Topic: 1st Parsnip

[lisaparkin]

I dug the first parsnip today, quite a beauty


Photo1497 by lisamarieparkin, on Flickr

[Duke Ellington]

Well done to you! That's a beauty !

[lisaparkin]

Thank you... I couldn't believe how big it was !

[Poolcue]

Nice parsnip,but they taste better after they have had a frost on them.

[davyw1]

Now thats the way to grow them buititifull

[chriscross1966]

THat's a decent size, about what you need really, any bigger adn you end up needing to send a child out with a crowbbar and a pickaxe to dig them come January (no joke, that was my job on Sunday mornings in the winter)....

But folks aren't joking about the frost.... all the older varieties taste a lot better for it...

[powerspade]

THat's a decent size, about what you need really, any bigger adn you end up needing to send a child out with a crowbbar and a pickaxe to dig them come January (no joke, that was my job on Sunday mornings in the winter)....

But folks aren't joking about the frost.... all the older varieties taste a lot better for it...

I lost all mine due to the wet weather,
A little tip if you find it difficult to dig them out in the winter - cover the tops with bracken -  stretch string over to stop it blowing about  then the soil will stay soft enough to dig them out

[lisaparkin]

The 1st lot of seeds I put in never grew, so had to re-sow. 

They are better after a frost but I wanted one for tea on Tuesday, found a recipe for parsnip and squash bake.

 We tend to leave in the ground all over winter and dig as we need them, but I usually make sure we have a couple dug incase the ground is frozen.

[strawberry1]

we prefer parsnips before frosting as they are not as sweet and have also started to dig up. OP is yours gladiator?

[GrannieAnnie]

Lisa, what a beauty! I'm jealous- never got any planted this year. WHAT VARIETY WAS IT? I like that it is fatter rather than longer which seem to snap off in our clay soil.

[lisaparkin]

Gladiator, seeds bought from Wilkos

[Toshofthe Wuffingas]

I was told once but haven't verified it that in Europe and Germany parsnip is considered an 'exotic'. My Japanese teacher when she first met one in England thought it was a white carrot. How well known are they in the US and elsewhere?

[Digeroo]

They might be better after the frost, but since I doubt it penetrates very far down not sure it makes a huge amounts of difference.  We are eating them at the moment, nice thinly sliced and fried in a little butter.

I think they liked the rain, mine have done particularly well, slugs do not seem to like them.

[GrannieAnnie]

I was told once but haven't verified it that in Europe and Germany parsnip is considered an 'exotic'. My Japanese teacher when she first met one in England thought it was a white carrot. How well known are they in the US and elsewhere?

I can only speak for the northeast. They are carried in the food stores but I don't know anyone who grows them except me, and mine haven't been very successful, not like the ones shown on A4A. One year I planted them too early and they were woody-centered by winter.  Have not seen them in restaurants and our friends have never served them when they have us over. But somebody must be buying and eating them or the stores woulnd't carry them.
Next year I'll try again.

[Digeroo]

If they are a bit woody in the middle just zap them in the pressure cooker for a few minutes and then put under meat to roast they are particularly nice under pork.  My mother in law always par boiled and then roasted.

It has been very wet this summer here, had not realised just how much water they really like.  Shops here tend to sell them much much smaller than the one in the pic.   

[GrannieAnnie]

If they are a bit woody in the middle just zap them in the pressure cooker for a few minutes and then put under meat to roast they are particularly nice under pork.  My mother in law always par boiled and then roasted.

It has been very wet this summer here, had not realised just how much water they really like.  Shops here tend to sell them much much smaller than the one in the pic.

Thank you Digeroo, will try that. We like them roasted best or in a stew with carrots.

[Toshofthe Wuffingas]

And curried parsnip soup from the late lamented Jane Grigson. We roast parsnips with some lemon juice and butter.

[manicscousers]

We start pulling our parsnips in july from a feb sowing, I like the taste of them at all stages. We'll still be eating them in january as I bring some home and store them in the garage in damp sand or compost