P*****p help please

[Dave & Kate N Wales]

hubby has just pulled up 3 p*****ps as the leaves hjad gone brown and died and they seem to have canker so he thinks we should pull them all up now. Is this ok to do now as they are not supposed to be ready yet. Also what shoud i do with them all as we have virtually no freezer space at the mo.
Thanks
Katie

[annacruachan]

That's a difficult one, Katie. I suppose there are too many to eat now?
You can include parsnip in piccalilli, of course, and you can bottle them.
I've even seen crisps made from parsnips instead of potatoes! You could try!
Could you prevail on a friend for freezer space in exchange for some of them?
Hope you find a solution.

[rustylady]

If the other plants look healthy I would leave them in for a bit. You can of course pull and eat any that you want to - if they're big enough to eat then they are ready, regardless of the calendar.

[Alison]

I find that parsnips are a bit tasteless at this time of year - so much sweeter after the frosts so I'd be inclined to leave all the ones which look OK.

[Dave & Kate N Wales]

Hi they are nice and big but unfortuately have carrot root fly too so very disppointed as 1st yr we'v managed to grow the things. Got half up but not much useable parsnip on them so will get the rest up later this week when kids back at school. Hopigthe other bed of them in the back garden will be ok as these were at the side of the house

[Ruth M C]

I don't know anything about canker but I've just thinned my parsnips out and will pickle the small thinnings (is this a proper word?) in brine. Parsnips do need a frost to turn the starch into sugars so I've bunged them into odd corners of the freezer. Will get them out let and then pickle them. It's only an experiment but it should be fun.

KR
Ruth