, rinse in cold water and peel the tough outer layer of skin.

Culinary Uses:

There are many ways to enjoy Kohlrabi.  It’s delicious eaten raw (shaved, shredded, sliced thin, or chopped into chunks) in a salad or with dip, it can be boiled, steamed, baked, sautéed and mashed in with your potatoes. 

The leaves are also edible and can be cooked the same way you would kale or collard greens although kohlrabi greens are not at all bitter.