Salsify is the counterpart of asparagus. It is a special vegetable, wonderfully soft in taste, but which is often forgotten! Why is asparagus so popular and salsify is not? What is the difference between salsify and asparagus and what makes salsify so unique? Is it the taste, the look or is it something else? Our grower Julian has told us all about salsify, are you also curious? Read on quickly to get to know salsify!
How is salsify grown?
Salsify is grown in dry soil, on a large piece of land in the open air. It takes very long time for the salsify to grow, this only starts happening after two to three weeks. Eventually it is harvested in September. Salsify is therefore a real winter vegetable. Harvesting lasts until March/April. The salsify continues to grow until the leaves are off and this depends on the weather. When the weather is bad and the sun doesn’t shine, the roots don’t get very thick. If the sun has shown itself during the growing process, the roots will become thick and firm and they are less likely to break when harvesting. A piece of land full of carrots that grow themselves, that seems quite easy to grow. Still, a lot of manual work is involved to keep all the weeds away. The weeds take up a lot of manual work and they are with about three people on a land of three to four hectares.
Where is salsify gone?
Which of you still has salsify on the menu? Unfortunately, salsify is not very well known among young people anymore. It is mainly the elderly who know it and still eat it. A real shame, because beneath that tough and dark skin you can taste a delicious slightly bitter, nutty taste with tender and juicy flesh. The taste of salsify cannot be described with one specific word, it really has its own unique taste and bite. Fortunately, these forgotten vegetables are still used in culinary restaurants. Are you also curious? Getting started at home is very simple with this tender taste!
How do you get salsify on your plate?
It seems as if there is still a thin edge of tree trunk around the root. This is partly true, you have to ‘peel’ the salsify before you eat it. You cut through the dark skin, after this some milk juice is released, then these roots have to be washed before you start cooking or baking them. Salsify is delicious with different types of dishes, think of: fish, meat, poultry, stews, soups or in a salad. Get some inspiration below.
A few delicious recipes with salsify
Did you know that..
The sticky milk juice that comes out of the salsify after peeling is named after ‘kitchen girl sadness’.
Salsify Is also super tasty if you ratify it and add paprika cheese sauce!
If you want to keep the salsify pristine white you have to cook them in ‘Blanc’.
The grower has the most work on weed control?!
- DON'T KEEP THE SALSIFY WAITING.. BUT JOIN US AND GIVE IT A BOOST! -
Do you want to know more about this subject, do not hesitate to contact me