Here are the chips frying in the pan: Why do I even write even about something as ordinary as fish and chips? It’s the chips, innit. Here’ what I made my chips out of: Yes, these are the first parsnips of the season. Ugly as sin, but with a taste that is divine. You can see by the forking that the soil my bed was too rich. They would not win any prizes in an agricultural competition, but they are ours and they are delicious.
I grew parsnips when I lived in Washington State. I tried them one year here and got nothing. At that time I had just 1 raised bed, so after that, I only grew what what I knew would do well. Since I now have more space I should try again. Yours look great all cooked up, Sjoerd.
Thanks Pac— it was delicious. Daniel— ta mate. Oreti— me too. It is known as a “forgotten vegetable” over here, but I find them so delicious. I will say that they are difficult to get germinated some years. One must get everything just right. Willow—Chapeau to you for trying. They can be difficult to grow with getting everything right. Having said that, if they germinate then they are on their way and as long as the soil isn’t too rich or have stones in it…they ought to just make it to harvest time without a problem. A few years ago, I used to have to plant the seeds a couple of times to get enough. What I did with great success was to soak those seeds overnight (sometimes for two days) in a wet paper towel. After that time, you will see the tiny pointed tip of the first root coming out of the seeds. The benefit of this is obvious— when you plant them they are already coming along and the chance of failure is almost zero. If you like the taste of parsnips, don’t give up, carry on. Clay— cheers for that. Well, harvesting them this early may not be the correct thing to do, but I sure did enjoy the. We will wait until after the first frost for the main harvest. Also we like them in purée form.
Thanks for the advice, Sjoerd. In Washington I did just plant the seeds and if I remember correctly they just kept coming back. Of course I planted a lot back then, so I could be remembering something else. I'll try it your way next season.