@wildheartsease
My husband cleaned my fridge out one day and was so proud of himself for having done so. He says to me "I don't know how old those carrots were but they had turned white so I threw them out." Yep, he tossed my parsnips.
@mimmishoshan1587
Parsnips are very common in Scandinavia. I buy a bag every week for soups (yes; blended with the other veggies and beans they thicken soups without having to add flour), for roasting to delicious chips, for mashing with or without potatoes or pears (yes, super tasty; don’t forget the butter and black pepper).
@prayermanone
We grew parsnips here in Portland, OR in the 1970s. They will winter over in frozen ground and can be dug any time, they need a dry grass, straw or mulch cover in winter to keep them from freezing in the ground. The seed packets say to plant seed thick as the seeds have a low germination rate. Root crops really need extra room to grow though, as they need extra space to grow in. It needs good clean stone-free, rich soil is helpful.
@alimoharrer5801
I grow them here in the US! They are an absolutely effortless crop and they have the added benefit in my garden of serving as a larval host for swallowtail butterflies.
@davidp4456
I once had a French boss and took him for lunch in the works canteen here in the UK. It was near Christmas time and we were all served parsnips along with whatever else was on offer. We sat down and tucked in. He looked at his food and asked me “What’s this?” “Parsnips” I replied. He looked at it quizzically and said he’d never heard of them. I said “you must have seen these before”. He gave it a poke and a nibble and had a good think. After a little while he said “Yes, I know these. We feed them to animals”. Poor old parsnips, not a part of French cuisine, but tasty nonetheless.
@SteveHartman-my9rg
Turnips, Parsnips, emmer wheat, favs beans, buckwheat, rhubarb, soy beans in the pod, Good King Henry, Barley
@kanojo1969
Like every other country according to the comments, here in NZ the humble parsnip is a completely normal vegetable. When you buy a 'soup pack' of veges at the supermarket there's always a large parsnip taking up half the space. I didn't realise this wasn't a thing in some places... it's such a good ingredient.
@JW-yt7lr
I think what you mean is that Americans no longer eat these foods . Not because they dont want them , or like them , but because BigFarmer cannot grow or store these foods in bulk . Therefore, they cannot make a big profit on them . Also , supermarkets dont think these foods are 'pretty" and they have a shorter shelf life than potatoes .
@PallMall100s
We eat parsnips several times a week here in Sweden, Norway too. I think in Europe we use more parsnips more than in USA.
@jasondrummond9451
I found parsnip seed germination to be low. I also remember a fierce and prolonged winter fight - one miserable, rainy, cold November day. Me vs the parsnip. I eventually won, but I had to dig down three feet (with my pink patty paws ) to detach the bottom of the parsnip from the rocks at the bottom of the raised bed. It was HUGE. I was soaked and covered with mud, and took the thing home in triumph to convert into a massive tray of baked 'parsnip fries'. They were delicious - but I haven't grown parsnips since.
@forgottenprophet0
Man you just made me crave buckwheat pancakes, it's been years since I've had some.
@battles146
parsnips and turnips were 'normal' foods in medieval times as stews were a normal meal -- many european countries also grew oats to grow for their bannocks/oatcakes - During the medieval period, common vegetables included cabbage, onions, leeks, carrots, peas, beans, turnips, parsnips, garlic, radishes, and spinach. Here's a more detailed list of common medieval vegetables: Root Vegetables: Carrots, parsnips, turnips, beets, radishes, rutabagas. Onion Family: Onions, leeks, garlic, shallots, chives. Leafy Greens: Cabbage, spinach, kale, watercress, endive, lettuce. Legumes: Peas, beans, broad beans. Other Vegetables: Artichokes, squashes, fennel, celery, long beans, lentils, asparagus, kohlrabi. Important Notes: Potatoes, tomatoes, corn, and avocados were not part of the medieval diet as they originated in the Americas and were not introduced to Europe until the Age of Exploration (after 1492). Vegetables were often eaten in their growing seasons to diversify grain-based diets. Turnips and cabbage were particularly important due to their long shelf life and ability to withstand harsh climates. Medieval gardens were common, and nobles often had gardens that supplied their households with a variety of vegetables. Herbs like mint and parsley were also common and used in cooking. research it -
@BlueGardenCottage
Oh, it's not forgotten! Here in the UK, it's still a favourite especially as roasted roots and even more especially for Christmas dinner. It's a staple here along with potatoes. We LOVE our parsnips and I grow them every year. They really do stay in the ground fine over winter but they are biennial so if left in the ground by April, they send up new growth and go to seed. Perfect for saving your own seed as long as they aren't hybridised. If left past April, they tend to get a bit more woody and the core thicker. I simply cut the root in half lengthwise, run a small sharp knife along the woody core until it pops out and keep the outer layer for cooking into favourites, the core can then be used in a stock but my compost worms love it.
@zuzannanowicka6348
Buckwheat is an absolute staple in Poland (it also isn’t as expensive as it seems to be in the US - it’s actually rather cheap, I always have some in my cupboard), same as parsnips and fava beans (although those are a seasonal produce). We also eat sorrel soup during spring :)
@zuzannanowicka6348
I’m surprised that you skipped dandelions, sorrel, nettles, and other important, older and much more “forgotten” foods
@Kat-amber-t2z
I live in the Midwest in the US- we eat a lot of chicken, beef, corn, bread, and potatoes here. I'd never had a parsnip until I was an adult. Ditto for kale, quinoa, and lentils. As an adult I've been experimenting with more vegetables, including kale, quinoa, lentils- and parsnips. I actually hope to buy some parsnip seeds soon in case I need to plant a garden to be able to eat next year. (Hopefully I'll be okay this year.) I should try Good King Henry. I can't eat spinach- it makes me very ill. (Hence the kale.) I should look at the buckwheat, faro, and barley too, but I can only grow so much even if someone lets me plant stuff in their backyard if things get truly desperate. Peas and green beans are already on my list, being easy-to-eat nitrogen fixers. So are some others things- a good hardy winter squash, maybe potatoes just for how much you can grow in just one bin of soil. My favorite seasonings. Carrots, parsnips, and turnips. Maybe rutabagas too. Cabbage, and maybe kale. I'll let other people grow peppers, tomatoes, and corn. I'd like to add a fruit or two, but that's really a luxury in a garden. Really you just need enough vitamin C to avoid scurvy, which shouldn't be hard, since you can even make tea out of pine needles for that. And if i can find my notes I know how to process and store acorns for food, which is good because we do have oak trees here. I know some other local plants people think of as weeds too, which may yet become useful knowledge, as much as that would not be a good thing for anyone here.
@barbjot2430
In Poland, every gardener grows broad beans. We often eat buckwheat for dinner. It is perfect for goulash, and is added to soup. Parsnip is also a popular vegetable here.
@apparentlynot1stLeonchubbs
In Newfoundland Canada, we're still growing, eating and loving our parsnips 💪 They're part of our "Sunday dinners" alongside turnips, potatoes, cabbage and carrots.
@Ken-wg4zy
I found the video informative and entertaining. We sometimes forget how our cousins across the pond ate and survived year after year which is no small feat ! New subscriber. :)
@execbum1