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Kohlrabi is ready to harvest when its bulb is 1 to 3 inches in diameter, or about the size of a tennis ball. Do not pick the vegetable in warm weather, as the root becomes woody. Kohlrabi leaves are also edible. Boil them or use them in salads.
How big should kohlrabi be when you pick it?
Unfortunately, many gardeners allow kohlrabi to grow too large before harvesting it. Large, older kohlrabi is tough and woody and it may have an off-flavor. Begin harvesting (pull or cut at ground level) when the first stems are about one inch in diameter. Continue harvest until the stems are 2 to 3 inches in diameter.
Does kohlrabi come back every year?
Kohlrabi is a perennial, cool season vegetable, mostly grown as an annual for its edible stem.
How do you pick fresh kohlrabi?
Harvest kohlrabi stems when they are still young and tender, usually about 2 1/2 to 4 inches in diameter. Harvest by cutting them from the base of the plant. You can trim the leaves from the stem and save them to cook separately. Kohlrabi keeps for 2 to 3 weeks in the fridge.
How do I know when kohlrabi is ready to pick?
Kohlrabi is ready to harvest when its bulb is 1 to 3 inches in diameter, or about the size of a tennis ball. Do not pick the vegetable in warm weather, as the root becomes woody. Kohlrabi leaves are also edible. Boil them or use them in salads.
Does kohlrabi grow back?
Yes, a kohlrabi plant will grow back after harvesting if you leave the bottom part of the stem in the ground. However, it is technically a biannual. That means, it will flower and set seed the second year, rather than producing another edible stem.
How long does kohlrabi last in ground?
Kohlrabi that matures in cool weather can remain in the ground until temperatures fall into the 20°sF (-6°C). Garden-stored kohlrabi can freeze once or twice in winter and still be edible.
Is kohlrabi a biennial?
Kohlrabi is a biennial plant that is usually grown as a cool-season annual. The waxy lobed or wavy leaves emerge from the swollen stem and feature long petioles (leaf stems). The edible stem can be green, white, or purple, depending on the variety.
Can you eat kohlrabi raw?
Kohlrabi is equally tasty raw or cooked. Brad likes to thinly shave the peeled, raw bulbs into matchsticks (you can use a mandoline for help with this) and toss them into a slaw.
What does kohlrabi taste like?
A member of the cabbage family, kohlrabi carries a signature sweet-but-peppery flavor profile, with a taste and texture reminiscent of broccoli stems.
Can you eat kohlrabi leaves and stems?
Kohlrabi is one great example: its leaves are super-tasty, especially when cooked in a similar way to cabbage or collard greens; the skin and stalks will most likely be edible, too, unless it’s a particularly mature specimen. Oct 5, 2019.
Why is my kohlrabi bolting?
Temperature and Humidity. Like many cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi grows best in cool weather. When summer temperatures arrive, kohlrabi is done growing. Plants you didn’t get around to harvesting will be prompted by warm weather to bolt, or produce flowers.
How do you store kohlrabi?
Wash thoroughly and store with leaf stems removed. Kohlrabi can be stored in the refrigerator for several weeks. Storage life can be extended if kohlrabi is placed in sealed perforated plastic bags. To prevent cross-contamination, keep kohlrabi away from raw meat and meat juices.
Should I remove kohlrabi leaves?
Harvesting Kohlrabi Leaves Cut the leaves off rather than pulling to prevent injury to the bulb. Wash greens well before eating. For a consistent harvest of the greens, practice successive planting in spring by sowing every week during the cool, rainy season.
How long does it take to grow kohlrabi?
Fast growing kohlrabi grows best in temperatures 60 to 80 degrees F. (16-27 C.) and is ready to harvest in 50 to 70 days, or when the stem reaches 3 inches (8 cm.) in diameter.
Why are my kohlrabi not forming bulbs?
Why did my kohlrabi not form a bulb? This can happen when plants are spaced too closely together. It can also come from poor growing conditions such as too warm or freezing temperatures, too little water or a nutrient deficiency.
Can you eat kohlrabi after it flowers?
The bulb is an extension of the leaves. They are edible and can be delicious if harvested at the right moment. Kohlrabi leaves grown in colder temperatures can be eaten like cabbage.
Can you leave bulbs in the ground all year?
Bulb After-Care Most bulbs can be left underground all year or stored inside after they’ve bloomed. To keep long-stem tulips and hyacinths hardy, lift up the larger bulbs and replant them the following fall. (If left in the ground, they’ll typically get smaller each year.)May 21, 2002.
Can kohlrabi overwinter?
It definitely DOES over winter here, in zone 8. I planted some along with cabbages last fall. Since your winters are much harsher, I woulk cover tham with straw or dry fall leave (Oak leaves are best).
Does kohlrabi go to seed?
Kohlrabi is a biennial, meaning it won’t go to seed until its second year of life. Which meant in order for us to gather seeds, we’d need to keep it alive during the winter.
How do you store kohlrabi in the garden?
If you aren’t going to eat them the day they were harvested, trim the leaves from the stem and then place them in a Ziploc baggie with a damp paper towel in the crisper of your refrigerator. Storing kohlrabi leaves in this manner will keep them fresh and edible for about a week.
How do you store kohlrabi in a root cellar?
Kohlrabi has a thin skin unlike good storage foods like potatoes or apples. It requires moisture and cold temperatures to store. Once bulbs are trimmed and washed put them into plastic and store in the cellar, or pack them into moist sawdust which can help them last up to three months.
How do you store kohlrabi for winter?
The best way to store this vegetable is to remove any leaves (and reserve them for later – they are quite tasty as well) and keep the bulb in the fridge, wrapped in a moist kitchen towel or in a plastic bag in the vegetable drawer. This will keep your kohlrabi crunchy for about a week.
