Parsnips

[pigletwillie]

Normally we lift these as required and therefore do not need to store in any way.

However today I have had to lift a dozen whoppers and whilst some will be chopped up and frozen for use in soups and stews, I want to cut some into wedges to freeze with the aim of being able to just grab a handful to roast them in the oven as yuo would fresh.

Will this work or will they turn out all rubbery or soggy?

[shirlthegirl43]

I have no experience of freezing parsnips but the Good Housekeeping Cookery Book says to choose young parsnips, trim, peel and cut into narrow strips. Blanch for one minute, cook, drain and pack. Not sure your monsters will qualify as young parsnips so maybe others have better freezer books.

[rustylady]

I don't bother with the blanching, as I find this can make them soggy. I would just cut them into wedges, open freeze and then pack into a bag or tub.

[Hazel at the Hill]

....or make spiced parsnip soup a la Sarah Ravens which is delicious, and will quite happily freeze.

[valmarg]

Piglet, go to Delia's Christmas cookbook page 142 - Parmesan-Baked Parsnips. I can recommend these being frozen at the par-boiled/coated in flour/parmesan/milled black pepper stage.

Tony regularly does these to that stage, when cold open freezes, then bags up. Just take as many out of the bag as you need and bake as instructed.

In the unlikely event you haven't got Delia's Christmas cookbook, you should be able to find the recipe on deliaonline.co.uk. Failing that I can always type it out for you.

Can't recommend them highly enough!!

valmarg

[lottie dolly]

hello piglet. I am new to the vine and just seen your request about the parsnips,I have prepared my parsnips in two different ways for the freezer,and both are still a great flavour when used,1 after peeling cut up into cubes size of your choice ,bag and freeze,will not stick together if shaken during freezing,,,2 cut into large chunks,place in a roasting tin sprinkle with oil,part roast in the oven,when cooled bag and freeze,it's handy having some pre-prepared for when time is short,and neither ways are soggy, swede can alse be frozen without blanching,if not sure try a small amount,freeze use next day,easy.

[pigletwillie]

Brilliant, will try those, thanks for the help all.

[veg4681]

Thanks for the freezing tips. How well do Parsnips keep before you should consider freezing them? Just that I bought 4 of 500g packs of them as they were reduced down to 20p each from Sainsbury. Will most likely only finish off 1 pack by end of the weekend. Hope I don't get too many at this price next year when I'm growing my own .

[lottie dolly]

hello veg4681
as with anything,as long as it is still quite firm there is no proplem,the shop ones are usually a lot smaller than home grown,so might be better to just peel wash and part roast,less fiddly.

[veg4681]

Thanks lottie dolly for your reply, just froze some of them cut into big chunks as I'm feeling too lazy to part roast . If they're any mushy, I dont mind turning them into soup, just as yummy.

[lottie dolly]

not only soup but is also very tasty mashed in with potato

[Hazel at the Hill]

If I peel and freeze (or part roast and freeze) my parsnips, do I have to defrost before use, or cook from frozen?

If I can cook (raw) parsnip from frozen how much longer do you roast them for?

[lottie dolly]

hello hazel at the hill i just put the parsnips straight into the roasting tin,straight from the freezer,there is no set time limit to cooking them,look at the colour and give it a poke with the tip of the veggie knife,it depends on how well you like them done,we like them on the softer side,i do find that parsnips tend to take a lot longer to roast than the spudz,what i do for quickness when i do a mixed roots and squash roast is after chopping into chuncks is part cook in microwave until they are at the ready to roast stage,do a few at a time as each takes a different cooking time,in meantime,chop up onion and put it uncooked in the roasting tin,followed by the other part cooked ones,drizzle with olive oil and roast until it looks done and the aroma is mmmmm around the kitchen

[Hazel at the Hill]

Lottie Dolly you are a star - thank you very much - love the part microwave idea!

[lottie dolly]

glad to be of help,hazel at the hill

grow ,prepare ,cook ,eat,what ccould be better