Varieties of Parsley

Types

• Three types of parsley are widely used. Curly parsley is often used as a garnish. Italian or flat-leafed parsley, which has dark green leaves, has a stronger flavor than the curly leaf variety and is often used in cooking. The third variety of parsley, Tuberosum or Hamburg, is grown for its root bulb or parsnip. The parsnip bulb has a nutty flavor and can be cooked in the same ways as any other root vegetable.

Growing Parsley

• Parsley is a cool-weather crop that should be planted at the same time as beets or carrots. Parsley grows easily from seed placed only one-quarter inch deep in the soil, either in a container or in your garden. It prefers sites with slightly acidic soil and full or part sun. Place the seeds closely together for a mass planting, especially in a herb garden.

  Parsley grows quickly, particularly during cool periods, and requires regular watering and fertilizing. Harvest parsley a few stems at a time so the plant keeps producing. Snip the stalk near the base of the plant.

Keeping Parsley

• Wash parsley leaves after you harvest them, dry them on a paper towel and store them in a plastic bag in the fridge for several weeks. Alternatively, dry the leaves and keep them in a jar in a cool, dark place. If you have cut a stem of the plant, place it in a glass of water for one or two days until you use the leaves. Parsley leaves also freeze well. Chop them and place them on a tray in the freezer until they are frozen.

Using Parsley

• Along with its use as a garnish, parsley is an useful culinary herb. It blends well with other flavors and reduces the odor of fish and garlic. It's one of the main ingredients in Middle Eastern tabbouleh and the Japanese coat it in tempura batter.

  It is present in Mexican salsa verde and the parsnip is often roasted as part of a British Sunday dinner. Parsley has been used as a medicinal herb since the Middle Ages, and today parsley oil today is an ingredient of commercial shampoos and soaps.