Cassell's dictionary of cookery

butter being added; it is a dish of which children are particularly fond. The parsnip is less digestible than the potato, on account of the woody fibre which it contains. The potato is superior to it in possessing more sugar, starch, and nutritious matter. On the introduction, therefore, of potatoes into the Old World, parsnips fell rather into the background. Tlie common parsnip is a cultivated variety of the mid parsnip. It contains less water and more nutritive matter, as well as more woody fibre and less sugar, than either turnips or carrots. One hundred parts of parsnips contain : — Water 82-039 Albumen and casein . . . 1-215 Sugar 2-882 Starch 3-507 Fat 0-546 Gum 0-748 Woody fibre 8-022 Mineral matter . , . . 1-041 Or, Water 82-0 Flesh and force producers . . 1-2 Force producers .... lo-8 Mineral matter 1.0 The parsnip is chiefly used in winter. It is improved rather than the reverse by frost ; but is apt to become rusty if allowed to remain too long in the ground. After it has begun to grow again in spring it exhibits acrid qualities. The root of the parsnip is in demand in the North of Ireland for making a fermented liquor, with yeast and hops, and both in Great Britain and Ireland for making parsnip wine {see Parsnip Wine), which is held to resemble malmsey wine. Parsnips may be dressed in thesame way as carrots, which they very much resemble. When boUed they are generally served with boiled meat, or boiled salt fish,, or when fried, with roast mutton. If young, theyrequire only to be washed and scraped beforethey are boiled, all blemishes being of courseremoved. If old and large, the skin must be pared off and the roots cut into quarters. Carrots and parsnips are often sent to table together. It should be remembered that parsnips are more quickly boiled than carrots. Parsnip Cake. — Boil two or three parsnips until they are tender enough to mash, then press them through a colander with the back of a wooden spoon, and carefully remove any fibrous stringy pieces there may be. Mix a tea-cupful of the mashed parsnip witli a quart of hot milk, add a tea-spoonful of salt, four ounces of fresh butter, half a pint of yeast, and enough flour to make a stiff batter. Put the bowl which contains the mixture in a warm place> cover it with a cloth, and leave it to rise. When it has risen to twice its original size, knead some more flour into it, and let it rise again ; make it into small round cakes a quarter of an inch thick, and place these on buttered tins. Let them stand before the fire a fewminutes, and bake them in a hot oven. These cakes should be eaten hot. They do not taste of the parsnips. Time, some hours to rise ; about twenty minutes to bake. Probable cost, PAR ( 506 ) PAR Is. for this quantity. Sufficient for six or eight j persons. Parsnip Fritters. — Boil four good-sized ,