Growing
Parsley – petroselinum
crispum
I do love parsley. It seems like a miracle food
although I did read years ago that the gypsies always advised that you
shouldn’t eat too much parsley as it was ‘ageing’. I don’t know if this meant
one’s appearance or that it had a detrimental effect on the physical body.
Another ‘Old Saying’ which I also chose to ignore
was that if you successfully sowed and germinated parsley you would be pregnant
within the year. This might be good news for some but, probably not for others.
However, I have been sowing and germinating this plant successfully for years
and I can guarantee I have not become pregnant !
However, please use this herb generously and not
just as a decoration on your Hors d’oeuvre!
Sowing
and Growing
Parsley is a biennial which it is grown from seed
one year then will flower and run to seen in the second year. However, that
doesn’t really mean you can crop it for two years. I do find that I must sow
every spring and hopefully the new plants will be just about ready for
harvesting when the old plants have put on their flowers and are no longer
providing harvestable leaves. It is possible to prolong the production a little
by removing the flower heading stems as they appear but, eventually they will
win, that is their nature.
Parsley is fairly hardy and in mild winters it will
continue to grow slowly which means you can continue to harvest frugally during
the winter. I have found that the roots stay alive during harsh winters but the
top growth dies back. They should recover in spring.
Sow from March to April or even into early May.
Unless it is a very mild spring, I would avoid early March. Parsley is very
slow to germinate and can take up to 4 weeks in a cold spring. It can be
helpful to soak the seeds in luke-warm water overnight, before sowing, to help
speed up the process but the sowing process can then be quite difficult and
irritating as the seeds stick together and to your fingers ending up with the
seeds sown in clumps.
Sow the seeds thinly in a drill 1cm [½ inch] deep.
Cover with fine compost and water well. If you have, as I have, very heavy clay
soil where it is next door to impossible to achieve a ‘fine tilth’, try
creating a drill and filling with a bought in bagged compost [which usually
comes with some fertiliser to help the young plants along]. Cover the seeds
with a shallow layer of the same compost. Water well! The downside of the
compost is that it can be very dry and is likely to dry out quickly.
Once the young plants are at the 2nd
true-leaf stage, thin them out to allow those left to develop into strong
productive plants.
Don’t allow the plants to dry out, especially
Hamburg parsley as the root are like to fork [fang].
Parsley can be grown in pots on the kitchen window
sill and this can be useful for the winter months – try later sowings from
August until February. It can also be grown in large pots or tubs on a patio or
terrace where it can be picked freshly whenever needed.
Types
of Parsley
·
Moss Curled – of which there are now
several named varieties available in our seed houses, is probably the most
common, the most readily available in shops and supermarkets [even as the young
potted plants for growing on the kitchen window sill], and the most easily
recognised from the garnishes used in restaurants. It is a shame as it devalues
this wonderful herb except as a source of colour or decoration. It has a
wonderful flavour and is absolutely superb in all dishes which require parsley
and in many dishes where the herb was never considered.
·
Flat-leaved Parsley – [also called –
plain leaved, French or Italian parsley]. This variety has, as the name
suggests, flatter leaves and a somewhat stronger flavour. It isn’t so pretty as
a garnish but, is excellent in all recipes where parsley is an essential or
enjoyable ingredient.
·
Hamburg Parsley – [also called turnip-rooted
parsley or parsnip-rooted parsley]. It is usually grown for its parsnip-like
roots used as a vegetable and is excellent roasted. The leaves can also be
eaten as with other parsleys although it is the only parsley which provides
edible roots
Nutritional
Value of Parsley
Parsley is low in fat and very low in cholesterol.
A rich source of anti-oxidents
Uncooked it is an excellent source of, particularly
Vitamins A, C and K – vitamin C can be destroyed by cooking so the parsley is
best added at the end of the cooking process. Parsley is also an excellent
source of Dietary fibre, folate, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, copper
and manganese.
Parsley is a good source of Vitamin E, thiamine,
riboflavin, niacin, B6 and pantothenic acid and the minerals phosphorus and
zinc.
Harvesting
and Storing
When harvesting parsley, always choose the greenest
and freshest stems – avoid any stems which appear wilted or yellowed. The fresh
parsley will easily keep well in a refrigerator for a week – wash, shake dry
and put in a suitable plastic bag.
I’m not a big fan of dried parsley. Drying gives the
herb a flavour which I don’t like. However, in late summer, I will chop lots of
my excess parsley and put in tubs in the freezer. Much of the flavour is lost –
though not all, I have to use quite a bit more for the flavour, but most of the
nutrients and the colour are available when there is no fresh parsley during
the winter.
Uses
of Parsley
Use in soups, sauces and stuffings.
Pasta dishes and casseroles
Omelettes, herb butters and salads
I suppose I must say that it makes a colourful and
attractive garnish
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