[jimmytheshed]

Now, i know they say parsnips taste better after the first forst, but ive been eating mine for a couple of weeks now,and they taste great, (we've not had forst untill last night here). I did a little test at the weekend, dug up one of my large parsnips cut it in half (length ways) put 1 half in the freezer for 3 hours, then took it out and prepard both halfs with the roast as normal, and was quite suprised how much better the freezer one was, so its true, better after a frost. Does anyone think this can be done with brussels?

[Salmo]

I have always regarded the freezer trick as an urban myth but it seems to be true.

I can understand why a change to cooler temperatures triggers a growing plant to turn starches to sugars.

Is there any scientific reason why 3 hours in a freezer should make any difference?

[jimmytheshed]

give it a go salmo, 3 hours was all the time i had, from thinking about it to doing dinner,may be longer would be even better or it might be totaly frozen and not so good,

maybe a poll could be started, then again i expect alot of us have had the first frosts.

[DavidT]

You can have parsnips big enough for cropping in August, nowadays. They taste good enough without frosting,but the flavour IS enhanced  by a few hours in the freezer.

[sunshineband]

Awwwww yes  :happy: :happy:

[titch]

have eaten some snips and sprouts before the frost, we had frost last night so will try some at the weekend for comparison

[solway cropper]

I've grown mine in Morrisons flower buckets this year cos there's only me that eats them (except for Christmas day). Had the first ones in September and they tasted.......just like parsnips. I can't be hanging around for hard frosts, although it was -5 last night so I suppose I should try a few more. Just a thought but what do those poor souls in Cornwall do? I bet they sometimes have to wait quite a while for a frost that gets right below the soil surface.

[bigben]

After this weeks frost I am looking forward to digging up a few this weekend. We have been eating them for months but like others I am curious.

[Kristen]

"Now, i know they say parsnips taste better after the first forst, but ive been eating mine for a couple of weeks now,and they taste great, (we've not had forst untill last night here)"

Snap!

Never knew about or considered the freezer trick, but I definitely will from now on ... I've been holding off ... and holding off .... first proper frost only came at the very end of November.

[Stevens706]

Saw a programme last year and the Farmer declared that it was a myth that Brussels taste better after a frost, however he was pushing for people to eat them at other times of the year not only Christmas.

[savbo]

even if there isn't much change from starch to sugar, I've always imagined frost involved ice crystals forming and breaking down some of the cell structure, making parsnips and sprouts (and kale) softer...

??

M

[DavidT]

even if there isn't much change from starch to sugar, I've always imagined frost involved ice crystals forming and breaking down some of the cell structure, making parsnips and sprouts (and kale) softer...

??

M

No, it makes them sweeter.