Turnip and radish are very useful vegetables, with a high content of vitamins, minerals. Humanity has cultivated these vegetables several millennia ago. Root crops could be easily grown, a variety of culinary dishes were prepared from them, and they were treated. Today, not everyone can distinguish vegetables from each other, because they can have a similar shape and color.

Is radish and turnip the same thing or not?

Radish and turnip belong to the same family - Cabbage, are a one- or two-year-old herbaceous plant, have an edible dense root, but at the same time they are two completely different cultures.

Did you know? In ancient Russia, only women could sow turnip fields. It was believed that a woman shares her fertile power with the land, and in return she gives high yields.

Description and features of vegetables

Since ancient times, Slavic peoples are familiar with these root crops. They are so similar to each other, but completely different.

Turnip

An annual or biennial plant, the leaf rosette can grow up to 60 cm in height. This is a ripening plant, the root crop forms in 40–45 days, winter varieties up to 60 days. In principle, everyone who is familiar with Russian fairy tales can tell what this vegetable looks like. Smooth root, round, flat, yellow. The diameter of the fetus ranges from 8 to 20 cm, and the weight can reach 10 kg.

Nutritional value per 100 g:

• 28 kcal;
• 0.9 g of protein;
• 0.1 g of fat;
• 6.43 g of carbohydrates.

Important! Glucoraphanin (a plant analogue of sulforofan) has unique properties against cancer . This element can be found only in turnips and in some varieties of cabbage (cauliflower, kohlrabi, broccoli). Many centuries ago, people appreciated turnips both as a food product and as a medicine. This vegetable is able to maintain its beneficial qualities for a long period of time, the human body assimilates it very easily. The root crop has a high content of vitamin C, B vitamins (B1, B2, B5), in addition, it contains potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, iron, sulfur, carotene, magnesium and iodine.

• This culture is very useful, and its medicinal properties are widely used in traditional medicine to prevent and treat a number of diseases:
• antiseptic and diuretic turnips - cleanse and make the stomach and intestines work;
• regular consumption of vegetables helps to normalize metabolism;
• remove toxins from the liver, slow down the development of cancer;
• supports healthy bones, connective tissue, reduces the risk of osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis;
• protects the walls of blood vessels, prevents the formation of cholesterol plaques;
• slows down skin aging, reduces the appearance of pigmentation;
• prophylactic for colds;
• promotes healing of wounds, cracks, ulcers;
• improves and strengthens hair and nails;
• improves sleep quality, assistant for insomnia.

Important! People suffering from gastrointestinal diseases should refrain from eating raw turnips and radishes. The oils contained in vegetables irritate the mucous membrane and worsen its condition.

Radish

An annual or biennial plant with a thickened, edible root. In the first year, the plant consists of basal cirrus-cut leaves, in the second year of life forms a flower-bearing stalk. The color of the root crop can be different: white, red, purple, black, green, pink.

The root crop is classified as low-calorie food.

Nutritional value per 100 g:

• no more than 36 kcal;
• 2 g of protein;
• 0.2 g of fat;
• 6.7 g of carbohydrates.

Radish is rich in minerals, organic acids, vitamins (A, C, E, B1, B2, B5, B6, PP), essential oils.

• The constant use of vegetables leads to the following results:
• removes toxins and toxins;
• helps reduce blood sugar;
• has antimicrobial properties;
• when included in the diet in winter and spring, it will quickly replenish the content of vitamins and mineral salts in the body;
• relieves colds;
• boosts immunity;
• has a choleretic effect, indispensable in the treatment of the gall bladder, kidneys and liver;
• improves the gastrointestinal tract;
• strengthens hair;
• skin color and condition improves.

Did you know? In ancient Greece, glorifying the god Apollo, the Greeks prepared gifts: carrots from tin, beets from silver and radishes from gold.

What is the difference between radish and turnip?

Despite the fact that vegetables belong to the same genus - there is a difference between them.

You can distinguish the main signs by which root crops are distinguished:

1. The color of the root. The turnip peel has a white, light yellow hue, and the color of the radish can be different (black, white, green, purple), it all depends on the plant variety.
2. The shape of the root. Vegetables can be either round or elongated. The main difference between turnip and radish is its plane.
3. The taste of vegetable. The pulp of the turnip is sweetish in taste, while the radish is sharp and piquant.
4. Use in cooking. Radish is often used in the preparation of salads, appetizers, it is not cooked, while recipes for stews, boiled and baked turnips are a great many.
5. Specially bred turnips (Turnip variety) are fed livestock, while radish is never used for these purposes.

Did you know? In the days of Peter I’s youth, battles were fought between the "amusing regiments", and the shells for the cannons were steamed turnips.

Growing Features

Turnip and radish - plants that easily tolerate frosts, yield large crops on lands with a neutral or slightly acid reaction. To obtain high yields, you should adhere to the rule - do not grow crops on one plot of land for more than two consecutive years.

Seeds of these crops can grow at temperatures of + 3 ° C, and sprouts can withstand frosts to -3 ° C. For good root growth, the ideal temperature is considered to be the range +15 ... + 20 ° С.

When growing crops, you must adhere to the following standards:

1. Seed consumption during sowing: turnip - 0.5 g per 1 m², radish - 1 g per 1 m².
2. The sowing depth should not exceed 1.5 cm. When 3-4 leaves appear, the cultures are thinned, leaving a distance of at least 6 cm between plants. After thinning, the plants are fed with an ash solution, and the soil is loosened every two weeks.
3. Crops are moisture-loving plants, therefore, for the necessary growth, they are watered at least twice a week.
4. The turnip growth period is 60–80 days, while in the radish it is 110–130 days.
5. When growing crops for autumn-winter consumption - sowing of seeds is carried out no earlier than the twentieth of June. Root crops should be removed before the onset of frost.
6. They store vegetables without tops (they cut it flush with the root crop) in boxes or paper bags, for better storage - pour each layer of vegetables with sand.

Read also how to choose the best varieties of turnips.

Turnip and radish are outwardly similar, but completely different vegetables and they are grown for different purposes. Each root crop is good in its own way and has a lot of vitamins and beneficial properties.