Growing Parsnips - and springtime

Parsnips

Okay then – Parsnips!  All winter I’ve been noshing my way through last year’s crop ( well, with the exception of the times when the ground has been totally frozen. They are very deep rooted and impossible to harvest then.)– they’re just beginning to  get a little ‘woody’ in the centre and I think this is the time to lift all of the remainder of the crop and use them, not least because I need the ground they are using. Always I buy too many potato seed and just now, I’m looking around for spaces I can plant them in which didn’t have potatoes last year ( and preferably the year before as well). This doesn’t always work out.

We can look at these plans of the three year rotation and hope to plan our plots around this perfect system. However, when I took over my plot, it had been sadly neglected and was totally overgrown with couch grass and amazingly strong nettle plants ( now, for some people these latter might be ‘the business’ but, for me – I HATE nettles – though I do put them in my tub of organic liquid fertilizer, among other things – more later!).

I started by digging each day, three ridges across my plot and removing by hand each plant and root of persistent weeds. These included mostly – nettles, couch grass and that unbelievably persistent weed, cinquefoil – even now, three years on, I have got on top of the couch grass and the nettles but, the cinquefoil is still an irritation. This weed is very deep rooted and broken off roots will regrow. That said, I will keep at it, removing each plant as it raises its unwelcome head.

Now, back to parsnips.  I prepared a  piece of ground I had allocated for parsnips. They don’t like manure so, it’s okay if manure was added for last year’s crop of whatever. As this vegetable is a strong, deep rooted vegetable, the ground needs to be reasonably well tilled to a reasonable depth – 2 spades depth. That said, I am growing on VERY heavy clay and I don’t ever double dig ( ie – digging to a 2 spade depth). I don’t have the energy or strength or time to do this – nor am I convinced that it is very effective – and I know there are people out there who will disagree with me – ‘in spades’.  But, we have to do what is effective on our plots, for the most amount of production, for the least amount of effort, for the least amount of damage of our ground and environment.

This year I sowed my parsnip seed a week ago – a different variety this year. I don’t know why I changed. Up to now I have sown ‘Tender and True’ from Dobies. They are a basic reliable seed and ‘do the business’. Although, I did sow twice last year – under cloches in February ( total disaster – not one seed germinated, though possibly because, under the cloche, the ground got too dry, in spite of my frequent watering, or maybe it was not frequent enough!). I sowed again in late March and, had an excellent crop. But, each year is very different. A February sowing in one year can be excellent but is disastrous in different weather conditions the next.

This year, I have waited until March before sowing and have changed to F1 Picador ( from Dobies). Now it might be a total disaster but, it will give me time to re-sow if necessary.

What do we do with last year’s crop – still looking good! Well believe it or not, we can freeze them. I’ve never done this before so. I will get back to you on how successful it might be:

·         Wash, and peel the parsnips – where necessary cut out the woody hearts.

·         Cut into roastable sized pieces

·         Blanche in boiling water for 3 – 4 minutes

·         Dry on kitchen paper or a clean teatowel.

·         Place in a freezer container – spray with olive oil ( or melted butter, if you’re feeling dangerous!)

·         Cover with non-stick greaseproof paper and repeat in layers.

·         Cover, and freeze.

I’m told this is a good way to preserve parsnips but, the proof as they say, is in the eating – will get back to you.

Please, if you have any experience in this or any other of my ideas – get back to me