That's why root vegetables are so healthy!

With falling temperatures the appetite for hearty root vegetables grows. Colorful carrots, hearty parsnips and spicy root parsley provide a welcome change in the menu. In autumn and winter is the season for fresh root vegetables from German outdoor cultivation.

Extremely healthy and from the region! (Image: Rebel / fotolia.com)

The most important root vegetable is undoubtedly the carrot, which was produced on 12,545 hectares in Germany in 2017, according to the Federal Information Center for Agriculture (BZL). As a result, the acreage increased by 1,336 hectares compared to the previous year. Most carrots grow on fields in North Rhine-Westphalia, followed by Lower Saxony, Rhineland-Palatinate, Bavaria, Schleswig-Holstein and Baden-Württemberg, which together account for almost 85 percent of the acreage.

Although orange carrots account for the largest market share, new attractive varieties with white, yellow, red or purple beet colors and bicoloured varieties have been added in recent years. Responsible for the coloring are the carotenoids. These so-called phytochemicals also act as antioxidants and can protect our cells from damage. Carotenoids are therefore considered a protective factor against certain types of cancer as well as cardiovascular diseases. Orange varieties contain mainly beta-carotene, red varieties lycopene, yellow varieties lutein and violet varieties anthocyanins.

Carrots are easily digestible and low in calories. They contain not only carotenoids but also other valuable nutrients such as potassium, calcium and iron. Incidentally, the addition of fat in the form of butter, cream or oil improves the absorption of beta-carotene. It is even more important, however, to chop carrots well and to chew properly, informs the Federal Center for Nutrition (BZfE).

Until the 18th century, a valued winter vegetables and then almost supplanted by the potato and carrot, parsnips are experiencing a renaissance with increasing acreage. Harvested from September and storable for up to six months, the yellowish, up to 40 cm long turnip with the broad head is offered throughout the winter season.

Parsnips can be eaten raw or cooked - much like carrots. Smaller, young parsnips are very good as a soup insert. Grated raw vegetables taste like a salad. Also very popular is a parsnip puree, which tastes a bit more aromatic than mashed potatoes. Parsnips are a high-potency, simmering vegetable and also contain significant amounts of vitamin C and potassium.

For a long time in our cultivation on much larger areas than the parsnip is the root parsley. In contrast to the leaf parsley, it forms a up to 20 cm long, yellowish-white, slender, edible turnip with sweet-spicy taste. It is also available from September until spring in the trade.

Root parsley is ideal for cream soups as the parsley flavor of the root is preserved during cooking. It is well suited for the preparation of vegetable patties and as a refined side dish to lamb, game and beef. You can also slice and fry them. The root parsley is an important supplier of vitamin C and provitamin A and what many do not know: The leaves are not only edible, but also tasty.