Salsify is notoriously sticky to peel — this old cooking trick makes it much easier

Long, muddy roots with an almost black skin: at first sight, salsify looks more like something dug up from the garden than something you'd want on your dinner plate.

Yet this old-fashioned winter vegetable has been making its way back into kitchens. Its pale flesh has a delicate flavour that's often compared with asparagus or artichoke, which explains another of its old nicknames: winter asparagus.

There is just one problem. Once you start peeling it, a sticky, milky sap comes out and clings to your hands, your peeler and anything else it touches. The pale flesh also starts turning brown surprisingly quickly.

That earned salsify a rather memorable Dutch nickname: keukenmeidenverdriet, or "kitchen maid's sorrow". The name was already being used for salsify in Dutch newspapers in 1966.

But you don't necessarily have to deal with all that mess in the first place.

The easier way to prepare salsify

The trick is to change the order of things: cook the roots before peeling them.

Start by brushing the salsify thoroughly under running water to remove the soil from the dark skin. Then put the whole roots, still unpeeled, into a pan of water and cook them until tender.

Once they're cooked, transfer them to cold water to cool them down. The skin can then be pulled or scraped away much more easily.

Dutch growers' platform Verse Oogst specifically recommends this method, while Riverford gives the same basic advice: clean the roots, boil them in their skin, cool them and then peel.

You may still want to wear kitchen gloves while peeling. Some sticky sap can be released even after cooking, but you're avoiding the worst part of having to peel every raw root by hand.

The exact cooking time depends on the thickness of the roots, so don't rely too heavily on the clock. Start checking with a small knife and take them out when they're tender.

If you need to peel salsify while it's raw

Sometimes you want to roast, fry or otherwise prepare the vegetable from raw. In that case, you'll need to peel it first.

Have a bowl of cold water ready before you start. Adding lemon juice or a splash of vinegar helps slow the browning that happens once the pale flesh is exposed to air. Several cooking sources use this approach.

Peel the roots quickly and put them straight into the water. Gloves are also a good idea if you want to avoid getting the milky sap on your hands.

What to do with salsify once it's ready

Salsify is at its best in the colder months, with Dutch-grown roots generally available from autumn into winter.

Look for roots that feel firm and dry rather than soft or shrivelled. They can be cooked simply and served with butter, or given the classic treatment: a white or cheese sauce, boiled potatoes, ham and a cooked egg. Verse Oogst also suggests roasting, stir-frying and using salsify in soup or gratin.

So if you've always walked past those strange black roots at the greengrocer because they looked like too much work, there is a much easier way in.

Don't peel them first. Cook them in their skin, cool them down and strip the skin off afterwards. The vegetable sure does look unusual, but the flavor it brings is quite worth it.