Shopping at a produce market a couple of years ago, the clerk who was scanning my purchases suddenly stopped, holding a bag of vegetables aloft.
“What is this?” he asked, puzzled.
“Parsnips,” I answered, taken aback. After all, this was a produce market, specializing in all things vegetal and these taproots were by no means the most unusual thing in the store – at least not by my standards.
“I’ve never sold any of these,” the clerk continued, as he placed them in my bag.
Now I was worried. How long had these parsnips been sitting in the display? But because parsnips have a long shelf life – lasting four to six months in a cool, dry place, like a root cellar and two to three weeks in a refrigerator – I wasn’t that concerned. Plus, these parsnips didn’t look old. They had yet to soften and wrinkle with age. And so, I paid for them and left, baffled by the experience.
But it turns out, I would eventually become accustomed to this exchange. I buy parsnips often. Close relatives of carrots, cilantro, parsley and fennel (all members of the Umbelliferae family), parsnips are nevertheless an uncommon part of today’s American diet. But that hasn’t always been the case.
Brought to this country by European colonizers, the parsnip was once the most popular starchy vegetable on both continents. Unfortunately, although the parsnip is still lauded by British cooks, in America the vegetable fell out of favor when the potato was introduced.
Now, when they are served, parsnips in the US are often mistaken for a “white carrot,” an error swiftly corrected with just one taste, because a parsnip not only has more sweetness, it has spiciness as well.
And while the two vegetables are nutritionally similar – with comparable water and carbohydrate content – when it comes to minerals – especially magnesium – parsnips are the clear winner.
So, what happened? Why did Americans switch to potatoes, which are far less nutritionally dense, with far less flavor?
I don’t believe the answer lies in versatility. Parsnips lend themselves to a variety of cooking methods including, most commonly, roasting and mashing, with (if I do say so myself) an even tastier outcome than potatoes. And parsnips can be utilized in at least one way potatoes simply can’t – in baked goods like cakes and muffins where, once they are grated, they can be used like a carrot with comparable results.
And I don’t believe storage is the issue because, as I mentioned before, parsnips, carrots and potatoes are stored in a root cellar or another cool, dry, dark space, with a shelf life of several months.
Which brings me to cultivation. Here is where the challenge may lie. Because, while potatoes are considered easy to grow – propagated from seed potatoes, just one many-eyed potato can produce a handful of new potatoes grown quickly in a wide range of soil types – parsnips are not.
Grown from true seeds that exhibit a short viability period, parsnips require well-drained, stone-free soil and four to six months of growing time with a bit more consistent care. In other words, parsnips are a more difficult commodity crop to grow, making this the most likely reason parsnips have fallen out of favor, relegated to a tiny corner of the produce section in most American markets.
But I am out to change all that one parsnip at a time, starting with growing them in my own garden, which I have found is surprisingly easy. In fact, I have experienced more success growing parsnips than carrots.
And while this year’s planting window has passed for those home gardeners who would like to grow their own – parsnip seeds are typically sown in early spring, then harvested in late fall. It is still possible to find parsnips at your local farmers’ market or produce store. Then you too can discover how wonderful cooking with this vegetable can be. Just don’t be surprised if you get a few quizzical looks.
