Parsnips

January’s NH Harvest of the Month: parsnips!

Parsnips are a nutty, sweet, hearty root vegetable that grows best in cold climates.

They are native to the Mediterranean and Western Asia and were widely cultivated by the Greeks and Romans. They resemble carrots but are white or yellowish in color. Parsnips are a close relative to parsley.

Parsnips are harvested in late fall or early winter and stored in root cellars. Alternatively they can be left in the ground and harvested in early spring, a process called overwintering. The cold temperatures turn the starch in parsnips into sugar. Early colonial gardens contained parsnips because they stored well and were a welcome vegetable in the spring.

Parsnips are an excellent source of vitamin C, folic acid, and potassium. They are also high in fiber and are sweeter when cooked.

This webpage includes a variety of educational materials, activities, recipes, and more about alliums for use at home, in youth or family programming, in the classroom, and in the cafeteria. For more New Hampshire Harvest of the Month resources for January, click here.

Additional resources about parsnips:
What are Parsnips?
“Parsnip,” American Heritage Vegetables
“Fruits & Vegetable Facts: Parsnips” by VT FEED

Lesson Plan for Parsnips

Developed in partnership with UNH Extension, NH Farm to School, and the UNH Education department, the Harvest Lessons lesson plan and curricular activities can be used by education professionals to incorporate parsnips into dynamic, long-lasting learning in the classroom and other education-based settings.