In Season Now: Parsnips

Parsnips, like rutabegas and turnips, are underdogs of the vegetable world. Everyone knows broccoli. Everyone loves carrots. Somehow reminiscent of times past, parsnips are largely forgotten on the modern table. When you can drive to any grocery store and pick up hothouse tomatoes or Mexican zucchini in the depth of winter, why would you bother with this lonesome root vegetable that calls to mind a ghostly carrot? If you’re committed to trying new vegetables and to eating seasonally in the way our ancestors did, it would do you good to discover parsnips. They have a clean, sweet flavor with a slight and barely perceptible anise-like subtlety that lacks comparison to other vegetables.

Family: Parsnips (Pastinaca sativa) are related to carrots (Apiaceae).

Origin: Parsnips originated in Eurasia and the Mediterranean. Popular on ancient Roman tables, they were used similarly to their sister vegetable: the carrot. Until explorers brought back the potato from the new world, parsnips and other winter-time root vegetables held a regular place at many European tables in winter. It is thought that the name parsnip is a combination of the words parsley and turnip.

The Season: Autumn through early Spring. Parsnips are at their peak between December and February.

Appearance: Their skin is a creamy color and, when peeled, it reveals a white root. The vegetable is highly tapered.

Nutritional Benefits: Parsnips are rich in many micronutrients. They prove an excellent source of potassium, folic acid, manganese and dietary fiber. Due to their folic acid content, they’re a good option for expectant mothers or women who are trying to conceive.

Growing Parsnips: Parsnips grow best in colder climates and those with relatively short growing seasons. Sandy or loamy soil is ideal for this root vegetable. Seeds are often sown in early spring for harvest in the following autumn and winter months.

Cooking Parsnips: Parsnips can be cooked similarly to any root vegetable and are particularly good when braised or roasted. Some chefs use their unique, sweet flavor in soups. Traditionally, they accompanied a Christmas roast beef.

My Favorite Parsnip Recipe:

Maple-glazed Parsnips: Simple to make and perfect for breakfast, maple-glazed parsnips highlight this sweet and oft-overlooked root vegetable.

What people are saying

Noelle says:

January 10, 2009 at 6:45 pm

We tried parsnips a couple of years ago as a family and have fallen in love. I put them in beef stew with carrots and potatoes all the time in winter. I love their mild taste and am hoping our CSA will have them next year.

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pam says:

January 10, 2009 at 8:09 pm

I love roasting parsnips with other root vegetables.

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Carrie at NaturalMomsTalkRadio says:

January 12, 2009 at 2:11 pm

Ooh we love parsnips around here, cooked with butter like you would cook carrots.

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