Organic Scorzonera Vrn Enorma

Scorzonera: VRN Enorma
Scorzonera hispanica
Approx. 100 seeds per gram
Scorzonera is an intriguing long root vegetable with black skin and white flesh. It is crispy and crunchy with similarities to salsify, and is quite easy to grow. It is sometimes also known as Black Oyster Plant due to its flavour.
Like other root crops it needs rich, deep, stone free soil for best results. The pale green leaves are attractive as they emerge from the crown of the plant.
Scorzonera flowers are yellow but as it is grown for the root, it is treated as an annual.

VRN Enorma is heavy-yielding with long, smooth, black roots with bright white flesh. The flavour is excellent and it has good resistance to bolting.

How to grow:
Sow the seeds direct into the growing site into well-prepared soil. Sprinkle the seed in during April and May.
Thin the seedlings as they grow to a distance of 15cm between plants.
Harvest the roots in October and November. They are sometimes difficult to dig out without breaking, so we try to dig around the root and down as far as we can.
Pests and diseases:
We find scorzonera to be easy to grow and that it does not really suffer from any particular pests or diseases.
How to cook:
Trim the leaves and wash the roots trying not to break them. Peel thinly and put in cold water with lemon juice to prevent discolouration.
When you’re ready to cook them, slice or leave whole. Roots can be boiled for 10-15 minutes, then used as they are or sautéed in a little butter.
They can also be roasted.