Does anyone have experience eating parsnip greens? There seems to be some controversy around them. Some say they are poisonous and shouldn’t even be handled with bare hands. Others say they are perfectly edible, even raw.
Any input would be appreciated. Thanks!
From Oregon State University Extension:
Oregon Poison Control recommends against consuming the greens of garden parsnips. The greens contain compounds called furanocoumarins, which have the potential to cause irritation and swelling to mouth and lips when consumed. Reactions vary by person. Some people experience this on their hands when handling, particularly if the skin is exposed to sun. Heating or cooking does not seem to destroy the toxic properties.
Sounds like it varies from plant to plant based on furanocoumarin content, and also from person to person based on sensitivity and how the greens are handled and consumed. The primary risk is about phototoxicity and contact dermatitis, rather than internal poisoning, but that doesn’t mean you wouldn’t react negatively to eating it.
If I were going to explore eating parsnip greens, I would look for established examples from cultures that have a tradition of preparing them and start with that in small amounts to see how I reacted. Here’s some relevant information from The Forager Chef’s Book of Flora, a spectacular resource from Alan Bergo.
On safety and testing new foods:
On parsnip greens specifically:
On the closely related Cow Parsnip, which contains the same furanocoumarin compounds:
Not sure about poisonous. Some people get contact dermatitis if they handle the leaves and are then exposed to sun.
As far as I know it’s just the wild parsnips that have this sunlight activated compound. I once handled the leaves of a wild parsnip and then happened to rub my nose and the next day there was a red spot where I touched my face. Several days later a scab developed there. I just let it go away naturally and didn’t treat the rash and scab with anything. It didn’t itch like Poison Ivy, but only looked bad for a few days.
I have never had any reactions to the cultivated parsnips.
Thanks for the input! Anyone ever try eating them?
