How to Harvest Parsley
Parsley is ready to harvest around 70-90 days after seeding. You can shorten this time by purchasing small plants. Many people buy parsley starts or start their own seeds indoors so they can harvest parsley early.
Harvest Parsley, Get Even More Fresh Parsley
One of the reasons I love parsley so much is that the more you harvest it, the more it grows. Do not be afraid of pinching off stems or leaves. In fact, whenever you are out in the garden, try to harvest at least a little to eat now or later. This constant harvesting will make sure the parsley plant grows bushy and full of leaves.
You can collect leaves with a pair of scissors or garden clippers if you wish. It is also easy to pinch the stems with your fingers to harvest parsley. Cut the parsley about one to three inches up from the ground.
How To Harvest Parsley To Keep It Growing
The best way to harvest fresh parsley is to take stems from the outside of the plant. New growth comes from the middle of the plant, so you will be taking the older leaves. You need to take off most of the stem to stimulate extra growth.
The parsley plant is hardy – even if you chop off the entire top of the plant, it will still regrow. So, harvest vigorously when you need it. A plant that is harvested regularly will grow many more harvestable leaves.
In much of the US, parsley grows through the winter, although not as quickly. Often, the parsley just needs a little shelter to keep it harvestable. You can continue harvesting parsley into the winter.
What About Second-Year Parsley?
As a biennial plant, parsley lives for two years and flowers in its second year. You can still harvest and eat parsley in its second year. However, once the flower starts blooming, it loses some of its taste and becomes a little bitter. You can harvest parsley seeds after the flowers bloom and dry on the plant.
These flowers and stems are edible, and the roots are too. You can use the flowers and stems just like you use the leaves. They have the same taste, but different textures.
Preserving Fresh Parsley: How Long Does It Last?
Keeping Fresh Stems Fresh
Parsley tastes best when it is fresh. Freshly cut parsley should be used within two hours. If you plan to use it a little later, the best way to keep it fresh is to rinse it off and then put it in a jar with water in the bottom – like a bouquet of flowers. You can set this bouquet on your counter, and it will stay fresh for a few days.
How To Store Fresh Parsley In The Refrigerator
If you are keeping parsley fresh for more than a day, punch a few holes in a plastic bag and set that bag over the parsley and the top of the jar. Then put the jar and all in the refrigerator.
If you do not have space for the entire jar, you can punch a few holes in a plastic bag and place your parsley in the bag along with a moistened sheet of paper towel. Fold the paper towel and place it in the plastic bag around the base of the parsley. Leave the end of the bag unsealed so some air can circulate, keeping the parsley fresh. Saved in this way, parsley will stay fresh from 2 days to a week.
How To Dry Fresh Parsley
Drying parsley helps you keep the parsley for a long time. However, the flavor lessens greatly when dried. Often the color goes, too. Still, in the middle of winter, that dried parsley is great for parsley potatoes or soup. Dried herbs are good for a year or more. Check the odor. If you can smell the herb, you can use it.
Tie the stems into a bundle with the leaves facing down. Then hang that bundle to dry in an airy place without direct sunlight. The parsley is dried when it is crisp and crumbly.
You can also dry parsley in the refrigerator. Wash and dry parsley, then put it in a paper bag. In a few days, it should be dry. You can use this parsley for up to a month. For oven-drying, lay the parsley leaves in a single layer on cookie sheets. Put them in an oven that is just barely on – about 100 degrees F. These should dry in a couple of hours. Check them occasionally.
How To Freeze Parsley
Parsley loses its crispness when it is frozen, but it keeps more of its taste than when it is dried. You can lay the parsley flat out on a tray for 30 minutes or more. When that time is over, you can scoop the parsley into a bag or container for storage. This parsley turns limp and sad, but the flavor is decent. It is good for soups and casseroles.
Parsley freezes best in oil. Finely chop the parsley and stuff it into the containers of an ice cube tray. Stuff in as much as you can fit without reaching the top of the tray. Cover the parsley with olive oil or another cooking oil. Place the tray in the freezer. When the cubes are frozen the next day, pop them out of the tray and into a bag or container.
This parsley and oil cube is great for frying or sautéing. You can also add it to soups and such. The parsley itself, while still limp, is brighter and retains more flavor than when it is frozen flat.
How Long Can You Keep Parsley?
| Storage method | How long | Flavor | Texture | Best Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fresh Cut | 2 hours | Great | Great | All uses, salad, pesto |
| Bouquet on counter | A few days | Great | Great | All uses, salad, pesto |
| Bouquet in fridge | 1 week | Great | Great | All uses, salad, pesto |
| Dried | 1 year or more | Okay | Dry | Foods cooked with liquids |
| Fridge dried | 1 month | Good | Dry | Foods cooked with liquids |
| Frozen | 1 year | Oday | Poor | Cooked foods |
| Frozen in oil | 1 year | Good | Okay | In cooked foods, pesto |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Italian parsley?
Italian parsley is flat-leafed parsley. It has large, flat leaves compared to the crinkly leaves of curly parsley. Italian parsley also has a bolder and more robust flavor.
Are parsley and cilantro the same?
No. Parsley and cilantro look similar. However, they are two distinct plants with different flavors. Parsley is more commonly used in European cuisine, while cilantro is more prevalent in Latin American cuisine. Between the two, cilantro has smaller leaves and a stronger fragrance.
Summary
Parsley is easy to harvest and store. Harvest it frequently by breaking full stems off around one inch from the ground. Parsley can be stored in several ways, depending on how long you want it to last, up to a year.