How to Harvest Flat-Leaf Parsley

Flat-leaf parsley, also known as Italian parsley, is an herb with global popularity. It is used in Middle Eastern, European, American and Asian cooking as a garnish and main ingredient. Its flavor is similar to cilantro (also known as Chinese parsley), but it is quite a bit milder. And it is one of the most nutritious cooking herbs, containing vitamins A and C, niacin and riboflavin, and calcium. With Italian parsley growing in your garden, there will be plenty of opportunities to harvest and cook this delicious herb.

Instructions

1. • 1

     Allow the parsley to grow unmolested until the outer compound leaf produces three fully formed leaves. A compound leaf is made up of smaller leaves. In parsley's case, three small leaves make up one compound leaf.

   • 2

     Identify the largest compound leaves nearest the exterior of the plant.

   • 3

     Pull the largest compound leaves off of the parsley. Hold the parsley stem just below the node where the compound leaf connects to the stem. Pull and twist the compound leaf's stem away to harvest all three leaves at once.