Parsnips
Pastinaca sativa
October - March
Cooking Tips
- Parboil, then finish by roasting, braising, sautéing in butter or grilling.
- Boil with potatoes (1 part parsnips; 2 parts potatoes) and mash with milk, butter and garlic.
- Add parsnips to stews.
- Roast with other root veggies until they are caramelized. Serve with roast or pork chops.
Details
Parsnips are a root vegetable with a divided following due to its unusual flavor—it seems they’re either loved or hated. Ripe parsnips should smell of parsley and carrots, will be white and around 9 to 11 inches long for the best tenderness. Pass up very large parsnips or ones that have started to sprout new top growth, as these are likely to be tough. The best parsnips are found after the first frost, which sweetens them slightly.
Nutrition: A half-cup serving of boiled parsnips provide decent amounts of vitamin C, folic acid and potassium.
Related Recipes
Spring-Dug Parsnip Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Spring 2025
Parsnip & Chive Latkes
Spring 2020
Maple Browned Butter Parsnips
Spring 2020More Recipes With Parsnips
Related Stories
Sweeter on the Other Side
February 28, 2025
Spring-dug Parsnips
March 7, 2020
What’s in Season: May
May 27, 2016
Finding Our Roots
April 11, 2013
More Stories With Parsnips
Edible in your mailbox
