Parsnips

Hello everyone. I've read back but cannot find the answer to this question - and sorry if I have missed it and am double posting.............

I sowed some parsnips back in early April and then again about 4 weeks later. The first batch are really big and I have dug away at the soil and they look good enough to eat and the size is perfect. Is it true that I have to leave them until after the first frosts? They will surely be the size of a house by then and perhaps not as nice as they are now?

Also, I have finished with the brocolli - didn't sow enough unfortuantely, but it was good. Is there anything I can put in the same place now? The brocolli were close to the tomatoes which all got the blight and were destroyed.

And - sorry about all the questions - what can I do with the soil which had the tomatoes in as I assume it is contaminated now?

Thanks in advance peeps. :D

 

If the parsnips are the size you want, dig some up and try them!
This site has a list of things you can still plant:-
http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/todo_now/veg_gard_now.php
The soil where the tomatos were is still usable, just don't plant the toms and potatoes on it next year.

[ 19. July 2007, 07:57 PM: Message edited by: Liz ]

 

Thank you Liz. That's a good site you have recommended. I've added it to my favourites. I don't use chemicals unless absolutely necessary i.e. for deseases - so look forward to learning a lot from that site (as well as here of course).

I'll have some parsnips this weekend. and get some seeds in.

:D :D

 

Thanks for that link Liz. I found the section about saving tomato seed very interesting.

 

Hi kryssy..i have always found parsnips taste much better when left until the frost hits them....dheers....freddy.

 

kryssy..i just noticed that you`re from France,so i was wondering,do you get frosts the same time as we do ? freddy.

 

Oh yes, Freddy, we do get frosts. We are between the Blond Mountains (actually hills compared to Scotland) and the Massive Central and boy, can we get cold in the winter. Sometimes down to minus 15 degrees. Our winters are shorter though than UK but we do have it wet here too. It is always green here - that's a clue!!

I dug up some parsnips this weekend and they were delicious. I gave some to my french neighbour as they don't really do parsnips here. (I had to travel over 100 kms last Christmas to find some!!) He looked confused but I told his wife to roast them like potatoes and today she said that they really like them. I have also introduced them to runner beans - although they cannot understand why english beans run. No sense of humour!!

My only concern is that they will keep on growing until winter and will be either too big or too past it to taste nice. I suppose it is too late now to plant some more as we really would like to eat them now.

 

Hello kryssy..dont worry about them getting too large,parsnips are one of the few veggies that actually improve,as long as you let the frost hit them.Once frosted they may not LOOK as nice, but the flavour!You may want to remove the core when preparing them as this can sometimes be a little tough,but,once roasted they are so tender and in my opinion have a more delicate flavour.

 

Righto Freddy, I'll do that. Anyway, I cannot roast them now if I wanted to as hubby is installing a new kitchen - well thinking about it anyway. He stripped out the old in on 1st JUNE!! Had no oven since. Perhaps by the time Christmas rolls around I'll be ready to do a bit of roasting. I cheated this weekend and par-boiled the parsnips then pan fried them. If I shut my eyes they could have been roasted - still they did taste nice nonetheless.

I will wait!!

Can I sow some more then?

 

It`s probably a bit late for another sowing but if you have the space, why not try it? We sometimes part boil and deep fry ours,quick and easy and still taste real good!I find they taste best when not overdone,light/golden brown is enough.

 

Leaving in the ground until the frosts start is the best way to improve the flavour.

Parsnips contain a large amount of starches which turn into sugars with exposure to cold weather.

I suggest you leave them where they are until you need them!

 

I'm being really good now and not digging up any more parsnips until after the frosts

 

I was impatient when it came to waitng for the frost to do its job of getting at the parsnips I planted.
I pulled them up early, and they tasted great I'm glad to say.

 

With the winters we get now you could wait a long time for a decent frost.

 

I agree with oktarine, its always been said that a change takes place in the roots with the onset of winter, brussel sprouts are another winter veg that seems available before it should these days.
Ever tried potatos that have been exposed to near frost temps, they taste sweet.
Its not nice in spuds but is Ok in parsnips.