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PARSLEY
OFFICIAL NAME: Petroselinum Crispum
COMMON NAME: Common parsley, garden parsley, and rock parsley.
ORIGIN OF NAMES: From the Greek, petro means stone and selinum was the name
of a plant that resembled parsley
SYMBOL: Mirth, joy, festivity, honor, oblivion and death.
ASTROLOGICAL: Ruled by the planet Mercury
PERIOD LORE: During the Middle Ages it was thought to be the devils favorite
plant and that its wickedness would only be neutralized by sowing its seeds
on Good Friday under a rising moon, even then because it is a slow growing seed,
it wassaid that the seeds went to the devil seven to nine times
(depending on which version of the legend you are reading) before
germinating and that the devil kept some of it for himself.
Never transplant as it will bring disaster to the household,
this probably stems from the fact that parsley is fairly hard to transplant.
Medieval belief, sprinkle head with parsley seeds three nights a year to cure baldness.
Any one dying was pointed out with the remark "The man's in need of parsley",
as they sprinkled corpses with parsley to deodorize them. They credited it with
many cures of human ills especially those having to do with kidney and liver disorders.
Used against plague, asthma, dropsy, jaundice, and used to cure sick fish in ponds.
It was even powdered and used as a dye.
CULTIVATION: Annual or Biennial Sow seeds in spring or fall
to a depth of 1/8 inch, makes a good border plant it is slow to germinate
Grows to a height of 6 to 8 inches. Easily grown from seed which has been
soaked overnight in boiled water which will prevent bacterial growth. Sow in open garden.
Four plants (two of each variety) should be enough for a family of four. Parsley is a biennial,
largest plant produced the second spring before flowering and going to seed in July before dying.
For continues production plant each spring. If you have a patch that produces each year it has probably resown itself.
Slow to germinate so successfully mix parsley and radish seeds and sown in radish beds.
Radishes with shade soil and help parsley plants to get started.
Also as radishes are harvested the parsley will not need to be thinned out.
Flowers from June to August. Can do very well on a windowsill.
Flowers in early summer. Grows wild from Sardinia east to Lebanon,
cultivated throughout the temperate zones. Can be used as a border
or edging plant as it is a compact plant. In vegetable garden parsley
is supposed to repel asparagus beetles. Parsley is susceptible to crown rot,
carrot weevils, parsley worms or nematodes. Moderately rich, moist, well drained soil.
Full sun to partial shade.
HARVESTING AND STORAGE: Dry parsley in the shade. Once dry crush by hand and store in an airtight container.
Curly parsley can be frozen.
CULINARY: Garnish as become so popular that people discard it.
Flatleaf has a more delicate flavor and blends better for cooking,
curly leaf looks pretty for garnishes, but it has a bitter taste.
If you are out of parsley try lovage or chervil. use fresh leaves.
Flavoring and garnish in soups, salads, meat, egg dishes. Uses:
Potatoes, Vegetables, as a garnish, soups, salads, meat. Middle Eastern Tabbouleh.
Japanese deep-fry parsley in tempura batter. major ingredient of salsa Verde,
the English make parsley jelly. Frozen parsley is superior to home dried.
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