What Has Happened To Parsnips?

[Frank-the-Wool]

Christmas Dinner we always have roast Parsnips and they used to be lovely and sweet and a bit crispy. I would eat them as much as roast Potatoes.
However the last few years they just seem to cook down to the size of small carrots and go all rubbery.

I guess they are mostly imported from Spain these days and grow too fast, not like the old English ones from out of the Fens which have more flavour.
Do we still grow them in this country apart from in the Garden?

 

[Gong Farmer]

To get their best taste they need to be frosted. Always taste better when lifted after the first frost. Maybe today's supply chains don't allow for this, plus not many autumn frosts in Spain etc?

 

[Northern territory]

Huntapac grow quite a lot on the sand up here in Yorkshire. Probably right about the frosts.

 

[Mc115reed]

Huntapac and Bartlett’s grow a lot of parsnips but Id imagine the majority of the uks supply is from Spain.,,

 

[Jerry]

Plenty of snips grown in the uk. Used to do 30 plus acres a year but soil damage and pricing meant i could not carry on.

This was lifting a few years ago in near perfect conditions.

Local grower does about 200 acres a year.

Variety choice is important. Gladiator is in my opinion the best variety for flavour.

Frosts also lift the sugar levels.

But key is snips don’t like being lifted and then left in store for long. They need to be on shelf asap.

 

[david]

Your parsnips won't be from Spain, all UK/Irish produce at the minute.

Did you use the small prepack grade parsnips ?
They are too small for roasting as I think they are too immature, you want some nice big ones that look like small sugar beet after a good freeze for roasting.

 

[milkloss]

Parsnips the same as curly kale and sprouts….. they all want a decent frost to taste their best.

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

Your parsnips won't be from Spain, all UK/Irish produce at the minute.

Did you use the small prepack grade parsnips ?
They are too small for roasting as I think they are too immature, you want some nice big ones that look like small sugar beet after a good freeze for roasting.

No they were loose in trays but were not as big as usual.
Interesting point about the Frost.

 

[smcapstick]

Our carrots were rather poor. Maybe for the same reason? No frost?

 

[Ffermer Bach]

I think Brussel Sprouts don't seem to have the same flavour as they used to either. Is it different varieties that don't taste the same now? Or am I just getting older!

 

[curlietailz]

Dug my parsnips out of the garden and had them in the oven within 30 minutes. Tasted loverly

 

[grainboy]

Think all veg nowadays struggles for any taste,
Either been bred out of them for commercial reasons or additives or the storage process,
Or as my wife says
I’m just a grumpy bugger,

 

[robs1]

Think all veg nowadays struggles for any taste,
Either been bred out of them for commercial reasons or additives or the storage process,
Or as my wife says
I’m just a grumpy bugger,

Taste buds getting old is the problem

 

[Derrick Hughes]

You overcooked them

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Honey roast parsnips today….bloody beautiful

 

[david]

Brussels sprouts have been breed to remove their traditional 'brassica mustard' taste as it's not appreciated by the younger generations.

Carrots are mostly grown on sand soils to allow for 340 days per year harvesting and generally lack flavour. Grow some on a peaty or loam soil if you want flavour.

Parsnips need a good frost to bring their flavour out, problem now is we generally get bugger all frost before Christmas.

 

[Steevo]

Supermarket veg is often disappointing. I find the veg at the markets is generally much better - fresher and tastier!

 

[Mixedupfarmer]

Huntapac and Bartlett’s grow a lot of parsnips but Id imagine the majority of the uks supply is from Spain.,,

Bartlett’s sold up in june

 

[Adeptandy]

Think @slim shiny place used to do parsnips

 

[Bogweevil]

Parsnips need to be sown early, spaced well for large roots in good mineral loams with ample potassium. In the olden days when people understood parsnips big gnarly roots covered in loamy greensand soil would be sold in nets in Bristol market for example. Nowadays the public are fobbed off with April sown meagre wishy washy flavour free white roots that look pretty in pre-packs and trays. It makes my blood boil.

Good point about mild winters, perhaps production should move to Scotland or breeders develop roots that need less chill to mobilize starch into sugar.