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Friday, 2 May 2014

Parsley - the Work-Horse of Herbs



Growing Parsleypetroselinum 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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