Pasternak is a plant that was undeservedly forgotten

Many modern gardeners, amateurs and housewives do not even know what parsnip is. This plant has long been used in cooking and has been used in folk medicine. In the people it is often called white carrots, deer fodder, lamb carrots. Such a name was given to the plant not accidentally. He is eager to eat animals and birds.

Pasternak is a plant of the umbellate family. It refers to perennial plants, although most often it is grown in vegetable gardens, as biennial. It is bred to obtain a fleshy, sweet root, which has a peculiar flavor. In the sowing year, a spindle-shaped root crop is formed from the seeds with a dense rosette of leaves. The outer layer of the root is yellowish brown, but inside it is whitish or creamy. The next year in the center of the rosette appears a hollow green stem up to 180 cm high. Pasternak is a plant with an erect, bare stalk. The leaves of the plant are piecemeal, strongly dissected. Above they are glossy, and from below slightly pubescent or glabrous. The apical leaves are sessile, and the lower ones are located on short petioles. Pasternak flowers with golden-yellow small flowers, collected in the inflorescence (umbrella). These inflorescences are formed on the lateral branches and on the apex of the stem.

Pasternak is a plant blooming in June-July. It is cross-pollinated by insects. The smell of flowers is very pleasant. The fruit of the plant ripens in September.

Pasternak is a plant that in the wild is practically not found in our latitudes. In Central Asia, it grows both in dry and in low-altitude places almost everywhere.

We grow parsnips for food and use in traditional and folk medicine. It can be sown together with celery, carrots, parsley. They spoil and collect roots in dry weather. Pasternak, the root of which is considered the most delicious, when dug out after frost, contains in its composition vitamins PP, C, carotene, essential oil, saccharides, proteins, coumarin, fiber, rutin, phosphorus, zinc, potassium, copper.

The use of parsnips prevents attacks of angina pectoris, normalizes the general condition, relieves pain in colic, bladder and kidney stones. Decoctions from the roots are used for anemia, neuroses, dropsy, female diseases.

Fresh juice from root vegetables is recommended for men with various sexual disorders. Also useful in this case is fresh parsnip, regularly eaten. Ground plant seeds are used to improve blood supply and vasodilation.

Water infusion of root crops with honey is prescribed when the body is weakened after severe diseases. Preparation: chopped root vegetables (2 tablespoons) are steamed with a glass of boiling water (preferably in a thermos bottle). The root should be infused all night. In a ready infusion add a spoonful of honey and take before eating 4 r. A day for 1 tbsp. L.

Dishes from parsnip are popular all over the world. Its grinded seeds are used as a spice and add them to marinades and salads. From the roots of parsnip can be prepared mashed potatoes, soups, salads, casseroles.

Salad with parsnip

For salad you need 2-3 roots, 1 carrot, 5 g of celery leaves, a little dill, 1 root of celery, mayonnaise, salt.

Preparation:

On the grate rub all the peeled roots. Celery leaves are finely chopped. All the ingredients are mixed, salted and dressed with mayonnaise. Salad decorate with dill sprigs.

Parsnip soup

To make it, you will need: 2 root parsnips, 2 carrots, 0.3 kg turkey fillets, a little parsley, 2 leaves of laurel, pepper, salt.

The preparation scheme: the fillets are washed, cut into pieces. Meat is boiled in 1.5 liters of water until half cooked. Peeled parsnip and carrots rubbed on the grater and thrown into the broth. Soup is salted, peppered. For 5 minutes. Until ready to add chopped greens and laurel leaf.

Spicy chips

To prepare them, you will need the roots of parsnip, pepper, vegetable oil, salt.

Washed root crops are cleaned, cut into thin strips, which are then fried in a frying pan for about 40 minutes until a golden crust is obtained. At the end of the preparation, the chips are salted and peppered.