🥕 Salsify

Salsify, known as the 'oyster plant', is a long, slender, creamy-white root with a delicate flavour reminiscent of oysters or artichoke. It is an old-fashioned winter vegetable that is rarely seen in shops but is easy to grow in deep, stone-free soil.

Related scorzonera has black skin and is grown the same way. If left in the ground for a second year, salsify produces purple dandelion-like flowers, and its young shoots, called chards, are edible.

Varieties to try

Mammoth Sandwich Island (large, reliable)Giant Salsify (straight roots)Duplex (scorzonera)Hoffmann’s Schwarze Pfahl (scorzonera)

Sow in April and May, 2 cm deep, in rows 30 cm apart, in deep, light, stone-free soil. Prepare the bed well, as stones cause forked roots. Seed is viable for only a year, so always use fresh seed; sow a few extra seeds as germination is patchy.

Thin seedlings to 10–15 cm apart. Keep weeds under control in the early stages, as seedlings are slow. Raised beds or large deep containers work well on heavy soil.

Top tips

• Use fresh seed each year.
• Remove all stones.
• Thin to 10–15 cm.
• Use a raised bed for heavy soil.

Water in dry spells to prevent roots from becoming woody and bitter, and keep weeds out by hoeing carefully. No feeding is needed in reasonable soil, and manure should be avoided, as it causes forking.

Salsify is little troubled by pests, though slugs and aphids may appear. White rust causes pale blisters on leaves; remove affected leaves. Plants are hardy and can stay in the ground all winter.

Top tips

• Never add fresh manure.
• Water in dry spells.
• Hoe carefully.
• Remove leaves with white rust.

Watch out for

White rustSlugsAphidsForked roots from stony soil

Lift roots from October onwards, as needed through winter, when the foliage has died back. Dig with a fork well away from the row to avoid snapping the long, brittle roots, which bleed a milky sap. Roots left in the ground are best, as they keep their quality.

In spring, young flower shoots can be harvested before they open and cooked like asparagus. Lift remaining roots before they start to grow in spring, as they become woody.

Top tips

• Dig deeply beside the row.
• Leave roots in the ground over winter.
• Eat the spring shoots.
• Lift before spring growth.

Scrub the roots and peel them under running water or drop them immediately into water with lemon juice or vinegar, as the flesh discolours quickly. Boil for 15–20 minutes and serve with butter, or roast, fry, or add to gratins, soups and stews.

Roots keep for several weeks in the fridge, or in damp sand in a cool shed. Unpeeled roots can be left in the ground until needed. Cooked salsify can be frozen, though the texture softens.

Top tips

• Peel in acidulated water.
• Boil before roasting.
• Serve with butter or cream sauce.
• Store in damp sand.