Parsnip Arrow - Pastinaca sativa

Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) is an ancient vegetable, cultivated since the Middle Ages. Its wild form grows spontaneously in France and Europe. It belongs to the Apiaceae family, like the carrot, to which it is quite similar.

It is a vegetable that has seen a renewed interest in recent years, well-deserved. Its quite distinctive flavor accompanies pot-au-feu and stews and perfumes soups. It is also consumed fried, sautéed, mashed, gratin, or in béchamel sauce. Raw and grated, it can be enjoyed as a salad, alone or accompanied by beetroot, carrot, celeriac...). Parsnips have diuretic, nutritional, and anti-rheumatic properties, and contain vitamins C and B and minerals.

Parsnips require normal fertilization (3kg/m²) with well-decomposed manure and compost in late autumn or early spring. Be careful, they do not tolerate undecomposed organic fertilizers.

Harvest and storage: The harvest takes place in November, the leaves are cut and the roots are left to dry for a few hours on the ground before being stored in the cellar. Alternatively, parsnips can be left in the ground and the roots harvested as needed. In this case, it is preferable to cover the soil with straw or dry leaves.

The gardener's tip: In mild climates, parsnips can be sown towards the end of September.