What does kohlrabi taste like?

Mild, sweet, faintly cabbagey — like a cross between turnip and cabbage stalk but milder and sweeter than either. Young tender globes: crunchy, juicy, mild — eat raw, peeled and grated into salads, thinly sliced for slaw, sticks for dips. Cooked: holds shape in stir-fries, roasts, soups, and stews. Overgrown globes (12+ cm): woody and bitter — fit only for soup-stock or compost. Pick at the right size for the best flavour.

When can I harvest kohlrabi?

8–10 weeks after sowing, when the globe is 7–10 cm diameter (tennis-ball size). Don't wait longer — kohlrabi globes go woody fast once they pass peak size. Check size regularly from week 6 onwards. Cut with a sharp knife just below the globe. Use within a week for best flavour and texture, or store in a cool shed for 2–3 months (autumn-harvested globes).

Why is my kohlrabi tough or woody?

Three causes. (1) Picked too late — globes over 10–12 cm diameter go woody. Pick at tennis-ball size. (2) Drought stress during growth — kohlrabi needs consistent moisture. Water deeply weekly, mulch to conserve moisture. (3) Old variety — heritage kohlrabi varieties can get woody at smaller sizes than modern bred-for-tenderness types like Olivia and Korist.

Can kohlrabi survive a UK winter?

Yes in mild gardens, with protection in cold ones. August-sown kohlrabi crops in October–November. Hardy globes survive light frosts in the ground; in cold or wet areas, harvest before December and store in a cool shed wrapped in newspaper (2–3 months at 2–5°C). Superschmelz and overwintered varieties are bred for cold-hardiness and may stand in the ground all winter in southern England.

What's the best kohlrabi variety for the UK?

Azur Star (purple) — most popular, reliable, attractive, mild sweet flavour. Korist (green) — the workhorse for consistent cropping. Olivia — modern green variety with excellent bolt resistance for summer sowings. Superschmelz — heritage variety that grows enormous (up to 8 kg) but stays tender — interesting if you have space. Most UK gardens benefit from a purple-green mix for visual interest.

Why isn't kohlrabi more popular in UK gardens?

Mostly habit and unfamiliarity. Kohlrabi is widely grown in central and eastern Europe (Germany, Czech Republic, Hungary) where it's a kitchen staple, but never caught on as a UK supermarket vegetable. It's actually one of the easier UK kitchen-garden crops: fast (8–10 weeks), productive in small space, attractive (especially purple varieties), versatile (raw or cooked), and largely free of UK-specific pests and diseases. Modern food trends are bringing it back — it deserves a place in any UK veg plot.

Koolrabi

Brassica oleracea Gongylodes Group

Sow kohlrabi direct from April to August, in sun in well-drained moisture-retentive soil — it's a fast-growing brassica (8–10 weeks from seed to harvest) grown for the swollen above-ground "globe" that forms at the stem base. Kohlrabi is hardy (RHS H4) and an autumn-sown crop overwinters in mild gardens for spring harvest. Azur Star (purple) and Korist (green) are popular UK varieties. Pick when the globe is tennis-ball sized (7–10 cm diameter) — larger globes get woody. The flavour is mild, sweet, faintly cabbagey — like a cross between turnip and cabbage stalk, eaten raw in salads (peeled and grated, or thinly sliced) or cooked in stir-fries and stews. A less-grown UK crop that deserves wider use — fast, easy, productive in small spaces, and the purple varieties are ornamental.

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