Seasonality
Varieties
Varieties we grow and love:
- Winner – light green
- Purple – deep purple-magenta
- Winter storage – looks like Winner, but larger
Storage
As always, fresh produce is most delicious and nutritious when consumed as close to the harvest date as possible.
Summer kohlrabi will keep for weeks in plastic in the fridge. If your kohlrabi has its leaves, remove them and store separately. Larger, later season kohlrabi will store easily through the winter. Protect with perforated plastic and store in fridge.
Culinary Info
– can be enjoyed in:
- slaw
- fritters/pancakes
- crudites
- salad
- stew
Tips for preparing:
Of course the leaves are edible, so if you get them, go ahead and use them. Remove the leaves from the stems (they can be tough) and prepare as you would kale or collards. If the greens are attached, chances are they are young and very fresh. The skin is usually very thin and does not need to be peeled. Larger kohlrabi benefits from a trim and peel. The root end can be fairly tough, especially the larger they get. I find if I am grating, I start from the stem end and stop grating if it feels woody.
Blanching sliced or cubed kohlrabi can brighten and sweeten the flavor. This is the same concept as blanching green beans for salad…you still want to enjoy them raw, but a little blanching improves the color and texture. Blanche for 3 minutes and plunge into cold water to stop the cooking process. Then use as planned for salad or what have you.
As I am generally busy, I rarely add this step, especially with slaw!
Also check out these great recipes: