Garden blackroot is a traditional root vegetable. When peeled, it visually resembles asparagus plants. Therefore, it is colloquially called poor man’s asparagus. Other names for the vegetable are: True salsify, Spanish salsify or winter asparagus.
Here’s what you should know about garden salsify.
Garden black salsify is a traditional root vegetable. When peeled, it visually resembles asparagus plants. Garden black salsify comes from the salsify plant genus. The vegetable is the edible root of a yellow flowering composite. The salsify is related to turnips and has the shape of a taproot. The botanical name is Scorzonera hispanica. Its original distribution in Spain as well as on the Iberian Peninsula can still be recognized by this name. In the 17th century, the root vegetable was introduced to Central Europe. Its cultivation displaced the oat root – a popular vegetable since the 13th century. The salsify has a diameter of about 3 – 4 cm and is 22 – 50 cm long. A distinctive feature is the dark to black outer skin of the root. This is not edible. When peeling off, a white-yellowish milky juice is produced. It emerges from the milk tubes of the root, which are injured during peeling. The milky sap contains rubber and is therefore very sticky. When exposed to air, this juice oxidizes quickly and thus turns brown. Nowadays, salsify is cultivated agriculturally mainly in Belgium, France and the Netherlands. The few garden salsify plants still growing in the wild in Germany are specially protected under the Federal Species Protection Ordinance. The plant is considered highly endangered – depending on the region. Anyone who wants to use black salsify for cooking should not harvest it wild. In the trade and for hobby gardening, there are cultivated forms that can be used for this purpose. The garden salsify is a biennial plant. It forms the rootstock the leaf mass in the first year. Only in the second year it develops its flower. The flower stalks can grow to a height of 120 cm. However, the plant is cultivated only as an annual and harvested before the flowering stage. The harvesting period starts from October and can last throughout the winter if the ground is frost-free, or otherwise until April of the following year. The roots are hardy and do not suffer damage from ground frost. The taste of salsify is very intense. Due to the beet-like character, it reminds of kohlrabi, combined with a nutty asparagus flavor – thanks to the asparagine it contains. Therefore, salsify can actually be used very well as a substitute for asparagus.
Importance for health
Garden salsify is a very healthy vegetable. It contains similar high nutritional values as beans and peas. It is also enriched with many vitamins and essential minerals such as iron and calcium. The biggest advantage is its high content of inulin. This is a polysaccharide. It is broken down in the stomach to fructose. Thus, no dextrose (glucose) is produced during the digestion process. This makes black salsify vegetables very suitable for diabetics and relieves blood sugar levels. In addition, the vegetable is free of cholesterol. 100 g of black salsify vegetables have only 17 kcal and are therefore ideal for a weight-conscious diet. Its ingredient choline is an important micronutrient for the regulation of nerve processes.
Ingredients and nutritional values
| Nutritional information |
Amount per 100 gram |
| Calories 82 | Fat content 0.2 g |
| Cholesterol 0 mg |
Sodium 20 mg |
| Potassium 380 mg | Carbohydrates 19 g |
| Dietary fiber 3.3 g |
Protein 3.3 g |
True salsify is 78-82% water and contains 0.4% fat. It provides the body with the following vitamins: rethinol, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine or proviatmin A and vitamins C, B1 and E. 100 grams of vegetables provide the body with 224 mg of potassium, 47 mg of calcium and 2.9 mg of iron. In addition, there are sodium, phosphorus and magnesium.
Intolerances and allergies
The inulin already mentioned is responsible for the fact that salsify is not well tolerated by everyone. People with sensitive gastrointestinal systems may suffer from mild digestive problems after consuming the root vegetable. Other intolerances are not known.
Shopping and kitchen tips
Black salsify sprouts new leaves soon after harvest. That is why they are quickly put on sale. When buying, make sure that the roots have grown straight. No root side shoots should have been cut off to enhance the visual appearance. Other damage to the outer skin should also be absent. In the other case, some of the milky juice has already leaked out before sale. This affects the taste and the root may have dried out. The shelf life would then also be reduced. The easily brittle roots should be well protected against damage during transport in the shopping bag. At home, they are best kept in the refrigerator for only a few days. The best place is the vegetable compartment. A commercial refrigerator does not provide optimal storage conditions. They are at very low temperatures of 0 – 1 °C and a humidity of 95 %. Therefore, quick consumption is advisable. Black salsify naturally adheres to a thin layer of soil. To protect your own clothes during preparation, a kitchen apron is ideal. Rubber gloves are also helpful. Hands will otherwise turn brown and sticky. First, clean the vegetables with a root brush under running water. A peeler is the optimal kitchen tool to remove the root rind from the vegetables. So that the knife does not have to be cleaned too laboriously from the sticky milky juice, there is a trick. Fill a large bowl with vinegar water, submerge black salsify under water and peel there. If you don’t want to use raw garden salsify (for example, to make salad), you can blanch them. Then the root skin can be easily peeled off afterwards. For this purpose, the vegetable can be boiled briefly and then poured over with cold water. The process is even more effective when boiled in vinegar water. Here, a cooking time of 20 – 25 minutes is recommended. Caraway seeds can be added for better development of the aroma. Then also briefly immerse in cold water. Finally, peel off the rind.
Preparation tips
The garden black salsify can be used in many ways in the kitchen. As a raw vegetable, it can be grated and combined with horseradish, nuts, apples or peas to make delicious salads. Yogurt, sour cream, mayonnaise or lemon with parsley make suitable sauces and dressings. As a cooked side dish, salsify can be used in all dishes where kohlrabi or asparagus is served. They go very well with béchamel sauce. They should be cut into bite-sized pieces before cooking. Blanched salsify can be breaded and then fried. They can also be dipped in batter and deep fried. This transforms them into a delicious alternative to a meat dish. To prevent the freshly peeled roots from discoloring before they are prepared, there are two tricks: either place the freshly peeled root pieces in vinegar water until they are ready to be processed, or add a little flour to the water instead of vinegar. Both minimize the unsightly oxidation.