Parsnip storing advice please.

[Newton]

So are we best to leave them in situ or dig, prep and freeze? Mine look fantastic at the moment! I've not even had a furtle underneath!

[Snadger]

I dig mine fresh on the day I need them.

The problem with lifting them before they've finished growing is that you may have problems storing immature snips.

Freezing should be ok as it captures the flavour (albeit at the expense of texture) but once stuff goes into long term storage it depreciates quickly.

I like to harvest my veg and do as Bob Flowerdew does, run to the kitchen and plop them into the already boiled pan of water.

[marchogaeth]

OK, I've been out and dug some of mine up. They were all sown together, in the same bed, but what a difference ...

Do you know why you got the difference?

[marchogaeth]

I dig mine fresh on the day I need them.

The problem with lifting them before they've finished growing is that you may have problems storing immature snips.

Freezing should be ok as it captures the flavour (albeit at the expense of texture) but once stuff goes into long term storage it depreciates quickly.

I like to harvest my veg and do as Bob Flowerdew does, run to the kitchen and plop them into the already boiled pan of water.

I just didn't want the big ones to get any bigger. If I hadn't wanted the beds, I would have harvested the big ones and left the small ones to grow on. I'll be prepered next year, it's still my first year of growing. There was 16lb which will last a while, hopefully.

Clearly I'll have to keep a close eye on the bag and check on how they're storing.

[Chocolate8me]

just looked at your pic,did you feed the young plants?,i grow my beans on fertilised ground ,following year the onion family then third year,carrots and parsnips,they dont seem to fork then,i hope the rest are okay for you..

I put the seeds direct in the fresh soil & compost (75% & 25% respectively). I read about parsnips 'fanging' & chances are it's because the compost was new. I will be growing them in a seed tray next year & planting them as seedlings in the hope they will stand more chance of growing normally. Thank you btw

[Alison]

I never even start digging mine up until near Christmas time and always leave them in the ground until then. Find that the modern varieties don't get woody as they get larger like the older types and find that they're a lot nicer stored insitu (not got space in the freezer anyway )

[SeleneMourie]

I've been having a think as when to pull mine up as well. We have pulled a few up just to be nosey and roasted them with honey yum!
They were sown direct in May time i think and the biggest one was an inch wide at the top.



Will they be ok to leave in the ground until nov / dec as i really don't have the freezer space!

I dug up a bunch of carrots the other day and they were riddled with carrot fly white wiggle larvae Gutted as i only have a tiny plot

[stella]

Mine are huge to. Do they freeze ok then??? How do I freeze them please

[rustylady]

I will be growing them in a seed tray next year & planting them as seedlings in the hope they will stand more chance of growing normally. Thank you btw

Don't sow them in a seed tray - tap rooted veg like parsnips and carrots don't transplant well. If you must start them off in containers use loo roll inners.

[Dead Dogs]

When I last got a glut of p-nips, I stored them in one of these

Looks to be a lovely brew Two Sheds. What is it?
Hope its not Pee-nip.

[Alison]

Will they be ok to leave in the ground until nov / dec as i really don't have the freezer space!

They store best in the ground in my oppinion and I would never consider freezing them unless they were part of a dish I'd prepared. At this time of year they will still be growing so you'll get more root too if you leave them insitu.

[BUFFS]

this years weather has delayed the growth on mine,came up in the end of march,then did nothing til the cold snaps stopped in may,so reckon mine are about 8/9 weeks behind,as the topsoil in that area is over 3ft deep(old victorian veg patch) they will be left in situ til required for the table,on a seperate note,what was last weeks heatwave like?,we heard nothing else on the weather reports as they gave us temps that we got nowhere near,heating on and winter jumpers,it must be summer.............