In 2015, parsnips have only just returned to Dutch cuisine. New products based on parsnips are already being promoted. It is becoming increasingly common to eat vegetable powders instead of vegetables. Parsnip powder is a vegetable powder that can be used for both culinary applications and medicinal properties. Parsnip flour tastes sweet. It is an ideal flour to use in sweet baked goods. In the past, wedding cakes were baked with it in Europe and the US. The parsnip juice in particular tastes very sweet and can be added to pie or cake flour. NB! This article is written from the personal view of the author and may contain information that is not scientifically substantiated and/or in line with the general view.
Contents:
- From forgotten vegetables to parsnip flour
- Rising star in the firmament
- Naming parsnip powder
- Make your own parsnip flour
- Parsnip powder as a sweetener
- Parsnip against diabetes mellitus type 2?
From forgotten vegetables to parsnip flour
For years, parsnips were considered a forgotten vegetable. In 2015, the parsnip can be found again in Dutch cuisine. Parsnips used to be eaten in the Netherlands instead of potatoes. Parsnips are traditionally added to soup in the Netherlands. In addition, parsnips are often added to sweet baked goods such as cookies; Boiled parsnips taste nice and sweet. In the 17th century, the Dutch and other Europeans brought them to the US. Wedding cakes, among other things, were baked with parsnip flour in the then sugar-free America.
Rising star in the firmament
Parsnip powder or parsnip flour is a newcomer in the range of culinary attributes. It’s so new that at the time of writing this article it hasn’t hit stores yet. But you can make it yourself. The preparation method is very simple. If you have a slow juicer, you can get creative with this by further drying the dry pulp and storing it as flour. Parsnip juice tastes very sweet. It is a thick juice that you can use to sweeten oatmeal or add to dough for sweet baked goods.
Naming parsnip powder
Why we use Latin names in science is clear to most people. This way there are no misunderstandings as to which plant it concerns. Parsnip is called Pastinaca sativa in Latin. It is a cream-colored root vegetable that tastes sweet when cooked and is similar in structure to carrot. The parsnip is related to the carrot and parsley. The parsnip can be found in abundance in the vegetable departments of supermarkets. That is a relatively new phenomenon; Before the second millennium of our era, this underground growing vegetable was only available in some organic stores, formerly called health food stores.
Make your own parsnip flour
You can make your own parsnip flour in an alternative form. The requirements for this are:
- A blender or electric coffee grinder,
- A slow juicer
- A kilo of parsnips.
You wash the carrots and cut them into pieces. You put them in the slow juicer. Parsnip juice appears on one side, which you can try drinking as a kind of vegetable milk. Parsnip juice has a creamy character and tastes quite sweet. You can add it to a porridge or you can use it as a base for a sauce with other vegetables or even with a dessert. Parsnip pulp appears on the other side of the slow juicer, something that is normally thrown away. You can use the fresh pulp to supplement a salad. Yet much of it will remain. Instead of throwing away this fiber-rich substance, you can dry it for a few wears on a hot radiator or in a lukewarm oven for a few hours. When it is dry, you can grind it into powder in a blender or with a hand blender. You can use a blender or electric coffee grinder to powder the pulp. When it has become a bone-dry powder. To be on the safe side, let it dry out on a heater for at least a day. When it is completely dry you can put it in a jar and store it for months. An additional household economics tip for making parsnip powder is to do this when the parsnips are on sale; then it costs less money.
Parsnip powder as a sweetener
Parsnip powder is an excellent flour. You can combine it with other flours such as wheat flour or spelled flour. It gives the baked goods a sweeter taste but not more calories. Therefore, it is suitable as a baking product for sweets such as cookies, cakes, muffins, brownies and pies. With parsnip powder you need less or no sugar. You could make it further sugar-free by adding soaked dates and stevia to the flour or possibly the filling. If you use parsnip powder as flour, there is a lower risk of obesity since you use no or much less sugar. In addition, the fiber in parsnips helps to digest the food better. Sweet doesn’t necessarily have to be unhealthy!
Parsnip against diabetes mellitus type 2?
Parsnips contain inulin. That is a sweet tasting substance. Inulin is seen by many nutritionists as a remedy for diabetes mellitus type 2. However, other nutrition experts say that parsnips contain too much sugar for diabetics. However, the sugar in parsnips is accompanied by the presence of fiber. As a result, parsnips are not fattening and do not increase blood sugar levels the way sugar does. Parsnip is therefore an excellent sugar substitute and a medicinal vegetable for diabetics. There are also many more vegetables that someone with type 2 diabetes can benefit from, such as the unsurpassed medicinal vegetable asparagus. It is good to vary these anti-diabetes vegetables. If you suffer from diabetes, you can in principle eat a different vegetable every day that is good against this disease.
