I have never planted nor eaten kohlrabi. I've seen the seeds and the roots in produce section, but have never tried it. I've raised lots of cabbage and turnips over the years, but not kohlrabi. What's your opinion on raising and eating this pretty cool looking vegetable? I've read about it, and no one in the neighborhood where I live knows much about it (we're all old fogies where I live).

Oh - by all means do try it in your garden. It's a TERRIFIC & versatile vegetable, & is one of the brassicas that is pretty easy to grow here in Virginia.

I've grown both the white & purple types (both have white flesh), & the only pest I've had has been the usual cabbage caterpillars, which are easy to combat with either Bt or using floating row covers.

Those cute little golf-to-tennis-balls, which aren't roots, but actually grow above the ground, can be peeled & cooked whole like turnips; peeled, cubed, cooked, & folded into a white or cheese sauce; peeled, sliced, & served raw as a healthy "dip chip"; or used raw in salads. Great stuff. The flavor is like a very very mild turnip. Mild enough for even kids to like. Oh, & the leaves - just like broccoli leaves - are completely edible cooked as well, especially when very young/small/tender.

I will definitely try it out. Better in the fall or plant now?

I've only done spring (now would be just fine) & they grew just fine, but I imagine sowing them in mid-August or so for a fall crop would work fine too. I've even grown them in containers, as they don't take up a lot of space & can be grown fairly close together. The seed is quite tiny, but thinnings can be tossed into virtually any pot of veggies you might be cooking that day.

There are a number of varieties, which can pretty much be segregated (besides color) into regular & "giant". I've only grown the regular types, which should be picked between golf ball & tennis ball size. Larger than that & they tend to get woody/pithy in the center (like many turnips). You can still use them; you just have to cut around that woody center. The "giant" types, however, apparently are supposed to stay tender up to softball size or larger, but I've never grown any of those.

Do try them & come back here & let me know how it went. They should do great in Roanoke. Gee - can you tell that I'm a kohlrabi fan?

Kohlrabi is one of my favorite cold weather veggies, and I grow it in the fall and spring, with equal success. I have grown it for many years, and have never had a problem with bolting, as with many brassicas, though I probably would have had to leave it on the plant way past it's prime. I grow new varieties every season, just to see if I will find something better, but my favorite variety is Kolibri, a purple hybrid, which I can let grow much larger (4-5") than other types, without getting woody. Purple non-hybrids have not done nearly as well, nor have green hybrids or non-hybrids. I grew Kussack for a couple of seasons, and it was good normal sized, and grew to that incredible size, but it took way too long, and was a bit hard that large, though still usable.

I start them inside every spring, and summer for fall, and transplant at about 3 weeks old. This seems to do better than direct seeding, and I can locate them exactly. I put them about 12" apart, in a double zig-zagged row. In about 40 days or less, the first ones are ready to harvest. They keep very well in the fridge, in a plastic bag with some holes - they end up growing more sprouts on the surface I keep them so long! Probably a root cellar veggie in the old days, though not a root.

The first time I ever had these was when a friend's German Mom fixed some simple braised kohlrabi, with some butter, and juice from whatever the meat was she cooked, and was it good! That is when I had to find them, and this was back when I couldn't, so I grew them! I use them mostly for stir-fries, sliced thin, and they keep their crunch well. I substitute them often for bamboo shoots and water chestnuts in Chinese, as they have crunch, and flavor as well. And I put some of that kossack in a longer cooked Thai curry, and it was delicious, absorbing the flavors, and adding its own flavor.

This year I have another large one - Superschmelz. I'll find out how this one turns out.

Dave

To me, these posts are exciting. I can't wait to try the kohlrabi. Am going to check the produce section today at a couple of stores while I'm out to see if I can find any. I bought a few plants and put those out, just to see what they would do. I planted bok choy which is also a first for me, although I love Chinese food, and can't believe I was such a stickler for staying with the tried and true veggies. I've got snow peas up a couple of inches now, so bring on the soy sauce and hot mustard!!!

I think the best thing about this forum is the encouragement to try plant and varieties that I have never even heard of before. Now I am going to have to look for this one too.

Have swiss chard and new varieties of tomatoes already started.

I love hearing others doing what I'm doing. No one I know grows these save my mom. She used to serve these to us as kids sliced raw instead of chips w/ sandwiches in the early summer time. Kohlrabi are great! I plant them in spring for raw summer eating and in the fall for freezing for cooking. They even dehydrate great too. Thin slices w/ a little season salt make great veggie chips in the dehydrator.

Great idea, G-girls! I hadn't thought of dehydrating kohlrabi. I'll definitely try that with my large fall crop.

One of my favorite recipes for kohlrabi is based on a Chinese recipe for broccoli stems. It produces a very crunchy snack, that keeps well, if it lasts!

Macerated Broccoli Stems or Kohlrabi

2 cup(s) broccoli stems; peeled and sliced, OR
2 cup(s) kohlrabi; peeled and sliced
1 tsp salt
2 tb sesame oil
1 tb hot oil; optional
2 tb nam prik pao; optional

A. Slice the vegetables 1/8 " thick, and about 3/4x1 1/2" long. Toss with the salt, and set in the refrigerator for 1 hr.

B. Drain any liquid from the slices and taste for saltiness. Rinse, if necessary, and drain again (salad spinner good here).

C. Heat wok until hot: add oil, swirl, and immediately add vegetables. Toss 15 sec., then remove to a serving dish. May be served warm or cold.

Note: 1 tb hot oil may be substituted for 1 tb sesame oil. 2 tb nam prik pao may be added after cooking.

found some seed yesterday, will start today! Mrs.K

My husband loves these grated into a salad. I also grate it for cole slaw, a lot easier than using cabbage and the same flavor.

Just wanted to thank breezy, gardendmpls, and pepper for stating a few uses for kohlrabi. I already had sown my seeds, but was kind of wondering what I was going to do with it once it was harvested -- always my biggest issue when trying new veggies that I bought just b/c they match my growing conditions.

To All....CatieJayBee you are so right. The best thing out of this forum is the excitment for this season. I am trying things that I have never heard of before.

I have put out my first swiss chard, and yesterday found the Bright lights seed, so started them. Rutger, mule team, George Curtis teaspoon, and Nyragrous tomatoes are out in their walls of water. This from a lady who planted early girl and celebrity for years.

But you are so right, what to do when they are ripe/ this is a great site. Thanks for everyones help. Mrs.K

I ate kohlrabi only once and didn't care for it, but then I'm not a fan of turnips either. The texture is really dense – I can see how it might grate well for a slaw. Maybe I'll give it a second try next year, but this year my new experiment is bok choy – I LOVE eating that.

Mrs K.... I have grown to love swiss chard, but the first year I grew it I must say I didn't care for the taste. It was just so darned pretty that I couldn't cross it off the list. So glad I kept growing it, b/c now I love it.