Parsnips

[jmax]

I am making a beef stew tonight. Last time I put parsnips in it - they had a woody or fibourus core. Did I not cook them long enough? Should I only buy a certian size? Cut the core out? What did I do wrong.

[missfunkysoul]

My guess is that you used big, fat parsnips, no? The smaller the better... when they get too big, they send to get tough/woody. Even if you cook them to death, the texture just isn't as nice on the big ones.

[aussiewonder]

I concur, i always avoid the large parsnips bc i learnt/heard? that the larger the parsnip the more woody and tough they get. I had a couple of extra large ones in the bag i bought this week and used those in my oxtail stew - they were fine and i didn't cut the core out either.
My fav way to make parsnips is to toss them w/ OOil, S&P, garlic and fresh thyme or rosemary and roast in a very hot oven. Ohhh...yum!

[smartie]

they might have been very old parsnips - I don't believe it had much to do with cooking time.

[King of Northern Blvd]

I always take the core out of the larger ones.

[JalamaMama]

Lately- my supermarket has been offering smaller sized parsnips- mostly 4-5 inch size- I find them alot better than the large ones- I dislike the long skinny fat on one end ones. I do not like the woody/fiberous outcome either.

Love to roast parsnips- french fry size for my family. Olive oil and salt and pepper. We have a gluten free family member- and they love these- and a 2 1/2 yr old is hard to please!!

[Gio]

Roasting parsnips brings out their sweetness, and taking out the core before cooking is the way to go. Like JM above, we use the simple dressing which is light and tasty. However for stew, I sometimes slice them as I would carrots, on the diagonal. The greater surface helps them to cook all the way through.

[LulusMom]

Roasted parsnips are fantastic, and if you cook them long enough to get all soft and melty inside with a slight crunch on the outside, no need to take out the core. Just toss with some olive oil before roasting and finish with a nice salt.

[Harters]

And in a bit of cross-ocean assistance, drizzling them with a little maple syrup for the last few minutes of roasting is great - fantastic with roast chicken. Trust me.

[Harters]

Just cut them into the same size chunks as your other veg. They'll be fine in a stew.

When I cook them just as side veg, I tend to cut the core out.

[MMRuth]

I've started doing the same thing with removing the cores.

[Jason_Coulston]

I would give them a longer cook and I'm sure they will soften completely. "Al-Dente" isn't something you really want with Parsnips. You can blanch or roast them first before adding them to your stew if you don't think they'll fully cook through in the braise. Personally, roasting with olive oil, salt, and pepper in a 375-degree oven is my method of choice.

R. Jason Coulston

[janzy]

Sounds like they wern't cooked long enough.
I use them in boiled dinners and they take about the same time as turnips to cook.