Parsley

"… verie convenient for the stomacke… "

Thomas Coghan, The Haven of Health, 1584

As a herb it is probably the most commonly used and grown. Parsley is supposed to be good for stomach pains caused by wind and for freshening breath. It is also high in vitamin C, Vitamin A, phosphorus and calcium.

The most common parsley varieties grown are the tall Italian parsley and short curly variety. The Hamburg parsley, or turnip-root parsley, is grown for the swollen root, which is cooked in soup or served as a vegetable (like parsnip) with sauce.

Throughout history, parsley has been used as a breath freshener after consuming onions and garlic. Parsley was also used by the Greeks in victor’s garlands. During the Middle Ages, parsley was seen as the Devil’s plant (unless planted on Good Friday) as it was so difficult to get the seeds to germinate. Today we can go to the nursery!

Companion Planting:

Grow parsley with tomatoes and asparagus. It is supposed to deter rose beetles.

Growing:

Can be erratic when grown from seed, so it may be easier to get plants from the nursery. The Italian variety seems to grow the easiest from seed and can easily 'take over' a vegetable patch. Parsley grows best in shade or semi-shade. The Italian variety can handle full sun the best. The curly variety makes an excellent border plant. Parsley doesn’t require any special fertiliser or conditions. It does tend to bolt to seed if fed too much nitrogen and grows well in pots.

Harvesting:

Pick as needed or dry by hanging in a cupboard. It can also be dried slowly in the oven (at low temperature), or in the microwave on paper towels (but be careful as the stems can burn!). An alternative to drying is to put in a freezer bag, freeze, and then crumble the frozen parsley. This saves all of the trouble of chopping it.

Culinary Use:

Use in sauces, stews, with fish, as a garnish or even in parsley soup! A parsley tea is supposed to be beneficial to the stomach and help in removing flatulence. It also has some properties as a breath-freshener.

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