Student Parsnip
Item Details
The slightly sweet and shapely roots of this historic variety make it ideal for adding to your roasted vegetable mix. Its straight roots bear wide shoulders, a fairly acute taper, and smooth skin with little to no splitting. The variety was included in the 1865 edition of Fearing Burr’s classic tome Field and Garden Vegetables of America. Burr described it as “so recently brought to notice and so strongly commended, is of English origin, and was obtained from the wild Parsnip by Prof. Buckman, of the Royal Agricultural College at Cirencester.” This variety, acquired by Seed Savers Exchange from member Dennis Sherwood, is a great addition to any garden.
- 150 days
- Organic
- From the Collection
- Slightly sweet flavor
- Little to no splitting
This variety works for:
- Steaming
- Roasting
- Baking
- Soups
The young roots of salsify can be peeled and eaten fresh, but older roots are best cooked. The fibers of the root tend to break apart if it is boiled, so trying steaming or roasting it instead.
Salsify is often used with oysters in soups and bisques. Salsify is also a delicious addition to gratins.
Growing Instructions
Instructions - Sow seeds outdoors in early spring as soon as soil can be worked. Seeds will germinate in 3 weeks. Salsify prefers a deep friable soil and is most delicious after a frost. Dig roots in late fall.
- Direct Seed: 1" Apart
- Seed Depth: 1/2"
- Rows Apart: 18-24"
- Thin: 2-3" Apart