Parsnip picking question re groundhogs

[GrannieAnnie]

The groundhogs have been eating the parsnip leaves. I was hoping to not harvest until a few frosts for the sugars to get into the root.  Now that many of them only have half or fewer leaves is there any reason to leave them in the ground??
(I could seriously murder that groundhog >:()

[GrannieAnnie]

[Suzanne]

Don't have groundhogs thankfully, but I leave my parsnips in the ground all winter. They naturally lose their leaves so mark where they are with a stick before that happens. Harvest them as needed, and if any left by the time we get into next Feb - dig them up as they go woody when the resprout.

However I don't think we get the frosts and snow that you may have in winter.

[plainleaf2]

you need smoke bomb the groundhog hole.

[Jokerman]

Ground hogs edible?    ;)

[plainleaf2]

groundhog is edible but not very tasty and very gamey.
Also they are as nasty as bagder

[GrannieAnnie]

you need smoke bomb the groundhog hole.

It is under our neighbor's garage and he doesn't care! Otherwise, great idea!

[Chrispy]

Last year I was moving plot so had to dig up my parsnips early.
I removed the leaves, put them in a box, some in sand and some in general perpose compost (what I had to hand) and stored them in my shed.
It was very cold, and the cold got in the shed, lost a marrow that was in there but when I ate the parsnips the cold had made them lovely and sweet.

So if you do dig them up (don't know if you have to), if they are kept somewhere the frost can get to them, they should still turn sweet.

[shirlton]

We dug all of ours up last year and I roasted them and then froze them. I find them much softer than roasting them from fresh. Halfway through reheating in the oven I drizzle honey over them.

[GrannieAnnie]

Since our ground freezes so hard even a pick axe can't get through it in the dead of winter, I'll go ahead, dig them now, and as suggested store them cold.  And might as well bring in the rest of the butternuts because two nor-easters are blowing in this week, gusts up to 60 miles per hr and dipping to 38 F.  Where are my longies?  Thank you all for your ideas.

[Digeroo]

I find them much softer than roasting them from fresh.

I pressure cook mine for five minutes before roasting.  Softens up even quite coarse ones.  Can also par boil but I think the pressure really does the job better.  If you pressure cook a bit too long they go into a mush and this is great roasted with butter and black pepper.

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

I find them much softer than roasting them from fresh.

I pressure cook mine for five minutes before roasting.  Softens up even quite coarse ones.  Can also par boil but I think the pressure really does the job better.  If you pressure cook a bit too long they go into a mush and this is great roasted with butter and black pepper.

Parsnip? or Groundhog?  ;D

[Digeroo]

No groundhogs around here, but we might get rabbits, deer, squirrels and badgers in the winter, not to mention geese, swans and pigeons.  In fact the geese are returning in huge numbers every evening.