This is my first year growing the giant Kossak kohlrabi, but it won’t be my last. I am always skeptical of seed catalog claims, especially for ‘giant’ anything, but in this case the catalogs seem to be accurate.
Kossak kohlrabi (click on any image to enlarge)
Most kohlrabi are best harvested when they are tennis ball or baseball sized. But these Kossaks are supposed to be good up to 8 inches in diameter. I’ve been harvesting at about 6 inches, and they’ve been tender and not at all woody at that size. Kossak grows pretty much like any other kohlrabi, only bigger!
Kossak kohlrabi growing
We usually eat a lot of our kohlrabi raw, but these behemoths have got me scrambling for new recipe ideas. I think kohlrabi slaw sounds good, as does roasted kohlrabi. I saw a recipe for Kohlrabi Home Fries, but that sounds like taking a healthy, low calorie veggie and making it into a French fry substitute. Not that they wouldn’t be tasty that way.
softball sized Kossak kohlrabi
If there are any kohlrabi lovers out there, I’d like to hear about your favorite ways to fix kohlrabi – giant or not!
I use it in stir fries too. Though my favorite is to make it into raw sticks and just dip with them. Very tasty.
Last year mine were just 2-3″. This year they were close to four which I thought was big. Six inches would have so much weight. It would be hard to eat a full one. But would be great for making slaw. I might have to try a huge one next year.
At a restaurant a couple nights ago, I was served a warm slaw made from refrigerator pickled cabbage sautéed with bacon, no other ingredients, simple and delicious. Might work well with kohlrabi.
Wow those are huge. We just harvest a couple of our spring crop last night and they were more in the tennis ball size. This is only the second year we have grown Kohl Rabi and the first we only had one that actually got big enough to eat. I too am very interested in some recipes now that we actually have some to eat!!
I’ve had kohlrabi slaw and it is very good. It would go well in any broccoli salad recipe too. That is a humongous kohlrabi. Nice going. I don’t know why we don’t try to grow kohlrabi. I just don’t think of it. It probably wouldn’t suffer the same gray aphid problem that plagues my broccoli and Brussels sprouts.
They are huge! I just might try to plant some of these next year, even though I was resigned not to because they took so much space and produce very little bulbs. I love them in stirfry and raw but I also slice them (juliene) in salads and add to my pickles when I do canning.
Looks great Dave! We planted some late this year. I’m not sure what the heat will do to them. What a huge success you’ve had.
My goodness!!! Those babies are huge! I didn’t plant any this year…..so, I will just admire yours!
Here’s some of the ways we like to use them – 1) Cut into large julienne strips and served with hummus to dip it into; 2) Diced up and cooked in stir fries; and 3) Used to make a slaw salad – either all by itself or even better with carrots, and onions.
Those are some real beauties you are growing!
Those are beauties – must be at least a pound each. I like kohlrabi best raw but last year found it makes a pretty decent soup, although I don’t think you could distinguish it from cauliflower once it is blended. Not sure if this is the recipe I used but they’re all basically the same.
http://easteuropeanfood.about.com/od/soups/r/kohlrabisoup.htm