I've been told they're nutrient hogs and difficult to grow. Have you found this to be true? I was looking for root vegis that I can store in the garden during the winter for an extended harvest.
Has anyone ever grown parnsips?
Parsnips are easier to grow than carrots, but they do take longer (about 4 months). Since it is a long root, deep soil is preferred. In the old days, before supermarkets and frozen vegetables, they were a popular winter storage crop. As my father use to say, they beat snowballs in winter, but I can't say I find them appetizing. I put them in the same category as corn meal mush, I won't say I won't eat them again, but I would have to be mighty hungry. and no they are no more demanding of nutrients than carrots or potatoes. One caveat, like their cousin the carrot, they take a LONG time to sprout. Most folks who have troubles are just too impatient.
Thanks! I'll keep the germination factor in mind. I wish I could recall the source that told me they were hard to grow. I actually quite like them. I slice them thinly and saute them in the olive oil that roasted peppers come in. Quite tasty!
I've never had trouble getting carrots to sprout. That makes me think of the purple carrots I saw in a magazine last year and decided to grow. I thought they'd be nice in a salad or pretty in a jar when pickled. What a disappointment! They didn't look purple so much as dirty. And the color cooks out. They didn't taste as nice either. *sigh*
Actually I grew both a spring and fall crop of Purple Haze last year still digging the fall crop. The purple is a novelty, but with my eyes shut I could not tell them from other Imperator types. And like many purple vegetables, the color dissapears when cooked. Back to parsnips, we always planted them in the spring while the soil was still moist and dug them from December to March. They are biennials and will seed in the spring after going through the winter.
Yup! Those are my carrots. For flavor, I thought they were very bland. I usually have better luck with carrots. Oh well!
I ordered some seeds and I'll give them a try. It's funny, my husband doesn't care for them either. I remembered now, who told me they were hard to grow. It was the produce person at the grocery store. I wanted to try them, but wondered why they cost so much. I was told it was because they are difficult to grow. I fell for it!
Parsnips are also very good oven-roasted with other root veggies. Cut up all the veggies (parsnips, beets, carrots, taters, salsify, onions, etc.) into about 2" pieces and coat them with a mixture of veggie broth, paprika, salt and pepper to taste. (I use Frontier instant broth.) Place them in one layer of an oiled roasting pan, and bake them uncovered @400 deg F until done. The roasting concentrates all the flavors, and increases the sweetness.
While you are enjoyingyour parsnips, there is one ancient root vegetable from that era that I do like. Salsify (oyster plant) Those are good fried or made into mock oyster stew.
On the subject of cooking root veggies...
They all (carrot, parsnip, potato, turnip, etc) make excellent choices for the grill. Slice 'em lengthwise, about 1/4" thick, brush 'em with a little olive oil, add some salt and pepper, and over (4-6") the coals they go. Grilled carrots take on a totally different flavor, when the sugars caramelize. Quick, easy, and different. =)
On the subject of parsnips, I agree with FarmerDill. They're not one of my favorites. But, WOW can they get big. I remember my grandma planting one in a big whiskey barrel (not cut in half; just one end removed and placed upright, filled with dirt right from her garden). When my uncle was finally able to pull it out of the barrel, it had to be near 4' long, and about 6" in diameter at the very top. Looked like a big, white icicle. I didn't eat any of it. I was little, and it scared the bejeezes outta me. There was a photo, on a slide, that someone had. I've inherited just about all of the slides that have survived the years, but couldn't begin to know which box they'd be in. Every once in a while we dig through them, but slides are a pain without a projector, so it's not often. If I run across it, I'll see if there's a way to get it to my PC.
WOW! MMMMM, grilled vegis.
I used to develop film. A lot of the larger/specialty labs have equipment that can scan slides for burning onto a CD. Most developing lab equipment is highly automated now, so it might be a kind of a hunt to find someone that does what you need.
Now. to find a full sized whiskey barrel. Planting root crops in it would be fun. That would be the only way I could grow gobo which I have always been curious about. BTW, never had to eat parsnips, so when I tasted them a couple years ago at a fancy restaurant, I loved them. I put them in stews. I hear they are great mashed with potatoes. Haven't had a chance to try those yet, but look forward to it.
farmerdill- i collected wild seed of oyster plant last summer. think I'll get something edible?
The traditional winter root crops of parsnip, white salsify, black salsify (scorzonera), rampions, burdock etc provide much needed winter nutrition that many people no longer receive because they don't eat them anymore. These root crops will concentrate different trace minerals in their roots than carrots and potatos & beets. It's good to eat a variety. We're growing parsnips, rampions and salsify this year. We can no longer buy them in our local markets as the demographics have changed significantly in the last decade.