This is just a word of warning to for anyone handling parsnips, did you know the sap form the leaves can cause
a rash, blisters and chemical burns. Basically the sap can be absorbed by the skin, if the skin is then exposed to sunlight, the UV part of the light reacts with chemicals in the sap and then a couple of days later you come up in an itchy rash that develops into blisters. Once absorbed you can't wash it off.
This has happened to me over the course of last week. I harvested the last of our Parsnips that I'd overwintered on Easter Monday morning. The afternoon was warm and sunny, so feeling that I needed a reward I had a G&T (or two) and enjoyed the view of the sunny garden in the afternoon. So far so good.
By Wednesday the back of my hand and lower arm had come out in a rash. By Thursday that rash had turned into Blisters and by Friday I was at the Doctors.
Maybe I was unlucky with my combination of harvesting a crop with healthy leaves, followed by a bit of soaking up a dose of early season sunshine, but from now on it's gloves on and cover up. I'd never heard of this before, but put Parsnip Rash in google and there's quite a few articles on it, including one on the NHS website.