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my parsnip are already large the top of the root is about the same size as a tennis ball and the foliage is about 3 ft tall. they look ready to pull but there not supposed to be ready til early autumn. they did go in early but should i wait

You could try one. But the flavour improves with a frost.

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Mark

Vegetable Kingdom blog

Is that really true about the frost? Surely the frost would only penetrate about a couple of inches deep. Would freezing the parsnip before thawing and cooking have the same effect?
Just curious because I have a few parsnips that look ready and am longing to get at 'em!

well i couldnt wait so ive pulled the beauty. see pics. it is 7" long and 2.5 " wide.

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When did you sow them? They look fine. You could always mimic the "frost effect" by storing in the fridge for a bit before you use them. Apparently the frost turns the starch in the roots into sugar so they taste sweeter.

Freeze em you got nothing to loose.Gardening is all about trial and error!!!!

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The greatness comes not when things go always good for you,but the greatness comes when you are really tested,when you take,some knocks,some disappointments;because only if youv'e been in the deepest valley can you ever know how magnificent it is to be on the highest mountain.

I can't see the roots on mine, but the foliage is about 2ft tall. Hope there is something going on underground!?

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pjh75

We sow the seed, nature grows the seed, we eat the seed.

You can eat your parsnips any time you like Hawthorns. Eat them as babies or leave in the ground til huge. Enjoy.

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From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.

My dad always told me, that if you leave your parsnips in the ground until after the first frosts then they will be sweeter than before. I have never experimented to disprove the theory.

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Gardening is the grandfather of Rock and Roll, its all about sex and drugs.

I started eating mine about a month ago. They're huge! They were so big I had difficulty pulling them up in one piece. Tasted delicious. Don't mean to brag, but they're one of my few successes.

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Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

Michael Pollan

i pulled up some baby carrots yesterday, and thought i'd pull up the biggest parsnip, it was about half the size of my little finger ..... i guess they take longer than carrots?

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I "pulled" up a few parsnips today. Broke a finger nail trying to dig one out, wiggled about with the fork to loosen the soil and still had a fight on my hands. Don't come out easy do they?

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A simple dude trying to grow veg.

http://haywayne.blogspot.com/ - Updated 30th November

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I wiggled the soil around my first sowing parsnip, which went in the lottie about mid april. The neck is about 2-3 inches wide.

I'm leaving it until the first frost, or until christmas; whichever is first. Then, taking it to my brother's, for him to cook. We don't have proper roast at Xmas, we have chilli, so my bro does a roast when we go there. Hopefully, we can provide ALL the veg this year for it.

Although, I don't want Xmas too soon, it comes around too quickly as it is.

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Andrea :wavehello

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...logs/zazen999/

moon trials completed:
tomatoes
[46% increase in crop per seed sown and 10% increase in crop per plant]

currently underway:
calabrese
garlic

http://linearlegume.blogspot.com/

If they are big enough, eat em! You never know when something might attack em.

Cut off the foliage, push a bulb planter deeply over the parsnip and pull.

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Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

Michael Pollan

I finally managed to grow parsnips !
(using the loo roll method)

I only grew half a dozen, so I've eaten half of them already and will save the other 3 for Xmas dinner

Next year I'll be sowing 100s now I know how to grow them

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~ What do I think of Western civilisation? I think it would be a very good idea ~ Gandhi

I've already pulled about a third of mine. They weren't huge, but sizeable and the taste was mighty fine! Only yesterday I made a vegetable curry with my homegrown parsnips, courgettes and tomatoes. Curried parsnip is MMMM MMMMMMMM!!! Got another 3 portions to go at, too!

Two sheds, I started all mine on the window sill in my dining room. Less hassle than the loo roll method!

we cant understand the fuss about parsnips...we just put ours in the raised bed and they grow....maybe cos it is fresh compost....any ideas???

Do you sow seed direct into raised beds?

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Mark

Vegetable Kingdom blog

yeah we do...one row nearly ready...and another row planted a fortnight ago coming thru now

OK, forgot to ask this, what compost do you use? I'm assuming no stones in compost so no forking of parsnips and the high humus content of fresh compost will retain moisture to promote germination and good growth.

It's good to hear you are sowing so late too as my parsnips were planted out about a month ago (loo roll method) and coming on strong.

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Mark

Vegetable Kingdom blog

we use levingtons multi purpose...

I had another small lot that I sowed as a trial, and pulled 3 today - they were great. Sown on kitchen roll March/April time and laid on the top of sand/compost mix once they had sprouted. Covered with a layer of compost and left alone ever since.

Roasted today with spuds and carrots. Lovely.

__________________
Andrea :wavehello

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...logs/zazen999/

moon trials completed:
tomatoes
[46% increase in crop per seed sown and 10% increase in crop per plant]

currently underway:
calabrese
garlic

http://linearlegume.blogspot.com/

Well there you go, everything would grow in that!

__________________
Mark

Vegetable Kingdom blog