Did you know Gilfeather turnips have been the Vermont State Vegetable since May 24, 2016?

The Gilfeather turnip is a hybrid of a rutabaga and turnip created at the turn of the 20th century by Wardsboro horticulturist , John Gilfeather, owner of Gilfeather Farm on Gilfeather Rd. in Wardsboro, Vermont. Wardsboro likes to celebrate this with a turnip festival each fall.

Sweet , mild and creamy, the Gilfeather turnip doesn’t have the sulfurous back-of-the-throat bitterness that rutabaga and turnips tend to have. They are best harvested after a very hard frost when the water is converted into sugars to protect the turnip from freezing.

Gilfeather turnips are great raw and can be used as crudite with a dip, and they are a delicious replacement for potatoes mashed with your choice of fat, salt, and cream. They are high in Vitamin C, and rich in complex carbohydrates that contain both soluble and insoluble fiber.

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