Bitter swede - persevere or ditch?

[jaybeebuzz]

Hi everyone

I have been growing swede variety "Best of All" in the polytunnel. It's the first time I've successfully managed to grow this crop. I harvested my first one the other day - a decent size and looked good - but when I tasted it it was very bitter and peppery tasting. I have read that this is due to lack of water - being in the polytunnel I have watered most days with the hosepipe although I concede that with their huge leaf canopy watering them hasn't been the easiest of tasks. This variety is supposed to have a mild, sweet flavoured yellow flesh.

My question is this - if I water copiously from now on are they likely to get any sweeter or is it now too late and should I just throw them all away and put it down to (bitter!) experience?

Many thanks!
Julie

[Alison]

Hiya, not sure where you're growing but swedes are a cold weather crop really and it's rather early for them to be ready. Mine were only sown in April and won't be ready until late autumn to be eaten over the winter. It's possible that this may have made a difference to the taste in that they got too hot but not too sure.

[jaybeebuzz]

Hi Alison

Thanks for your reply! I live in Shropshire in the West Midlands.

I was looking at the seed packet today which suggested harvesting in Sept/Oct so perhaps I have just lifted the swede a little too early. It was such a good size that I thought it would be ok to dig up now.

Perhaps I should just leave the crop another couple of months and then try again? (I dread to think what size they might be by then though! ).

[SarzWix]

I think that Alison (and me!) is wondering if them being in the polytunnel at all might be the problem. They don't need the protection from the weather because they're a cold weather/hardy crop, and so being in the tunnel could well be too hot for them and cause the bitterness?
I've grown Best of All outdoors in North Yorks for 3 years and had no problems.

[gojiberry]

Swedes are like parsnips in that they need a good frost to turn some of the starches into sugar. I harvested one of mine today just to see how they were fairing and it was alright. I have to agree with the other grapes in that swede is not a polytunnel veg by any stretch of the imagination.

Ian

[jaybeebuzz]

Thanks for your replies. I always knew that planting them in the polytunnel was going to be a bit of a gamble given the heat (that said, the doors have been kept permanently open at both ends to keep it as airy and cool as possible). The only reason they were planted in there was that I had no room elsewhere in the garden to plant them, unfortunately, and as the seeds were left over from last year I thought I'd bung 'em in and see what happened!

Julie