When to harvest parsnips

[w33blegurl]

Having had a little poke around in my veggie beds, I have realised how big my parsnips are getting. Many of them are a pretty respectable size and would probably make a good accompanyment to a roast dinner!!

In the back of my mind though, I remember hearing that parsnips are best left and not harvested until after the first frosts as it makes them sweeter. Is this correct or could I be eating parsnips now if I wanted?

Cheers!

[TEB]

Yes a frost will make the parsnip sweeter but you may be waiting for a few more months for that to happen in Kent, I would probably pull one now if they seem large enough - purely as a taste test

[Pumpkin Becki]

It wouldn't hurt to pull a few now for eating, it will actually make a bit more space for those left behind, so will encourage them to grow further still, but generally yes, parsnips are considered an autumn/winter crop, and a touch of frost certainly makes them sweeter. I actually left mine in the ground all winter instead of digging them up and having to store them somewhere. I was still pulling edible one up in May just as i was sewing this years lot.

[Nicos]

I too recall reading about parsnips and sprouts are sweeter after a good frost...but you know- I've wondered about this before- with all the new varieties around these days whether that only really applied to the older varieties????

Would be good if you could do a taste test w33blegurl...(and anyone else out there with parsnips)

Can you imagine leaving them until the first frosts only to find that they've gone too big and woody

[Emma R]

I lifted some parsnips two weeks ago to give the others some space. They were slightly small but tasted lovely roasted.

[w33blegurl]

Thanks for that.....will give them a try on Sunday with a lovely roast chicken and let you know how they taste!!

[Wren]

Why not pull a few an pop them in the freezer for half an hour before you cook them. Same effect .

Wren

[rustylady]

If you really want them frosted, why not pull them and put them either in the fridge or the freezer for a little while

[solway cropper]

We had roast parsnips with our chicken last night. I just couldn't resist pulling a few because the foliage looked so big and healthy. They could probably do with a few months longer in the soil but who cares. Looked at some in Tesco's today and thought 'I bet they don't taste as good as mine'

[toastie]

Sprouts and parsnips are better after a frost as it makes then sweeter - don't think putting them in the fridge would be the same. As ours are nowhere near ready yet, my partner bought two from Morrisons last week to put into a stew (can't believe the weather has been so bad that we are having stew in July). However, I digress, we used one of the bought ones in the stew and the other was put in the vegetable rack - within two days it was already soft and ended up in the recyling bin - who knows how long the supermarket had them. Will definately wait until my own fruit/veg is ready to be eaten/stored.