I recently planted Salsify, also known as Oyster Plant or Vegetable Oyster, in my garden and the seeds have already sprouted and began growing.
Salsify is a rather uncommon root crop that is not often found growing in home gardens, but is actually a very care free vegetable to cultivate.
Planting and Growing Salsify or Oyster Plant
Oyster plant’s main claim to fame is for producing an edible root with a taste that is similar to oysters. I have to confess that while I’ve grown oyster plants for a number of years, I have never eaten it, which I’ll explain the reason for a little later in this article.
Despite my resistance to cooking Salsify, I’ve grown it out of curiosity as an ornamental plant and to attract beneficial insects, which are drawn to the plant’s purple flowers. As a biennial, these flowers typically don’t show up in the garden until the plants second season of growth.
To grow salsify scatter the stick-like seeds over a deeply loosened and composted raised bed, and cover the seeds with a thin layer of topsoil or fine compost. Like parsnips, always use fresh seeds as they lose viability rather quickly. Plant salsify as early as possible in the spring for a fall harvest.
Be careful that you don’t dislodge the germinating seedlings as they look more like tiny twigs protruding from the ground than any type of vegetable plant that I’ve ever seen.
Harvesting and Preparing Vegetable Oyster Roots
The brown seedlings will eventually grow into long, slender, clumps of grass like green leaves that are also edible and can be added to mixed salads. The tan colored roots can reach eight to twelve inches in length and about an inch in diameter.
Mature salsify roots can be dug up in the fall or they can be left in the ground over the winter and will resprout new leaves and produce both flowers and seeds during subsequent seasons. I’ve noticed roots that continue to grow for a number of years from a single planting.
As I mentioned earlier, I have never cooked salsify roots, and the reason is that they seemed somewhat of a hassle to prepare. First you have to carefully wash them and remove the thin skin by peeling or scraping. The roots also exude a sticky, milky white liquid when they are cut into.
Once the outer layer of skin has been removed the roots must be quickly covered with cool water containing lemon juice or vinegar in order to prevent discoloration. From there one popular recipe calls for boiling the roots, mashing the cooked salsify, and forming them into fritters which are then fried. All of which explains my reluctance to try them out in the kitchen.
I’ve recently noticed simpler cooking methods that involve a more basic sauteing or steaming of the salsify roots, or including them in soups or stews, so I plan to make it a point to actually try them out this season.
Black Salsify and Other Varieties
There are a few varieties of oyster plant listed in the vegetable seed catalogs including Mammoth Sandwich Island, French Blue Flowered, and Improved Mammoth.
In addition you’ll find a similar vegetable called Scorzonera or Black Salsify which has an identical growth habit. Scorzonera produces wider leaves, yellow flowers and a black skinned root, but is otherwise very similar to salsify and can be grown, harvested, and prepared in the same manner.
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I’ve been growing salsify for a couple of years, and the trick to growing and cooking it without hassle is to grow it in soil that is deep and soft (sandy soil is good if you have it — I don’t) so that the roots grow large without splitting. Otherwise you get lots of skinny roots that take time to prepare.
But cooking — don’t go to all the hassle of mashing and making fritters. Here’s what you do: Peel or scrape the roots as you would carrots, slice them up, and drop them into a pot of water with lemon juice in it (because they turn brown quickly). Put the pot on the stove, bring it to a boil, and cook them for about 10 or 15 minutes, just until tender. Drain, return to the pot with a lump of butter, and cook a bit more until the water is mostly evaporated and the butter is melted. Add a bit of salt and pepper and serve up. Mmm mmm good! Doesn’t taste like oysters to me — more like cashews. Even my carnivorous veggie-hating son likes these.
Thanks for the tips, I’ll give that a try… I’ve also seen the taste of salsify compared to artichoke hearts.
Mmm. Loving as I do a pan of saute’ed parsnip, I wonder what the salsify would do? The parsnip carmalizes a bit and comes out so lovely and sweet!
My grandmother & mother always cooked salsify like sliced carrots and served them in a cream sauce- I loved them as a child. Where can I find seeds?
Salsify seeds are not commonly found at local garden centers but you can obtain them from most mail order seed suppliers including Johnny’s Selected Seeds and Nichols Garden Nursery. If you purchased my gardening ebook you have free access to a webpage that includes a listing of numerous vegetable seed suppliers that offer heirloom and gourmet seeds of unique and ornamental edible plants such as salsify.
Where can I buy some Black Salsify seeds or plants?
Thanks Marty
Hi Martin,
It’s funny that you ask because I just finished planting a few Black Salsify, or Scorzonera seeds in the garden and then noticed your question. I purchased my Black Salsify form Fedco Seeds and it’s a variety called Noir De Russie Scorzonera.
I have several self-sown salsify plants in flower in the grass edging of my allotment. I also have some seeds from ones in a neighbours garden, and have only recently discovered what they are. I would grow them just for the sake of the flowers, but shall have a go at sowing some for the pot. Thanks for the ideas!
I grew up in Belgium and eating salsify is as common as eating hot dogs in the states. We always saute them with a little butter, salt and pepper, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
We see them most often in glass jar like beets, but I just purchased some fresh from Whole Foods.
Last year was my first experience with salsify. I had wondered since childhood about it and so purchased some seeds I found at a retail nursery. I got rapid, nearly 100% germination and no pest damage at any stage of growth. As to the flavor frost seems to be key: before frost the flavor was quite mild and nearly identical to jerusalem artichokes but after frost it became definitely oysterish. Has anyone ever tried them as tempura or otherwise deep-fried?
Does salsify require full sun?
Citrine,
According to what I have read, salsify grows wild in meadows, so I imagine that they do require full sun or at least a spot that’s sunny for most of the day.
thanks much, salsify lover!
I have been unable to find any seed for black salsify but am anxious to tryit I comtinue my search
I have been commercially growing black salsify in Tasmania, Australia for nearly 10 years with my family and wondering if anyone has some seed from “super plants” that they would like to swap or sell me? We are at altitude and find that it loves frost and we grow it in rich, deep sand which limits alot of the forking issues and makes the digging easier.
I have grown black salsify from seeds purchased in Gemany. (It’s called Schwarzwurzel there, which translated means Blackroot.) I have found it to be very hardy at an altitude of 5000 feet in Zone 4 in a mountain valley of northern Utah. I had some roots stored in a plastic bag in the back of the refrigerator crisper drawer over the winter, and they are starting to send up new growth right in the refrigerator. So, I planted the roots back out into the garden yesterday, in hopes that I will get a new crop this year.
I have taken an interest in low-labor and hardy edible plants (sustainable) that have value as a “survival” crop. I think salsify might could qualify as one of these types of edible plants.
I was digging up my allotment yesterday, and found either a parsnip or salsify. I’m thinking it’s salsify. This is strange because i haven’t sown the seed and i had the plot last year… it’s very strange. If it flowers, can i grow vegetables from them, they’re heritage plants aren’t they? not like hybrids etc?
I want to purchase oyster plants seeds. Can anyone tell me where I can find them?
thanks
Hi Connie, Baker Creek sells them at: RareSeeds.com
Today I fell in love with salsify. We stopped at a Austrian-style restaurant in upstate New York and it was on the menu under salads. It looked like white penne pasta and it was bound together by a sour cream-type sauce and sprinkled with fresh dill. It had a nice crunchy taste, somewhat like crisp asparagus, but crunchier. It was a fine complement to my dinner of schnitzel and I can’t wait to have it again. I wonder how it would grow in upstate New York?
That was a good find Luba, I’ve never seen salsify listed on any restaurant menu that I’ve been in. Oyster plant will grow just fine in NY and will even winter over with no difficulty.
I fell in love with Salsify in a restaurant years ago in Maryland. It was the most delicious vegetable, simply sauteed in butter and melt in your mouth delicious. I live in Arizona now and am considering ordering seeds to try and grow them in a raised bed. Thank you to all who posted sites to purchase seeds. Now I have to figure out when to plant them in AZ. The heat here in the summer is intense and I have not tried gardening here yet.
Hi,
I am looking for any Italian vegetable called “Barbe di Prete”. My mother remembers her family growing it in Upper Michigan and eating it during the fall. They all say it was delicious, but we can not find the seeds. It sounds like salsify to me, but I do not know for sure.
Does anyone know if Barbe di Prete is the same as salsify.
Thanks for any info.
Hi Rita, I googled Barbe di Prete and got a lot of hits but not a single one in a language that I understand.
I did see the word scorzanera included in some of the descriptions, so I would guess that Barbe di Prete is a variety or another name for salsify or scorzonera.
My great-aunt would shred the salsify and make into a dressing like casserole au gratin…sort of like an oyster dressing without bread cubes. She peeled the roots and used the lemon juice to keep the salsify from turning brown. This is great for people allergic to shellfish and can’t eat oysters.
I’ve just read the suggestions for prep. I don’t peel it! I just scrub it real good and slice on a diagonal, then saute it up either with carrots and onions or as part of a stir fry. Salsify tastes just fine to me with the brown skin on!
Please let me know where I can buy seeds for salsify.
I had salsify as a child and into my adult years. My mother and grandparents grew it. We had it as a casserole. The salsify was cleaned and cooked by boiling then drained. My mother then layered it in a baking dish using first butter, crackers, canned oysters and milk. Then a layer of cooked salsify. She repeated this until the baking dish was full top layer being crackers and butter. She then baked it in the oven. It was a favorite in our family dinners and I have just ordered seeds online as I lost my mother 3 years ago. I do love the memories this dish has left on my heart.
When I was a kid in the late twenties we grew and ate salisify. We would peel,slice the long way in 1/4″ thick slices,and fry. Yep,have an oyster like taste.
I roasted the scrubbed salsify in the oven with skins on and the thinner roots became like “chips” and were oyster-ish crunchy whilst the thicker roots became creamy. We ate the skin and all. Plain with just the olive oil on it used for roasting. Blue ribbon yummy. I still have a couple of rows in the garden. May leave a few to winter over and see if I get new growth in the spring. This year’s crop didn’t flower as it was a first year crop. Completely pest free crop. I will grow more of this next year !!
barba di prete is Italian for priest’s beard. since another name for salsify is goat’s beard, that’s probably as close as it gets in another language.
Just to add to the recipes, I peel and boil, and use the part of the cooking liquid thickened with a roux (flour lightly sweated in butter, Mehlschwitze) as sauce. Great with pork chops and potatoes.
I would like to know if you have any salsify plants or do you start them from seeds? We had some some years ago and I loved them, but my husband grew them and he has since passed. I was going to try my hand at them, also where can I get the seeds? And how much are they? Do you have a catalog and if you do would you send me one? I would appreciate this very much, if you can answer my questions and help me out. Thank you so much.
Darlene Lyons
Hi Darlene, I’m sorry to hear that your husband has passed and hope that the salsify will bring back good memories. It is best to start salsify from seed and many of the heirloom seed suppliers carry the seed. Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds offers two strains of salsify seed at $2.00 per pack
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