Giant Black Russian Scorzonera - Scorzonera hispanica

The Giant Black Russian Scorzonera is an ancient vegetable plant also known as black salsify. This is a perennial, grown as an annual, offering tasty roots with black skin and white flesh. They can be consumed cooked as fries, in salads, with cream or butter. Sow from March to May for a harvest from October to April.

Scorzonera has been known since antiquity where it was used as a medicinal plant. Originally from the Iberian Peninsula, it was first consumed in the 17th century. Its root can be enjoyed cooked in salads, fries, with cream or butter. Scorzonera has digestive and diuretic properties and contains vitamins A and C, as well as calcium, iron, and magnesium.

Scorzonera is cultivated like salsify and requires a supply of well-decomposed compost (3 kg/m²) in late autumn or early spring.

Harvest: From October to April, as needed (they can be stored in the ground) by digging them up with a spade.

Storage: Scorzoneras can be stored for a few days in a cool place. They can be frozen after being blanched for a few minutes in boiling water. They can also be stored in a cellar for a few months, buried in sand.

Gardener's tip: Regular weeding and hoeing should be done, and the floral stems should be cut as soon as they appear.

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