Many people throw away any vegetables they don't use within a few weeks. However, it is a real shame to throw away any parsnips you have grown in the garden or bought at the supermarket. Freezing them allows you to keep them for months and is a quick and easy process. If you wash them, hair and blanch them before placing them in the freezer, the parsnips will keep fresh for a long time. In the months to come, all you have to do is take them out of the freezer a few hours in advance and let them defrost so they are ready to use.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Wash and Cut the Parsnips
Step 1. Soak the parsnips in cold water for an hour
After buying them or picking them in the garden, leave them immersed in cold water in a tureen. The water will keep them fresh and eliminate most of the impurities.
Use a saucepan if you don't have a large enough bowl to hold all the parsnips
Step 2. Rinse the parsnips under cold running water
It doesn't matter if you bought them at the supermarket or grew them in your own garden, you have to wash them anyway. Hold them under cold running water and rub them with your fingers to remove dirt residue and any other impurities.
You probably won't be able to completely clear the earth this way, and either way, the stingrays won't be perfectly clean yet, so continue with the process
Step 3. Scrub the parsnips with a nail brush
Use a new toothbrush and gently brush the parsnip roots to remove dirt, chemicals, and impurities. Don't worry if the surface of the parsnips gets scratched.
- As long as the parsnips do not peel from the brush friction, you can continue brushing them by applying the same pressure.
- Do not use a nail brush that you have already used for cosmetic purposes.
- Save the toothbrush to clean the parsnips in the future.
Step 4. Peel the larger roots using the vegetable peeler or a sharp knife
It is generally not necessary to peel even small or young roots. Remove a thin layer of peel, applying light pressure, from large parsnips only.
If the midsection of the parsnips has a very fibrous consistency, it is best to remove it with a knife
Step 5. Cut the parsnips into cubes about 3 cm in size
They don't need to be exactly this size, but they need to be at least uniform. You can buy a convenient vegetable cutter at stores that sell kitchen items.
- Using the vegetable cutter, just place the parsnip root on the square grid and close it with a neat gesture to cut it into even cubes.
- If you don't have a vegetable cutter, you can use a sharp knife. It is not essential that the cubes are exactly 3 cm large, but try to get close to this size anyway.
- The cubes can also be slightly larger or smaller, however 3 cm is the ideal size for freezing parsnips.
Part 2 of 2: Blanching and Freezing the Parsnips
Step 1. Boil the water to blanch the parsnips
Fill a pot of water and put it on the stove. When the water boils, add the parsnips. If you have cut them into cubes of about 3 cm, let them boil in the water for a couple of minutes.
All vegetables should be blanched before being placed in the freezer, to maintain their texture, flavor and color
Step 2. Drain the parsnip cubes and soak them in frozen water for 5 minutes
Prepare a large bowl filled with cold water and ice cubes. When 2 minutes have passed since you started cooking the parsnips, drain them from the boiling water using a slotted spoon.
- Transfer the parsnip cubes to the ice-cold water bowl immediately after draining them from the boiling water.
- Plunging the parsnips into frozen water will interrupt the cooking process in the bud.
Step 3. Place the parsnip cubes on a clean kitchen towel to dry
After you soak them in ice water for 5 minutes, drain and spread them on a cloth. Blot them to absorb excess water.
Step 4. Place parsnip cubes in a food freezing or vacuum packing bag
Seal the bag and place it in the freezer as soon as possible. Don't forget to place the date on the outside using a permanent marker, this way you'll know how long you have been storing the parsnips in the freezer.
- If you used a bag to freeze food, you can store parsnips in the freezer for up to 9 months. If you have vacuum packed them, they will last up to 14 months.
- If you want to prevent the cubes from sticking together and forming a single block, freeze them on a baking sheet before transferring them to the bag. Arrange them on the pan spaced apart, place the pan in the freezer and, when completely frozen, transfer them to a vacuum bag.
- Low freezer temperatures can gradually alter the taste and texture of parsnips. The longer you leave them in the freezer, the more the texture and taste will vary.
Step 5. Thaw the parsnips when you are ready to use them
Remove the bag from the freezer and pour the parsnip cubes onto a plate. You can let them thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
- If you let the parsnips defrost at room temperature, line the plate with kitchen paper to absorb the condensation.
- If you intend to let them defrost in the refrigerator, remove them from the freezer 12 hours in advance.
