Fact file: kohlrabi
Kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes) is a little-known vegetable that's brimming with culinary possibilities for the health-conscious gardener.
Pronounced coal-rah-bee, it has a crisp but sweet flavour. The outer skin can be green or purple, but peels away easily to reveal dense white flesh.
You can stir-fry or roast kohlrabi, or use it raw, sliced or grated into salads and coleslaws. The leaves can be used as greens.
Here are some interesting facts about kohlrabi.
Did you know?
Kohlrabi is very popular in North India as it works well with traditional Indian spices. It's identified by its short stem, which swells up into a large sphere that can be cooked or grated raw into salads. The leaves can be treated like spinach and steamed or boiled.
Nutrition
A member of the brassica family, kohlrabi is a good source of dietary fibre, calcium, vitamin C and iron. Filling and high in protein, it can be used in recipes as an alternative to meat.
Harvest
Harvest when the stems have reached between golf and tennis ball size – any longer and they will become tough and woody. Cut them at the root and remove the oldest leaves to help keep the plant fresh. They can be stored for a short time in the fridge (in a perforated bag) but doesn't keep well – sow successionally for continuous harvests. Harvest until December, or before if you notice the leaves starting to yellow.
How to grow
Sow seed in a sunny spot in light, fertile soil, kept moist and weed-free. Faster-growing green varieties can be sown from March to July for early harvests, while the hardier, purple kind can be sown until August, as they can withstand colder temperatures. The plants should be ready to harvest within two to three months. You can also grow kohlrabi in containers.
Our choices
- 'Blusta' – matures quickly and is less prone to bolting
- 'Kolibiri' – purple skin, white flesh and resistance to woodiness
- 'Winner' – fast grower