Cora's Cottage

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Main sources for this blog include:

– The Encyclopedia of County Living by Carla Emery

– The Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live It by John Seymour

Parsnips are a close relative to carrots and are similar in appearance except they are white and often longer. Like carrots, parsnips are a biennial that is insect-pollinated. They are one of the hardest to grow root vegetables, but they keep very well in the winter so the trouble can be well worth it.

Originating in northern Europe, parsnips are quite frost hardy and can be stored in the garden over the winter as the freezing causes their starches to turn into sugars. Parsnips typically will grow to be about 1 to 2 feet long, but can grow up to 4 feet long under the right conditions. Parsnips do best in loose soil that is deeply dug, so sandy soil is the best. The soil should be worked 1 to 2 feet deep and any obstructions like rocks should be removed to help prevent the long tap roots from splitting.

Parsnip seed doesn’t keep well, and does best if used in the first year. Seeds should be planted finely, no closer than 1/2 inches apart. However, parsnip seeds are very small so it is very difficult to plant them that finely. Seeds should be covered by no more than an 1/4 inch of soil or compost, and even with that little soil, do not expect to see anything for 21 to 28 days as parsnips take a long time to germinate. After planting, be sure to keep the soil well moistened as any sort of crust will prevent seeds from sprouting. Rows should be between 18 and 36 inches apart, but the closer the rows the more nutrients will need to be applied to the soil.

While parsnips can handle frost and cold temperatures well, they do not handle warm temperature very well and hot weather can affect the harvest. Therefore, it is best to plant parsnips immediately after your last frost date. Since parsnips are so slow to sprout, it is best practice to plant radishes in the same rows just like with carrots so that you can see the rows to weed before the parsnips are up. After parsnips are up, they can be thinned until they are 3 to 6 inches apart. Any thinnings can be eaten, just like with carrots.

When growing parsnips, it is best if they have plenty of water, though they can tolerate less water because of their long tap roots. Parsnips prefer full sun to partial shade and grow best in a soil pH that is nearly neutral around 6.5. Mulching parsnips with compost can be very beneficial and provide parsnips with key nutrients they need to grow. When growing, parsnips need a lot of nitrogen to keep them growing well, but they also need phosphorus and potassium.

Parsnips have several diseases and pests that can affect them. Diseases include cavity spot, dampening off, downy mildew, canker, powdery mildew, and rust fungus. However, of these diseases canker is probably the most common and presents with rotten and brown tops. Canker can occur when there is too much manure or the soil is too acidic. Therefore, it can be prevented by not adding too much manure and liming the soil before planting as needed to adjust the pH of the soil. Canker is less likely to appear in a late crop as opposed to an early one. Pests in parsnips include aphids, beet army worm, carrot rust fly, cutworms, and celery leaf miner. Many of these pests can be deterred or eliminated with crop rotation and organic or nonorganic insecticide options.

When harvesting parsnips there is no need to rush. The starches in parsnips turn to sugars after a freeze so it is best to leave parsnips in the ground until there has been at least 3 weeks of frosty weather. Parsnips can even be left in the ground all winter; however, they will only be able to be harvested when the ground has thawed because they cannot be pulled without breaking off and therefore must be dug. If you chose to leave them in the ground overwinter, they should all be dug before they start to get new growth or they will become woody and unusable except for seed. There are methods like mulching over top of the parsnips that can be used to help keep the ground around the parsnips from freezing completely after the first few weeks of frosty weather so that they can be dug anytime you want parsnips, otherwise a different preservation method might be best.

Other methods of preserving parsnips include root cellar storage, canning, freezing, and drying. In the root cellar method parsnips are stored directly on the dirt floor of a root cellar with moist soil around and overtop of them. It is best if the root cellar is kept at very low temperatures. If you do not have access to a root cellar a similar method can be used by packing the parsnips in a wooden crate with damp sand and placing the box in a cool outbuilding.

To freeze parsnips, trim the tops off, wash them well, and peel before slicing into 1/2 cubes and scalding them for 2-3 minutes. After scalding the parsnips, place them in two back-to-back ice baths to cool them down before packaging them and freezing. Pressuring canning is the only safe method to can parsnips. To can, remove the tops, wash the roots thoroughly, peel, and cube. Boil the cubes in water for 5 minutes before adding to them jars and pouring the hot water over the top, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Salt can be added if desired typically 1/2 teaspoon for a pint and 1 teaspoon for a quart. Drying is also a preservation option, though it is best to avoid old and woody parsnips. They can be sliced or chunked, but the best option is shredding them as they will dry faster and more evenly. Dried parsnip can be reconstituted by soaking in water overnight or it can be ground into powder and added to soup mixes.

When cooking parsnips fresh, young and old parsnips should be prepared differently. Young parsnips should not be peeled only washed well and scraped before cooking them as desired. Even the tops of young parsnips are edible for some people though for others they can cause blisters on tender skin. The tops of young parsnips taste similar to watercress and can be used in salads. Older parsnips will likely taste better as more starch has turned to sugar, but they also will likely have a hard, woody core and will need to be peeled. To remove the core and peel, it is best to boil until tender and then remove the skin and any woody core.

Parsnips are high in many nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin K, and folate. In just one cup of parsnips there is 100 calories, 24 grams of carbohydrates, 6.5 grams of fiber, and 1.5 grams of protein. Parsnips contain 25% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C and K, 22% of the recommended daily intake of folate, and 13%, 10%, and 8% of the recommended daily intake for vitamin E, magnesium, and phosphorus respectively. Additionally, 1 cup of parsnips contains 7% of the recommended daily intake of both zinc and vitamin B6 as well as small amounts of iron and calcium.

Parsnips have been found to have several health benefits including supporting immune function and possibly helping with weight loss. Because parsnips contain so many key nutrients like vitamin C and other antioxidants, they may help to fight off colds and other illnesses. Parsnips are high in both soluble and insoluble fibers which help optimize digestive health while moving through the digestive track slower, helping you to feel full longer which can aid in weight loss.

If you are an experienced gardener, parsnips might be a great option to add to your garden for a challenge or if you are a more inexperienced garden but are looking for foods that pack a nutritional punch. While parsnips are a slower starting, more difficult vegetable to grow, they can be a great addition if you are willing to do the research and work to make the conditions the most favorable to growing them. Happy gardening!!