Celery Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Fiber, Folate And Potassium, Today’s blog from Cedar Crest intern Toni is all about the wonderful vegetable parsnips. Parsnips look like a carrot but rather than being orange they look pale and can sometimes be white. Parsnips are relatives to the carrot, celeriac, and parsley root. Parsnips have celery like fragrance and a nutty taste.
This vegetable is in-season from October through February. Locally grown varieties of this vegetable are: All American, Hollow Crown, Gladiator, and Harris Model. Parsnips can grow up to 20 inches but are most tender when they are 8 inches long. When shopping for parsnips make sure you look for their color range of pale-yellow to off white, a firm to fairly smooth exterior, and avoid any parsnips that have moist spots.
The best way to store parsnips is in a perforated bag in the vegetable bin or crisper in a refrigerator. If parsnips have their green top, make sure you cut the green top off before storing due to moisture that may be drawn into the bag. Parsnips generally last up to three to four weeks.
Unlike their relative the carrot, parsnips must be cooked before eating due to how fibrous they are. When cooking this vegetable, make sure you do not overcook. Parsnips flavor is the best when they are just tender. They are a great addition to soups and stews. To bring out a parsnip’s sweetness, accent them with nutmeg, ginger, mace, or cinnamon.
Not only are parsnips great vegetables for the fall and winter season but they are also great nutritionally. Parsnips are a great source of folic acid, potassium, fiber, and vitamins C and K. Parsnips are low-calorie and have only 60 calories in a ½ cup serving.
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