[5aday]

My Hubby has just been working on an organic veg farm and has brought home a sack of parsnips as they had to be ripped up to prepare the field for another crop, I wondered if anyone could tell me if it would be best to store them in their raw state or whether they would be OK to freeze and if so would they need to be blanched.  Your help would be much appreciated as I would hate to waste them.

Thanks a lot,

Teresa

[Leisurely]

I would freeze parsnips as follows.
First wash trim and peel the parsnips then cut into chunks.
Blanch in boiling water for 3 minutes then cool under cold running water.
Drain well and put into plastic bags then place in freezer.

[compo]

I've still got some in my Clamp!  A plastic box full of sand, with the parsnips layered in. Miles easier than freezing, as long as in a cold dark place. Mine have got a few thin roots growing out the side, but still excellent. They were lifted in november cos i built a raised bed, got about 30 left. A very viable alternative to freezing, done my carrots in the same way.

[John]

Your problem now is that we're hitting the time when the parsnip wants to start re-growing so if you stored in sand you'd still see them trying to grow and going wrinkly.

If you like parsnip mash, that freezes well. There's a fairly comprehensive guide to freezing including a PDF you can download or print out on the site.

Freezing Instructions

[compo]

Thats true John, mine are starting to get a few fine roots on. 4 months storage isnt bad though, for very little preperation.  A big soup day on Saturday me thinks

[5aday]

Thanks for the tips, I did wonder about layering them in potting compost but now I think it is going to be blanching and freezing.

Teresa