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Parsnip
CautionPastinak · (Pastinaca sativa)
Carrot family (Apiaceae)
Description
Only after the first frosts does the parsnip root fully develop its sweet, nutty flavour, which is why it is traditionally harvested from late autumn through winter. It provides plenty of potassium, folic acid and vitamin C, along with inulin-type fructans valued as fibre for gut flora. Raw or cooked, the root has long served as a nourishing winter vegetable; in folk medicine it was also brewed as a tea for digestive and urinary complaints and used externally for skin problems. Importantly, the sap of the above-ground plant parts and freshly cut roots contains furanocoumarins such as bergapten and xanthotoxin. If this sap gets on the skin and the area is then exposed to sunlight, severe phototoxic reactions can occur, with redness, blistering and lasting pigment changes. Gloves and long sleeves should therefore be worn when harvesting and preparing the plant; the cooked root eaten in normal amounts, however, poses no such risk.
The parsnip root is one of Europe's oldest root vegetables and was a central staple food before the introduction of the potato (16th century). It is boiled, steamed, oven-roasted, puréed or used in soups and stews. Frost exposure converts part of the starch to fructose and sucrose, which explains the characteristic sweetness of winter parsnips. Raw consumption is possible but less common (astringent-spicy flavour). Provides carbohydrates, potassium (approx. 523 mg/100 g), folate (approx. 59 µg/100 g) and dietary fibre (approx. 4–5 g/100 g).
Parsnips provide approx. 18 mg vitamin C per 100 g as well as relevant amounts of folate (approx. 59 µg/100 g, ~15 % of daily requirement), manganese and copper. Folate is essential for cell division and DNA synthesis; the parsnip is considered one of the better folate sources among root vegetables. Vitamin C content is partly lost during cooking — steaming or cooking in the skin preserves it better. Potassium (approx. 523 mg/100 g) supports normal cardiac function and blood pressure regulation.
With 4–5 g of dietary fibre per 100 g — significantly more than carrots (approx. 3 g) — parsnip supports intestinal peristalsis and a healthy gut flora. It contains both soluble fibres (inulin-type fructans with prebiotic effect on bifidobacteria) and insoluble cellulose. Inulin is not digested in the small intestine and serves as a substrate for gut bacteria in the large intestine. The parsnip is thus a functional food for digestive health — known for centuries in European folk medicine as a stomach-warming vegetable.
In European folk medicine, a decoction of parsnip root was traditionally used as a mild diuretic and to support digestion. Historical sources (PFAF) reference the diuretic effect and use for kidney and bladder complaints. Not clinically confirmed; medicinal use is today rarely practised.
Preparation & dosage
Pour 250 ml of boiling water over 5–10 g of dried, chopped parsnip root, steep for 10 minutes, strain. Drink 2× daily. Folk-medicinal tradition as a diuretic and digestive aid — not clinically confirmed.
- Dry amount
- 5–10 g
- Doses per day
- 2×
The plant sap and mashed root were applied topically in folk medicine for skin inflammations and swellings. This use is no longer recommended, as parsnip sap contains furanocoumarins (bergapten, xanthotoxin, imperatorin) that can trigger severe photodermatitis (blisters, permanent pigmentation changes) in combination with UV light. WARNING: External use of fresh parsnip sap in sunlight is hazardous.
Parsnip seeds can be used as a spice similar to dill seeds (PFAF: 'similar in taste to dill'). Historically, ground parsnip seeds were used in folk medicine of several European cultures as a stomach spice and appetite stimulant. The seed content of essential oils (especially myristicin, bergapten) also makes them phytochemically interesting — precise dosage and potential phototoxicity should be noted.
Parsnips are one of the best plant sources of folate (vitamin B9): approx. 59 µg per 100 g raw root (approx. 15 % of an adult's recommended daily intake). Folate is essential for foetal neural tube development in early pregnancy. Additionally, the root contains vitamin B1 (thiamine) and B6, both significant for nerve metabolism. Combining with other folate-rich vegetables (leafy greens, legumes) complements intake well.
IMPORTANT: The sap of all above-ground plant parts (leaves, stems) and fresh root cut-surfaces contains furanocoumarins (bergapten, xanthotoxin, imperatorin). Skin contact with the sap followed by sunlight (UV-A) exposure can trigger severe phototoxic reactions: redness, blistering, permanent hyperpigmentation. Wear gloves and long-sleeved clothing when harvesting and preparing, and avoid direct sunlight. Cooked root in normal consumption does not pose a phototoxicity risk.
Parsnips as food (cooked) are considered safe in pregnancy and supply valuable folate. Medicinal-pharmacological applications (furanocoumarin-containing extracts) should be avoided during pregnancy — furanocoumarins are potentially photosensitising and, in high doses, have carcinogenic properties. As a vegetable: suitable.
Cooked parsnips as food are considered safe during lactation.
Cooked parsnip (purée, soup) is suitable as weaning food from approx. 6 months — mild-sweet flavour, well tolerated. Furanocoumarin skin risk also applies to children handling the fresh plant.
Drug interactions
Kaliumsparende Diuretika / ACE-Hemmer
Parsnips are potassium-rich (approx. 523 mg/100 g). At very high consumption combined with potassium-sparing diuretics or ACE inhibitors, potassium intake may be elevated. Clinically insignificant at normal dietary amounts.
Contraindications
- Known hypersensitivity to Apiaceae (umbellifers) — avoid parsnip (cross-allergy possible with carrot, celery, parsley).
- Severe renal failure with potassium restriction — consult a physician regarding intake amount.
Harvested part: root (late autumn-winter)
- Time of day:
- Harvest preferably after the first frost (October/November) — frost decisively improves flavour through starch-to-sugar conversion. Can remain in the ground deep into winter when covered with straw or fleece. Harvest in dry conditions: wet roots store less well.
- Drying:
- STORAGE: Store freshly harvested parsnips at 0–4 °C and high humidity (approx. 95 %) — ideally buried in moist sand or soil. In the refrigerator they keep 2–3 weeks. Buried in the field or in moist sand in a cellar they keep up to 4 months. Do not store near apples or pears (ethylene promotes bitterness). WARNING: Wear gloves when peeling and preparing — phototoxic furanocoumarins in the sap.
- Storage:
- 4 months — 0–4 °C, high humidity, dark. Ideally buried in moist sand or soil. Not near apples or pears.
- Time of day:
- Seeds ripen in the second year of growth (parsnip is biennial) from mid-summer. Harvest umbels when seeds are light-brown and dry. Parsnip seeds rapidly lose viability: germination rate drops significantly after 12–15 months. Prefer freshly harvested seeds for the next season. Wear gloves — seeds and plant parts contain furanocoumarins.
- Drying:
- Allow umbels to dry in an airy, dry and shaded place until seeds shake off easily. Use paper or linen bags (no plastic — mould). Store cool and dry; test germination viability annually.
- Storage:
- 12 months
- Fructane (Inulin-Typ)PolysaccharideContent: 3-5 %Root
Soluble fibres that are not absorbed in the small intestine. Act prebiotically: substrate for bifidobacteria and lactobacilli in the large intestine. Frost hydrolyses part of the fructans to free fructose and sucrose — hence winter parsnips are sweeter than autumn parsnips.
- Bergapten (5-Methoxypsoralen)OtherContent: Spuren–0,05 % (frische Wurzel)Root
One of the main furanocoumarins of parsnip. Bergapten intercalates with the DNA double strand under UV-A irradiation (photoadduction) — basis of PUVA therapy for psoriasis and vitiligo, but also cause of phototoxic skin reactions with uncontrolled skin contact. Concentration in leaves and stems is significantly higher than in the root.
- Xanthotoxin (8-Methoxypsoralen)OtherContent: Spuren–0,03 % (frische Wurzel)Root
Further furanocoumarin with phototoxic potential. Xanthotoxin is pharmaceutically known as methoxsalen and used in dermatology (PUVA). In the fresh parsnip plant (especially leaves) it is elevated as a phytoalexin following mechanical injury or fungal infection.
- FalcarinolOtherContent: ca. 0,002–0,005 %Root
Polyacetylene compound (diene-diol) also present in carrots and other Apiaceae. Preclinical studies show antifungal, anti-inflammatory and potentially antiproliferative properties. Falcarindiol is the accompanying compound. Clinical evidence in humans is lacking.
- KaliumMineralContent: ca. 523 mg/100 gRoot
The parsnip contains more potassium than the carrot (approx. 320 mg/100 g) and is thus a valuable potassium source in European vegetable nutrition. Potassium is essential for cardiac rhythm, muscle contraction and blood pressure regulation.
- Folsäure (Vitamin B9)VitaminContent: ca. 59 µg/100 gRoot
At approx. 59 µg/100 g, the parsnip is one of the better folate sources among root vegetables (carrot: approx. 19 µg/100 g). Folate is essential for DNA synthesis and cell division; particularly important in early pregnancy for prevention of neural tube defects.
- Ascorbinsäure (Vitamin C)VitaminContent: ca. 17–18 mg/100 gRoot
Higher vitamin C content than carrots (approx. 6 mg/100 g). Antioxidant activity; supports immune function and collagen synthesis. Heat-sensitive: steaming preserves more vitamin C than boiling in water.
- Ätherisches Öl (Myristicin, Terpene)Essential oilContent: 0,05–0,3 % (Samen > Wurzel)Seed
Parsnip seeds contain more essential oil than the root. Main component is myristicin (also found in nutmeg). The root contains small amounts — responsible for the characteristic spicy aroma. Myristicin acts psychoactively and hepatotoxically at high doses; no risk at food level.
- [3]MonographPlants For A Future (PFAF) — Pastinaca sativa database entry(accessed: 2026-05-22)
- [4]MonographZentrum der Gesundheit — Pastinaken: Nährwerte und Gesundheit(accessed: 2026-05-22)
- [5]MonographWild parsnip (Pastinaca sativa)-induced photosensitization — PubMed (PMID 31173794)(accessed: 2026-05-22)
- [6]MonographCliniTox Giftpflanzen — Pastinaca sativa L.s.l.: schwach giftig (+) (Institut für Veterinärpharmakologie und -toxikologie, Universität Zürich)(accessed: 2026-08-10)
- [1]WikipediaPastinak (Wikipedia DE)(accessed: 2026-05-22)
- [2]WikipediaParsnip (Wikipedia EN)(accessed: 2026-05-22)
🤝 Permaculture Partners
In your garden, this plant acts as:
✨ Best symbiotic partners
⚠️ Better not planted together
- 🥬 Apium graveolens Classic companion-planting partner.
Source: Gertrud Franck, Gesunder Garten durch Mischkultur (1980, eigene Kuration) | Helga und Margarete Langerhorst, Mein gesunder Naturgarten (eigene Kuration)