Parsnips | Momzoo

Last season I tired a few new vegetables, like I do every year, one of them happened to be parsnips. I only planted a small patch, not knowing if we were going to like them or not. Everything I read about growing parsnips recommended that you leave them in the ground until the first freeze, it makes the root sweeter, and just to harvest as needed. My intention was to dig them up in the winter for some fresh produce, but as things got colder and the snow deeper, I put off digging them up. Luckily for me, parsnips winter over quite well and as the weather started to warm a little those hardy little parsnips started to grow again.

The weather around these parts has been unseasonible wet (flooding anyone?) and it has rained almost everyday (I wonder if this is what it is like in the Pacific Northwest, very strange weather for desert Utah). One afternoon there was a beautiful break in the clouds and rain and I ran out and harvested about half of the parsnips.

I love the pretty white color, it was fun to harvest something this early in the season, considering I missed planting any cool weather crops on account of being on modified bed rest last month. I sliced and boiled the parsnips, then toss them with a little butter. To say they weren’t our favorite is a huge overstatement, no one really liked them. However, I won’t give up on parsnips yet, it took me a couple years to get the kids to like beets (and now they love them) so I will try for a little while with the ol’ parsnips.

My question for you, dear readers, does anyone know of a better way to prepare parsnips for eating? I still have some left and I would like to serve them in a different way to see if we like them better.

Thanks!

7 thoughts on “Parsnips”

I love your blog but haven’t posted much here (if at all) because I really don’t know you personally. But on this on point I feel I must. I hated most foods until I met my husbands family and discovered all the new wonderful ways to eat food. Parsnips are now a favorite of mine. Why? Because his family slices them thin (1/4 inch?) and then fry’s them in butter. Not the healthist ways but they are so yummy that way. His grandma will pull out the frying skillet and add a large dab of butter in the bottom and then put in the almost sqaureish looking parsnips in the pan until cooked on both sides. I believe until soft. But not too soft because that’s gross. It’s a little thicker than homemade potato chips but that soft. Kind of. See this is why I don’t post. I ramble really well. Questions? Ask my hubby.

Momzoo on April 21, 2011 at 12:06 pm said:

Thanks for the suggestion, I will have to try that method. I love getting comments, even rambling ones from strangers! 😉

I have seen them used like mashed potatoes on Food Network shows. I have never tried them, but you might go to FoodNetwork.com to find something. They also might be a good raw vegie if they are sweet.

It’s actually best to let them go over the winter. I’ve never had parsnips any way but roasted. I used to just put them with the onions and potatoes under roast chicken. Now, *B* and I love roasted pears and parsnips. http://strivingsimply.blogspot.com/2011/01/my-first-fancy-cookbook.html

Yep, that is what it feels like to live in the Pacific NW–except I imagine it would be even more depressing for you since you usually don’t get a lot of rain:)

Actually, the weather this year has been abnormally cold and wet due to La Nina. I have heard before that our weather can influence yours–but I am not sure where I heard that. Anyway, I hope for both of our sakes (and for the farmers up here which are suffering because of the cold, wet ickiness) that the weather soon stays as good as it has been this week:)

Regarding parsnips–I think my mom may have used them in stews or?? but I will have to ask my sibling because I honestly don’t remember the details–sorry!

Blessings,
Aimee

My grandma used to whip them up like mashed potatoes, and then pretended they WERE potatoes, convinced we’d eat them unknowingly! YUCK! Sorry, no great suggestions from me, I haven’t eaten them since…

I am not totally in love with parsnips (yet) except mashed with potatoes. So instead of having just mashed parsnips, have mashed potatoes and parsnips. You won’t have to pretend they are potatoes. It’s delicious.

Cutey on April 21, 2011 at 11:38 am said:

I love your blog but haven’t posted much here (if at all) because I really don’t know you personally. But on this on point I feel I must. I hated most foods until I met my husbands family and discovered all the new wonderful ways to eat food. Parsnips are now a favorite of mine. Why? Because his family slices them thin (1/4 inch?) and then fry’s them in butter. Not the healthist ways but they are so yummy that way. His grandma will pull out the frying skillet and add a large dab of butter in the bottom and then put in the almost sqaureish looking parsnips in the pan until cooked on both sides. I believe until soft. But not too soft because that’s gross. It’s a little thicker than homemade potato chips but that soft. Kind of. See this is why I don’t post. I ramble really well. Questions? Ask my hubby.
- Momzoo on April 21, 2011 at 12:06 pm said:
  
  Thanks for the suggestion, I will have to try that method. I love getting comments, even rambling ones from strangers! 😉
Bret Hutchision on April 21, 2011 at 11:54 am said:

I have seen them used like mashed potatoes on Food Network shows. I have never tried them, but you might go to FoodNetwork.com to find something. They also might be a good raw vegie if they are sweet.
StrivingSimply on April 21, 2011 at 5:06 pm said:

It’s actually best to let them go over the winter. I’ve never had parsnips any way but roasted. I used to just put them with the onions and potatoes under roast chicken. Now, *B* and I love roasted pears and parsnips. http://strivingsimply.blogspot.com/2011/01/my-first-fancy-cookbook.html
Aimee on April 21, 2011 at 5:15 pm said:

Yep, that is what it feels like to live in the Pacific NW–except I imagine it would be even more depressing for you since you usually don’t get a lot of rain:)

Actually, the weather this year has been abnormally cold and wet due to La Nina. I have heard before that our weather can influence yours–but I am not sure where I heard that. Anyway, I hope for both of our sakes (and for the farmers up here which are suffering because of the cold, wet ickiness) that the weather soon stays as good as it has been this week:)

Regarding parsnips–I think my mom may have used them in stews or?? but I will have to ask my sibling because I honestly don’t remember the details–sorry!

Blessings,
Aimee
Casey on April 21, 2011 at 9:31 pm said:

My grandma used to whip them up like mashed potatoes, and then pretended they WERE potatoes, convinced we’d eat them unknowingly! YUCK! Sorry, no great suggestions from me, I haven’t eaten them since…
Christine on May 5, 2011 at 2:21 pm said:

I am not totally in love with parsnips (yet) except mashed with potatoes. So instead of having just mashed parsnips, have mashed potatoes and parsnips. You won’t have to pretend they are potatoes. It’s delicious.