Scorzonera hispanica Russian Giant
£6.99
SUPPLIED AS A PLANT IN A 1L POT
Scorzonera hispanica Russian Giant is a perennial root vegetable with edible leaves and flower petals. It is a herbaceous perennial and is dormant over the winter months, your plant may arrive dormant or with minimal foliage, it can be planted out now and you will see new growth in the spring.
Awaiting Re-stock
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Description
Scorzonera hispanica Russian Giant also known as Black salsify is a hardy herbaceous perennial with edible roots, excellent in gratins, also edible leaves for cooking and pretty yellow flowers for salads. You can take divisions/root cuttings to propagate more plants when they are mature and it is very easy to collect your own seeds when the seed heads are ripe. Likes a nice loamy soil in a sunny spot, usually harvest from the second year onwards.
About
Skirret – Sium sisarum is a hardy herbaceous perennial root vegetable part of the family Apiaceae, that produces a cluster of sweet tasting slender roots. Skirrets date back centuries, pre-dating the potato, and were one of the main root crops eaten across Europe before potatoes were introduced. They fell out of favour because potatoes were easier to prepare, not because of the taste. Their flavour is somewhere between a parsnip and a carrot with a hint of pepper. In the Tudor and Stuart periods they were used in sweet & savory dishes.
Growing and propagating
Skirret plants – when they arrive you can plant out right away. Plant in a sunny position leaving about 30cm between plants. Over the summer the plants will reach about 1m-1.5m tall producing umbels of white flowers and in the autumn the foliage will die right back. For a decent yield it is best to wait until the autumn of their second year before harvesting. Main harvesting period is between November and March while plants are dormant.
Cooking and eating
No need to peel, just give them a good scrub with a vegetable brush. Use Skirrets raw as a tasty snack, or parboil and deep fry, or roast in the oven with olive oil. Sauteed in a pan with butter and parsley is another delicious way of serving them. They also make a lovely soup. Early shoots can be forced by covering with a bucket and eaten as a sweet spring green vegetable.
