Harvesting Parsnips and Celeriac
Do you know... some vegetables taste even better after a frost? Many root vegetables are best when harvested in colder weather.
Here, at my Bedford, New York farm, much of my new raised bed vegetable garden is already cleared and cleaned for winter, but a few beds still continue to thrive with an abundance of parsnips, and one of my favorites, celeriac. These vegetables take the longest to reach maturity - about four months, but when they're finally picked, they're so delicious.
Enjoy these photos.
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- This half acre garden has produced bounties of wonderful vegetables this year. Even now that the weather is colder, we’re still able to harvest delicious organic produce.
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- Among them, celeriac – also known as celery root, knob celery, and turnip-rooted celery. It is a variety of celery; however, while celery is grown for its succulent stalk and foliage, celeriac is cultivated for its edible and bulbous stem or hypocotyl, and shoots.
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- The leaves of celeriac are also edible and can be chopped finely and used as a garnish or to flavor soups and stocks.
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- First, Ryan cuts the leafy stalks to reveal the celeriac.
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- And then he eases each ball slowly from the bed using a pitch fork.
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- Celeriac has many small roots, so it is sometimes hard to pull from the ground.
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- Once harvested, Ryan cuts off the stringy roots from the bottom of the celeriac ball.
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- Ryan does the same for each of the celeriac in the bed. He harvested two of these buckets full of celeriac. I’ll use them for soup. The flavor is very mild, slightly sweet and nutty, and doesn’t have any bitterness.
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- In just a few minutes, this bucket is full. Celeriac is a concentrated source of many nutrients, including vitamins C, K, B6, potassium, phosphorous, and fiber.
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- Next, Ryan moves to another bed to loosen the parsnips from the soil.
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- Ryan is careful when he uses the pitchfork – one does not want to pierce the parsnips if possible.
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- Once the soil surrounding the parsnips is loosened, Ryan pulls each parsnip carefully, much like harvesting carrots.
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- And out comes a well-sized parsnip. The parsnip is closely related to carrot and parsley, all belonging to the flowering plant family Apiaceae.
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- Parsnips have broad, hairless, ovate, compound pinnate leaves, up to six inches in length. These leaves and the stems can also be eaten or used to flavor soups and stews.
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- Here’s a closer look at one large parsnip being pulled from the ground.
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- Parsnips that are about eight to 10-inches long are the best tasting. They have thicker skin and a woodier center compared to carrots, but they are delicious cooked.
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- Ryan picked many parsnips and also filled two large trug buckets.
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- Here he is trimming the foliage off and getting them ready to bring up to my flower room for cleaning and storage.
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- When cleaning, wash the parsnips under cool running water using a vegetable brush. Never use soap. Once they are clean, they can be wrapped in paper towel and stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
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- The celeriac is also scrubbed thoroughly and placed into the refrigerator. I am always so excited to see what comes out of the garden. If you haven’t tasted them yet, give parsnips and celeriac a try – you’ll be glad you did.
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