Parsnip

The parsnip is a root vegetable related to the carrot, which it resembles, although it has a paler color and a stronger flavor. Like carrots, parsnips are native to Eurasia and have been eaten since ancient times. Indeed, until the potato arrived from the New World its place in dishes was occupied by the parsnip. Parsnips can be boiled, roasted or used in stews, soups and casseroles.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Parsnips are not grown in warm climates, since frost is necessary to develop their flavor. The parsnip is a favorite with gardeners in areas with short growing seasons. Sandy, loamy soil is preferred; silty, clay, and rocky soils are unsuitable as they produce short forked roots.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Seeds can be planted in early spring, as soon as the ground can be worked. February is the traditional month for sowing (in the Northern hemisphere) although it is better to wait until March when the ground has warmed. Harvesting can begin in late fall, after the first frost, and continued through winter, up until the ground freezes over.

Root vegetable: Root vegetables are underground plant parts used as vegetables. They are called root vegetables for lack of a better generic term, but include both true roots such as tuberous roots and taproots, as well as non-roots such as tubers, rhizomes, corms, and bulbs. Several types contain both taproot an...

Carrot: The carrot is a root vegetable, typically orange or white in color with a woody texture. The edible part of a carrot is a taproot....

Potato: The potato (plural form: potatoes) (Solanum tuberosum) is a perennial plant of the Solanaceae, or nightshade, family, grown for its starchy tuber. Potatoes are the world's most important tuber crop and fourth most important source of food energy (after rice, wheat, and maize): farmers and gardeners ...