Turnips

Commodity Overview

Turnips may not be the driver of the most sales in the produce department, but their influence is growing. Shoppers are discovering the taste and health benefits of the root vegetable. Keep turnip tops on to create a fresh-from-the-farm look to your display.

PLUs

4809 baby
4810 bunch/banded
4811 purple top
4812 white
4095 yellow

Retail Price Data is based on USDA Specialty Crops Market News surveys. Data collection ends on the report date and encompasses ad pricing good from the Saturday before the report release date through the following Friday. Weekly data - from over 400 retailers, comprising more than 30,000 individual stores with online weekly advertised features - covers over 250 produce items. Registered (logged-in) users, can access weekly reports and additional market information.

USDA Specialty Crops Market News publishes FOB and Movement data on a daily and weekly basis. Pricing and volume information is aggregated by commodity and published weekly, subject to any source-data adjustments. Commodity data is further processed based on origin (domestic vs imports) and type (regular vs. organic). Registered (logged-in) users, can access weekly reports and additional market information.

Facts

While many consumers may not be familiar with the taste of turnips, they do offer some great health benefits. Turnips contain vitamin C, which can boost the immune system and help fight cancer. As a fat-free, cholesterol-free food, turnips can be an important part of a healthy diet that will boost the immune system and ward off disease. Those with thyroid conditions should check with their doctor before eating turnips as turnips contain a compound that can interfere with thyroid function. Turnips are thought to have anti-inflammatory properties.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the following nutrient content descriptors for tomatoes: fat-free, saturated fat-free, cholesterol-free and an excellent source of vitamin C.

Sales Strategies

Turnips have a variety of uses, so cross-merchandise them with soup stock, chicken or beef broth, vegetable oil, seasonings and other soup vegetables.
Turnips are available year-round so promote them throughout the year.
Fall: Promote turnip sticks and dip as a healthy back-to-school snack.
Winter: Include turnips in winter soup displays as they are a staple in many soups.
Spring: Promote the health benefits of turnips to consumers looking for a way to lower the starch in their diets. They can be used as a replacement for potatoes in many recipes.
Summer: Encourage consumers to add chopped turnips to summertime salads.
Samples can help sell turnips as many people have never tasted a turnip before.

Dynamic Displays

Keep turnips refrigerated.
Don’t stack turnips to avoid having them roll off a stacked display.
Keep turnip tops on to create a fresh-from-the-farm look to your display.
Place turnips with other cooking vegetables. If you carry rutabagas, clearly label turnips as they look similar to rutabagas.
Use turnips and their purple color to create a color break in an otherwise dull display of green vegetables.

Food Service

Turnips can be fried to create a low-starch alternative to fries.
Raw turnips can be added to salads or salad bars.
Roast turnips as a side dish with other vegetables like sweet potatoes.
Offer turnip sticks as an option on appetizer dip trays.
Add turnips to soups and stews for flavor.

In the Backroom

Shipping
50-lb. bushel baskets/sacks 40-lb. cartons, bunched 25-lb. 1⁄2-bushel baskets/cartons/crates, film/mesh bags 20-lb. cartons, bunched 12-count RPC - 6416, 6419, 6420, 6423, 6425, 6426 Consumer packs 1- to 3-lb. film bags

Grades
bunched, topped and short-trimmed U.S. No. 1 U.S. No. 2

Handling
Temperature: 32 F, 0 C Relative humidity: 90-95% Mist: yes Typical shelf life: about four months Somewhat sensitive to freezing injury (Can be lightly frozen several times without sustaining serious damage.) Turnips need good air circulation while in storage.