How to Clean Wax Covered Parsnips

eHow may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. Learn more about our affiliate and product review process here.

Things You'll Need

  • Bowl

  • Vegetable brush

  • Vegetable peeler

Peel parsnips immediately before cooking so they don't discolor.
Image Credit: Brand X Pictures/Stockbyte/Getty Images

Grocers often coat parsnips in wax to hold in their moisture so they stay fresh during transport and on display. Although this coating is made of food-grade wax, it's still not pleasant to eat. Scraping your nail along the parsnip reveals whether your vegetables are waxed. You can remove the wax before cooking with hot water, but you should still peel them to ensure that no remaining wax ends up in your cooked dish.

Advertisement

Step 1

Fill a bowl or a plugged sink with hot tap water. Soak the parsnips in the water for 3 minutes to soften the wax.

Video of the Day

Step 2

Scrub the skin of the parsnip with a vegetable brush to remove the loosened wax. Rinse under hot water.

Step 3

Hold the parsnip in your nondominant hand. Peel the skin off with a vegetable peeler, pulling the peeler from the stem end to the bottom of the root. Peel away from your body.

Advertisement

Video of the Day

references