Tender & True Parsnip

🥕 Tender & True Parsnip Seeds — Sweet Winter Butter Spears

50+ Seeds/Pack

Pastinaca sativa ‘Tender and True’

The parsnip that makes chefs talk in hushed, reverent tones. ‘Tender and True’ is buttery-sweet, aromatic, and creamy-fleshed — the gold standard heirloom for those who know root veg deserves white-tablecloth respect ✨🍽️.

Creamy ivory roots, smooth + uniform, with silky texture and gentle sweetness that deepens after frost ❄️💛. Roast until caramel-edged, mash like velvet clouds, or puree into Michelin-adjacent winter sauce energy.
This is not a garnish vegetable — this is a statement piece.

Cold-loving, long-storing, reliable, and pretty much the parsnip you plant if you actually cook.

👅 Flavor Profile:

Buttery 🧈
Nutty 🌰
Honey-sweet 🍯 (especially post-frost)
Earthy-herbal warmth 🌿

Think: roasted chestnut meets sweet winter cream.

🍴 Culinary Uses:

🔥 Roast with olive oil & thyme until caramelized
🥣 Purée with cream + white pepper for velvet texture
🍗 Serve under roast chicken or pork belly
🍜 Blend into soups for deep winter luxury
🌾 Shave raw, paper-thin, with lemon + parm for crunch
🥔 Replace half your potatoes in mash → chef mode unlocked

Also: roasted parsnip fries with aioli? Yes. Always. 🍟👌

👨🍳 Chef’s Pitch:

“Parsnip with manners.” Smooth, sweet, refined — the white truffle of root veg when treated right. Frost-kissed flavor blooms into warm honey and soft spice. Perfect for fine-dining purées, butter-roasted sides, soups, and vegetable cookery that flexes quietly but confidently.

Serve with browned butter + sage. Add toasted hazelnuts if you’re feeling smug.

🌱 Growing Notes:

🪴 Biennial grown as annual
🌞 Full sun, deep loose soil for straight roots
⏱️ 100–120 days to maturity (worth it)
🌡️ Likes cool climates + frost sweetening
🌧️ Keep evenly moist during germination (slow starter)
🪱 Direct sow — hates transplant drama
📏 Thin to ~3–4" spacing for fat, straight roots
❄️ Can overwinter in ground for sweetest flavor

Pro tip: Sow radish with parsnip — radish pops fast, marks the row, gets harvested before parsnip bulks.

✨ Quick Facts:

Latin: Pastinaca sativa ‘Tender and True’
Flavor: Buttery, nutty, sweet, aromatic
Best For: Roasting, purée, mash, soups, fine plating
Habit: Long straight ivory roots
Specialty: Frost makes flavor explode ❄️✨
Storage: Excellent keeper, improves in storage
Pollinator Bonus: Umbel blooms feed beneficial insects 🐝