You may remember my Pipes of Peace post from earlier in the year or whatever it was called. I had 8 drain pipes growing long parsnips and 6 with long carrots. I ‘harvested’ the parsnips last week for my local show and I managed to get the six best parsnips I’ve ever grown:
The variety was Gladiator and they were about 3′ 3″ long with a great skin condition. A very successful experiment.
We had them with a roast dinner the day after the show and they tasted lovely, all that nonsense about letting the frost get to them, just stick ‘em in the fridge for a couple of days to sweeten them up a bit. But whatever you do don’t get burnt!
This is my 200th post over the last 21 months. And I’ve enjoyed every one but most of all your comments and feedback. Thanks to you all!! Please scroll down to the bottom of the post page for the comments box.
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August 27, 2011 at 9:06 am
Jo
Well worth all the effort. I was wondering if they’d be any good to eat so it was interesting to hear they tasted good.
August 27, 2011 at 9:10 am
Damo
I love parsnips though Jo so to be honest I’d eat them all year round if I could and my pallette isn’t sophisticated enough to notice the difference between a pre and post-frost snip but I have been told putting them in the fridge does the same job as the frost breaking them down a bit – not sure of the science here. The top 18 inches went in the roasting tray so not bad at all!
August 27, 2011 at 9:12 am
Carrie
Congratulations on some truly amazing parsnips – we grow this variety but never to such lengths.
Happy 200th post xxxx May there continue to be many more, cos I like this blog
August 27, 2011 at 9:21 am
Damo
Thanks very much Carrie, that’s very kind of you! I have created a very artificial environment for these though; the ones in the normal bed are the usual parsnips – quite a few forked for some reason but I’m saving that disappointment for an Autumn post. I have enough harvested and buried in a sand box in the garage to keep us going until then.
August 27, 2011 at 9:21 am
Richard
They look great, Damo. I just hope my tube grown roots are as good when I come to pull them for 24/9
August 27, 2011 at 9:47 am
Damo
Thanks Richard and best of luck for next month!
August 27, 2011 at 9:24 am
Sue
Well done on the parsnip front and also on reaching 200 blog posts.
As for frost – it’s supposed to turn plant starch into plant sugars. We once had our potatoes frosted in the garage and ended up with sweet potatoes. Apparently they were considered spoiled but we rather liked them!
August 27, 2011 at 9:48 am
Damo
Thanks very much Sue, I’m sure the frost does make a difference but I enjoyed the August parnsips very much!
August 27, 2011 at 3:27 pm
Janet/Plantaliscious
Wow… Happy 200th post Damo, and congrats on the parsnips.
August 27, 2011 at 5:12 pm
Damo
Thanks very much Janet.
August 28, 2011 at 2:23 pm
Flighty
Well done on 200 posts, and here’s to seeing lots more!
Those parsnips look very impressive indeed, and it’s good to know that they tasted good.
August 28, 2011 at 6:05 pm
Damo
Thanks very much Flighty we’ve just had some more for dinner, all the veg out of the garden, carrots, green beans, potatoes, parsnips and roasted beetroot. Delicious!
August 31, 2011 at 7:03 am
trevorhunt
Well done Damo. Good work. I will look forward to reading your progress in the garden as l eventually hand mine over to its new ‘tenants’ in a couple of weeks. Those parsnips are something else!
August 31, 2011 at 6:01 pm
Damo
Thanks very much Trevor that’s very kind of you.
October 16, 2011 at 8:49 pm
allotment81
Those are stonking good parsnips. Well done, that man!
December 28, 2011 at 11:26 am
Review of 2011 « Two Chances Veg Plot Blog
[...] of the Class My best ever carrots and parsnips this year. And it was a cracking year for beetroot, we had barrowfuls of them. Strawberries and [...]