About Parsley

by Laurie

History

The Greeks planted Parsley and rue as borders around herb gardens, from whence comes the old saying: "being at the parsely and rue", meaning to be at the beginning of a project.

In Greek mythology, parsley is said to have sprung from the Greek hero, Crchemorous. Winners at the ancient games were crowned with parsley. Parsley was used in Roman and Greek times as both a flavoring and garnish. It is used in the Hebrew celebration of Passover as a symbol of spring and rebirth.

The Romans believed parsley could prevent intoxication and were the first people to consume it in large quantities.

Growing Parsley & Varieties

All varieties of parsley are biennieals, meaning that they usually last for 2 years, but is usually grown as an annual as the leaves have a more delicate flavour in the first year.

In the second year the main stems grow taller and branched, each branch holding the flat-topped umbrel of yellow flowers. If these taller stems are cut as soon as they appear you should get another year out of the plant.

Plant seeds early in the spring (they're a little slow to germinate). The first year, you get plenty of leaves, on fairly long stems that come from the crown of the plant. The second year, you get a couple of leaves and a long bloom stalk, which looks very much like Queen Anne's Lace (they're related.)

Pick leaves from the plant, stem and all. The first year, the more you pick, the more leaves you'll get. The second year, there are only a couple of leaves, and no more will grow, because the plant is working on bloom and seeds.

Cultivars - There are three common varieties of parsley: Italian or flat-leaf, curly, and Hamburg.

Italian or flat-leaf parsley (P. crispum var. Neapolitanum) has flat, dark green leaves with a strong, coarse flavor and edible, succulent stems. Both curly leaf and Italian are used in cooking, but the flavor of the Italian is preferable.

Curly leaf parsley (P. crispum) has leaves that curl into small frilly leaflets. It is often used as a garnish and is the variety most commonly sold even though it has less flavor than Italian parsley.

Hamburg parlsey (P. c. var. Tuberosum) has a thick, celery-flavored root that has a nutty taste when boiled as a vegetable. Although it is a perennial, it is grown as an annual for its large roots.

These can be boiled like parsnips and served with butter. Sow seed in March and do not plant in recently manured ground.

Harvesting and Using - Pinch off parsley sprigs as needed or cut the entire plant back to dry or freeze a larger quantity of foliage. Parsley can be chopped and dried, or chopped and frozen in ice cubes. The cubes are great added to soup or a sauce.

The dried parsley can be added as is to a dish to be cooked or used as a garnish on soup, or soaked in a little bit of water and sprinkled on top of already- cooked food as a garnish.