Parsley... much more than a decoration

Native to Eastern Europe and the Middle East, parsley, Petroselinum crispum , has long been cultivated as a medicinal plant. However, it was not until the Middle Ages that it was used as an aromatic plant thanks to Charlemagne, who ordered its cultivation on his estates. The Romans brought it to England, and the English dispersed it throughout the world during their travels and conquests. In Turkey, Algeria, and Lebanon, it is still found growing wild. In the first century AD, Pliny the Elder considered it an important medicinal plant. His contemporary in Greece, Dioscorides, mentioned it in his writings. The ancient Greeks decorated tombs with parsley; they also used it in funerary rites and to crown the winners of the games. Leaf parsley includes curly parsley , which is more ornamental, and flat-leaf parsley, also known as Italian parsley : many consider the latter to be more flavorful. Root parsley, Petroselinum crispum var. tuberosum , is also known as tuberous parsley or Hamburg parsley, although it was the Dutch who, through selection, obtained this fleshy root, which is similar to parsnip.

Cultivation method

Parsley is best grown in full sun, but it can also do well in partial shade. It grows in rich, moist, but well-drained soil. It requires a lot of nutrients, so it should be fertilized with a generous amount of compost and rotated. It requires regular watering, making it an ideal companion plant for tomatoes, which also require a lot of water.

Parsley should be started early in March by sowing indoors or purchased in May. Parsley seeds germinate slowly. The cotyledons will appear 2 to 6 weeks after sowing. When the seedlings have developed 4 leaves, transplant them into growing medium. After a period of acclimatization, transplant the plants to the garden in May, 75 cm apart. As a companion plant, they can be interspersed between tomatoes or placed at the base of rose bushes, improving the health and fragrance of their flowers. For tuberous parsley, specifically grown for its roots, it is best to sow directly and then thin out early in the season to 10 cm. For abundant leaf and root production, it is important to compensate for the lack of rain by watering regularly. A biennial, this apiaceae often survives the winter and produces a few leaves in the spring before unfolding its flower stalks, which will develop the seeds.

Harvesting and preservation

Parsley is hardy and frost-resistant. It can be harvested in zone 4, often until December. In temperate regions, parsley can be harvested year-round, even under snow. The stems of curly parsley can reach more than 30 cm, while those of flat-leaf parsley can reach more than 45 cm. The leaves are harvested throughout the season, but it is after a few cold nights that the parsley becomes sweeter. I then take the opportunity to transform it into a savory herb that I use to season sauces, stews, and soups. You can also freeze the leaves without blanching them, but I prefer to freeze them crushed in a little water or oil in ice cube trays or small containers. If you want to preserve them to prepare infusions, you must dry them in a dehydrator. In autumn or very early spring, the roots are harvested and, when dried in a dehydrator at a maximum temperature of 40°C, concentrate the sugars. They can be eaten as is as a treat or in a decoction. Fresh, they can be kept for a few weeks in the refrigerator, in a plastic bag. Delicious grated in salads, they can also be cooked to use as a side vegetable or added to stews or broths.

Thanks to a particularly warm autumn in 2016, I was able to harvest parsley until the beginning of December. When temperatures were forecast to drop below -5°C, I placed a compost tarp and polythene supported by hoops over the plants. Before the severe frost, I harvested a bountiful crop. The fresh, washed, and dried leaves can be stored for several weeks in the refrigerator, in a perforated plastic bag. I transformed some of them into salted herbs and some into pesto. Finally, I pulled up a few plants to harvest the roots, which I dried in a dehydrator. I left the others in the garden for a spring leaf harvest.

Salted Herb Recipe

At the table

Whether flat or curly, parsley has similar benefits. It increases the nutritional value of the preparations to which it is added. Thus, it can be used in salads, sandwiches, as a garnish on the plate as well as in green juices. Analysis of parsley reveals a significant content of iron, potassium and vitamin C. It also contains calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, copper, iodine, folic acid, vitamins A, B1, B2, B3 and more vitamin C than an orange. Anemic, lethargic, and pregnant women would benefit from daily consumption of parsley in infusion, salad or smoothie. I add it to my dishes in its fresh form, in savory herbs and in pesto. To compensate for a drop in energy, I eat tabbouleh, this delicious salad of Mediterranean origin and thus benefit from the stimulating effect of parsley. I liked adding a few leaves to baby food for its iron and vitamin content. An aperitif, stomachic, and carminative, it stimulates the appetite and improves digestion. It also fights bad breath.

At the pharmacy

As a medicinal plant, it was during a bout of mastitis that I came to know and appreciate the galactophobic effect of parsley. My midwife recommended that I apply crushed parsley leaves as a poultice to the blocked milk duct. The engorgement quickly cleared. Vulnerary, this same poultice relieves insect bites and blisters and helps wounds heal. In The Monks' Pharmacy , we find another recipe for a healing poultice: "parsley juice, mixed with flour and an egg white, gives a poultice which, often renewed, heals wounds and ulcers." One of its common English names, parsley breakstone, refers to its lithotitric properties, which are found mainly in its root, but also in its leaves. A powerful diuretic, but fortunately rich in potassium, parsley foliage relieves kidney ailments, as well as arthritis, rheumatism, and gout. For more serious urinary system ailments, such as water retention, kidney stones, inflammation, or problems with bedwetting or incontinence, a concentrated decoction of the root is used. Rich in essential oils, the seeds are also diuretic, but irritate the kidneys. Ancient authors recommended them as an abortifacient, but as they can be toxic in high doses, this practice was abandoned. In pregnant women, it is best to avoid therapeutic doses, as its emmenagogue properties could induce menstruation in early pregnancy. As it is galactophobic, such doses are also avoided during breastfeeding, but it is important not to deprive yourself of its nutritional qualities and to eat it regularly. When weaning a child, parsley can be combined with sage or yarrow to stop milk production.

In some restaurants, it is sometimes the small bunch of parsley used as decoration that is the most nutritious part of the meal!

Text and recipe by Diane Mackay, author and herbalist

Gagnon, Caroline, Lanctôt-Bédard Valérie. Materia medica for experienced witches and sorcerers … 2002-2003

De Meung, Odon. The Monks' Pharmacy (Macer Floridus written in Latin in the 11th century, translated by L. Baudet) Paleo editions, September 2011, p.29

Provost, Marie, Course Book VIII, Diuretics, The Truancy of the Clef des Champs, 1995

O'Reilly, Moïra. Interactions, contraindications and complementarities, medicinal plants .

L'Herbothèque inc. 2004. The visual encyclopedia of food, Les éditions Québec/Amérique inc. 1996.

The Rodale Herb book, How to use, grow and buy nature's miracle plants, edited by William H. Hylton, Rodale Press inc. 1974