When there were no potatoes in Europe, people ate a lot of parsnips. This is a large yellowish white carrot. The Romans and Greeks also used this root in cooking. The Romans took him to more northern regions. It was seen that the white carrot remained quite small in the Mediterranean region, but grew much larger in colder regions! Parsnips are one of the few vegetables that do better in colder conditions. NB! This article is written from the personal view of the author and may contain information that is not scientifically substantiated and/or in line with the general view.

Contents:

• Medicinal effect of parsnip
• The diseases against which parsnips work:
• Parsnip as an aphrodisiac
• Vitamins parsnip
• Mineral parsnip
• Grow your own parsnips
• Eating tips Parsnip

Medicinal effect of parsnip

Parsnips are a somewhat forgotten vegetable, but in terms of nutritional value and medicinal properties this is unjustified. Parsnips are very healthy. Folic acid in parsnips protects people against dementia, heart disease and osteoporosis. The root vegetable is rich in fiber, so the blood sugar level does not reach great heights and depths. There is enough potassium in parsnips to help keep theParsnips, just out of the ground / Source: Goldlocki, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA-3.0)blood pressure does not become too high. Some herbalists recommend parsnips to recover faster from illnesses. Parsnip is recommended to eat if one suffers from kidney disease, obesity and cellulite. For people who need to eat a lot of sugar, parsnips are ideal as they taste sweet and contain very few calories or saturated fats. Because parsnip stimulates the kidneys, has a diuretic effect and therefore removes waste products faster, it is also good for rheumatic complaints. Parsnips also contain many antioxidants that fight free radicals.

The diseases against which parsnips work:

Dementia,Cardiovascular diseases, Osteoporosis, Diabetes, Kidney diseases,Young parsnip plants / Source: Goldlocki, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA-3.0)Obesity,Cellulite, Rheumatism and Kidney complaints.

Parsnip as an aphrodisiac

In ancient times and the Middle Ages, the signature theory was used. This is the doctrine that says that the external properties of a plant say something about its medicinal properties. According to this teaching, all phallic-shaped vegetables, including parsnip root, are good for a healthy sex life. According to ancient experts, parsnip is an aphrodisiac, just like its brother the orange carrot.Parsnip flower / Source: H. Zell, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA-3.0)

Vitamins parsnip

Parsnips contain many vitamins. It contains the most vitamin C. One ounce of parsnip contains 29% of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of this powerful antioxidant. Vitamin K is found in large amounts in parsnips; 19% of the RDA. In addition, the long yellow carrot contains a striking amount of folic acid or vitamin B11. 100 grams contains 17% of the RDA of B11. Pantothenic acid or vitamin B5 contains 12% of the RDI. Both pirydoxine (B6) and thiamine (B1) contain 7% of the RDI. Furthermore, riboflavin (B2) and niacin (B3) contain 4% of the RDI in parsnip root.

Mineral parsnip

Parsnip lovers can rejoice in the fact that the root vegetable not only contains a lot of vitamins, but also many minerals. Parsnips contain the most manganese in relation to the ADH values; A person gets 24% of the RDA if he eats 100 grams of parsnips. Copper is in the parsnip with 13% of the RDI. Phosphorus is represented at 10% of the RDI in an ounce of parsnip. Both iron and magnesium contain 7% of the RDI in parsnips. There is 5% of the RDI for zinc in this yellow, long vegetable. Selenium and calcium both account for 3% of the RDA in a 100 gram parsnip.parsnip / Source: Johann Georg Sturm (Painter: Jacob Sturm), Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

Grow your own parsnips

You can grow parsnips yourself. He needs a good cold season. Parsnips can survive a short period of frost very well. You should plant the parsnip seeds 10 centimeters apart so that the roots can form properly. You can plant parsnips from April to August. The plant can remain in the ground until you want to eat it. The growing time is approximately 110 days or three and a half months. In the Netherlands you could get two harvests if you want by planting the first at the end of March/April and the second crop in August/early September.

Eating tips Parsnip

You can eat parsnips raw. Just like carrots and beets, you can grate it to serve as a base for a salad. Parsnips can be eaten instead of potatoes or actually sweet potatoes as they have a similar sweet taste. You can boil, bake or gratinate them. It is nice to season them with green herbs such as basil, thyme and parsley. If you cook them for a long time they become mushy and you can use them instead of flour to thicken a soup. Because they taste quite sweet, they were used several hundred years ago, when sugar did not yet exist, to sweeten jams and cakes. They are delicious briefly gratinated in a salad.

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