Parsnips Delivery or Pickup

Native to Mediterranean Europe, parsnips have been around for thousands of years. Resembling colorless carrots, parsnips are long, tapered root vegetables that grow deep underground. They're easily fermented and were made into both beer and wine well into the 19th century. They're a great source of minerals like potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, zinc, and iron, and a noteworthy range of vitamins like C, B6, E, K, folate, thiamin, and pantothenic acid. Compared to carrots, parsnips have an almost spiced flavor, not unlike cinnamon or nutmeg, and share a similar form and woody texture when raw.

Parsnips are slightly sweeter than carrots, easy to prepare, and have a long shelf life. Like other root vegetables, parsnips are covered in corky skin and have a firm core that fields water up from the soil to the leaves. While available and harvested year-round, they're only able to develop their full flavor and are sweetest after extended exposure to cooler weather and frost while in the ground. Just like carrots, when temperatures drop, parsnips convert their starches to sugars. This is presumed to prevent their cells from fracturing in the cold but comes with the added benefit of residual sweetness. 

Just half a cup of cooked parsnips contains three grams of fiber and only 55 calories and, because of their high natural sugar content, they can be used in both sweet and savory recipes.

The prime season for parsnips is fall and winter because the cold weather brings out their sweetness. While they can grow to an immense size, it's better to avoid ones that are too big because their cores tend to be woodier and bitter. It's best to look for parsnips that are small to medium in size — approximately five to 10 inches in length. Healthy parsnips have firm and pointy tips, firm flesh devoid of blemishes, cuts, cracks, or soft spots. The color should be a creamy off-white, slightly yellow hue, without any dark marks. Dark markings can be indicative of decay or freeze-burn. If you're buying parsnips with their greens still attached, make sure they look fresh and not wilted. 

If you're planning a recipe that calls for parsnips but want to save time going to the store, open your Instacart app and add parsnips to your shopping cart. An Instacart shopper will take care of the shopping for you and get your groceries to you in as little as 2 hours! Through the Instacart app, you're able to chat with your shopper the entire time they're fulfilling your order, so you can be sure to get the best parsnips available. 

Under ideal conditions, parsnips have a shelf life of four to six months. Remove and discard parsnip greens prior to storing. As with carrots, parsnips should be stored unwashed in a cool and dark place for maximum longevity. Prime conditions are between 32 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit, with plenty of humidity, and far away from heat sources. 

When storing in the refrigerator, parsnips should be wrapped in a paper towel, placed in a plastic bag, and kept in a vegetable drawer. Stored this way, they should last two weeks or longer.

To freeze parsnips, it's best to cut them into cubes and either steam or parboil for a few minutes and place them in well-sealed containers when cool. In the freezer, they should keep for eight to 10 months.