Russian Giant Black Scorzonera - Vilmorin seeds

Giant Black Russian Scorzonera is an ancient vegetable plant known as black salsify. It is a perennial cultivated as an annual, grown for its tasty black-skinned and white-fleshed root. It can be cooked as fries, in salads, with cream or butter. It is sown from March to May for a harvest from October to April.

Scorzonera or Black Salsify has been known about since antiquity, when it was used as a medicinal plant. Originating from the Iberian Peninsula, it was first consumed in the 17th century. Its root can be enjoyed cooked in salads, as 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: Scorzonera can be stored for a few days in a cool place. It can be frozen after being blanched for a few minutes in boiling water. They can also be kept in a cellar for a few months, buried in sand.

Gardener's tip: Weed and hoe regularly, and cut the floral stems as soon as they appear.