The Uirnip belongs to the genus Brassica, of the family of cruciferous plants. There are several species of Brassica ; e.g., the B. campestris, L., much grown for the production of oil, and, by a corruption of the German name Eohlsaat, called colza. The Brassica rapa, L., similarly yields rape- oil from its seed ; but its root, unlike that of the former, is eaten. The most important species are the B. olcracea, with all its varieties of cabbage, and the one here to be TURNIPS 335 discussed, the B. nai^us, L., turnip — in French navet, in German Weissc Biihe. This plant is of great alimentary use for men and animals. For cooking it is hest young, but when normally developed is tender and tasty, even when of large size and after long keeping in silo or in the cellar. Like all the Brassicas, it contains a volcctil& sulphurous oil, which has to be altered or evaporated in part by cooking. When turnips are stewed by themselves, they yield an ex- cellent, somewhat coloured, product ; but it is somewhat indigestible. It is therefore advisable to parboil the turnips, and then to stew them, if it be desired to use them as vegetable entremets. The ordinary turnip contains 91 ’24 per cent, of water, and 4 '08 per cent, of sugar; extractive free from nitrogen, 1’90 per cent. ; nitrogenized matter, 0-96 per cent. ; fat, 0T6 per cent. ; woody fibre and cellu- lose, 0'91 per cent. ; and ash, 0’75 per cent. In some parts of France and Germany, the Brassica rapa, or raj;e, is preferred to the common turnip, and has by cultivation — e.g., at Teltow, near Berlin — acquired a more substantial tissue. It contains water, 81*90 per cent. ; nitrogenized matter, 3 *52 per cent. ; fat, 0*14 per cent. ; sugar, 1'24 per cent. ; extractives free from nitrogen, 10*10 per cent. ; cellulose, 1*82 per cent. ; ash, 1*28 per cent. It will thus be seen that in the rape the solids rise to above 18 per cent., while in the ordinary turnip they are only 8*75 per cent. ; the sugar is diminished, and its place is taken by other carbo-hydrates. Turnips are therefore decidedly sweet roots, their sugar amounting almost to two-thirds of that of carrots, which contain 2*51 per cent, of cane sugar, and 4*23 per cent, of fruit sugar. Thus it will be seen that all the soups, sauces, and ragouts which have been made with the aid of turnips and carrots derive a great part of their taste from the sugar contained in them ; another part of their gustatory qualities from the extractives, which by heating, braising, frying, or 336 THE SPIRIT OF COOKERY boiling, are capable of yielding principles of agreeable taste and flavour, while in the raw state they are somewhat the reverse. It is clear, from the saccharine character of the turnip, that some increase of the sugar, by addition from without in the course of its preparation, may be quite harmonious with the whole of its taste. Such an increase is made in steiued and glazed turnips. A well-done piece of turnip in soup or stew is like a sponge, and when pressed in the mouth with the tongue against the palate, oozes out not only its own liquid, but also the matters and flavours which it may have absorbed from the liquid in which it was stewed. Gouffe says that turnips should not be boiled too long with broth, as they deteriorate the latter by absorption of savoury principles.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

The Uirnip belongs to the genus Brassica, of the family of cruciferous plants. There are several species of Brassica ; e.g., the B. campestris, L., much grown for the production of oil, and, by a corruption of the German name Eohlsaat, called colza. The Brassica rapa, L., similarly yields rapeoil from its seed ; but its root, unlike that of the former, is eaten. The most important species are the B. olcracea, with all its varieties of cabbage, and the one here to be TURNIPS discussed, the B. napus, L., turnip — in French navet, in German Weissc Biihe. This plant is of great alimentary use for men and animals. For cooking it is hest young, but when normally developed is tender and tasty, even when of large size and after long keeping in silo or in the cellar. Like all the Brassicas, it contains a volatile sulphurous oil, which has to be altered or evaporated in part by cooking. When turnips are stewed by themselves, they yield an excellent, somewhat coloured, product ; but it is somewhat indigestible. It is therefore advisable to parboil the turnips, and then to stew them, if it be desired to use them as vegetable entremets. The ordinary turnip contains 91 ’24 per cent, of water, and 4 '08 per cent, of sugar; extractive free from nitrogen, 1’90 per cent. ; nitrogenized matter, 0-96 per cent. ; fat, 0T6 per cent. ; woody fibre and cellulose, 0'91 per cent. ; and ash, 0’75 per cent. In some parts of France and Germany, the Brassica rapa, or rape, is preferred to the common turnip, and has by cultivation — e.g., at Teltow, near Berlin — acquired a more substantial tissue. It contains water, 81*90 per cent. ; nitrogenized matter, 3 *52 per cent. ; fat, 0*14 per cent. ; sugar, 1'24 per cent. ; extractives free from nitrogen, 10*10 per cent. ; cellulose, 1*82 per cent. ; ash, 1*28 per cent. It will thus be seen that in the rape the solids rise to above 18 per cent., while in the ordinary turnip they are only 8*75 per cent. ; the sugar is diminished, and its place is taken by other carbo-hydrates. Turnips are therefore decidedly sweet roots, their sugar amounting almost to two-thirds of that of carrots, which contain 2*51 per cent, of cane sugar, and 4*23 per cent, of fruit sugar. Thus it will be seen that all the soups, sauces, and ragouts which have been made with the aid of turnips and carrots derive a great part of their taste from the sugar contained in them ; another part of their gustatory qualities from the extractives, which by heating, braising, frying, or boiling, are capable of yielding principles of agreeable taste and flavour, while in the raw state they are somewhat the reverse. It is clear, from the saccharine character of the turnip, that some increase of the sugar, by addition from without in the course of its preparation, may be quite harmonious with the whole of its taste. Such an increase is made in stewed and glazed turnips. A well-done piece of turnip in soup or stew is like a sponge, and when pressed in the mouth with the tongue against the palate, oozes out not only its own liquid, but also the matters and flavours which it may have absorbed from the liquid in which it was stewed. Gouffe says that turnips should not be boiled too long with broth, as they deteriorate the latter by absorption of savoury principles.

The spirit of cookery