The first sign of spring in New England isn’t asparagus, or strawberries. It’s Parsnips. But not just any parsnip. These are Spring Dug. This time of year, Michael Docter and his crew at Winter Moon Roots brave the cold to harvest a special crop.
Michael knows that something magical happens when you leave parsnips underground all winter in New England. As the temperature begins to drop, parsnips, worrying that they might freeze, begin to convert their starches into sugars. Sugar freezes less easily than starch. They get really close to freezing, but they don’t. Instead they come up tasting buttery, and sweeter than Fall Dug Parsnips.
When you buy a Spring Dug Parsnip Sandwich (launching Thursday for the general public, Wednesday for app users) you’re supporting Michael, his farm crew in Hadley, and the amazing things that happen when you put Mother Nature in charge!