Parsley grows fairly easily and the ingredients are even easier to harvest, but to get the best results and taste, there are a few protocols you need to observe. First-year parsley plants can be harvested for the leaves, while second-year plants are generally harvested for seeds.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Harvest Parsley
Step 1. Choose younger plants
Younger parsley plants have the strongest flavor. Leaves can be harvested after the first year, but if you have the option of harvesting leaves from the plant in its first year, it will yield the best possible product.
Step 2. Wait until the petiole has three internodes
Check the stalk. If the stalk has three or more clumps of leaves, the plant is ripe enough to be harvested. Stalks with one or two internodes should be left alone (not picked).
Most parsley plants will be ready to harvest within 70 to 90 days after you plant
Step 3. Cut the base of the plant
When harvesting whole sprigs or clumps of parsley, cut the herb at the base of the plant, not at the top.
Cutting the parsley near the base of the plant will encourage the plant to produce more stalks, resulting in a denser parsley plant that yields better
Step 4. Cut the leaves from the outside
If you're only planning to harvest a few sprigs of parsley for immediate use, you can pick from the outside of the plant instead of the inside.
- Even if you cut several whole stalks from the base of the plant, you should be cutting from the outside, not the inside. The inside of the plant will benefit by being established longer.
- Picking the leaves from the outside ensures that the oldest parts of the plant are harvested, so the plant doesn't brown or stay in the plant for too long.
- Harvesting the oldest leaves also allows the plant to focus its energies on producing and establishing new growth. This will result in a healthier parsley plant.
Step 5. Harvest continuously
Parsley will continue to grow for a season, even after you harvest the leaves. That way you'll have a steady supply of spices that don't need to be harvested all at once.
Parsley grown outdoors will usually be bright green through late summer to early winter. Once the colors start to play, the taste will drop drastically. Until that happens, you can continue to harvest the crop without losing its flavor and health
Step 6. Harvest a lot at the end of the season
If your parsley is grown outside and not protected, the plant will die over the winter. Before that happens, harvest the rest so the plants can grow back the following year.
- Parsley will continue to grow throughout the winter if you keep the plant protected in a warm room. Make sure indoor plants receive enough sunlight each day by placing them in a window that receives sunlight.
- If you have a parsley plant grown indoors, you don't need to make the final harvest before winter. Only harvest parsley when you need it.
Step 7. Save and use as desired
Parsley is best used fresh. However, parsley can be stored for several months if needed, but it won't taste as strong as dried parsley.
- If you cut the leaves a little at a time, it is recommended that you use the parsley straight away. If you cut more than you can use for one meal, wrap the rest in a thick damp paper towel, and store in the refrigerator for up to two days.
- You can also store whole parsley sprigs in water and refrigerate for up to seven days.
- If you plan to store parsley long term, it is best to freeze it. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways, but one of the easiest is to simply chop the leaves and place them in an ice cube tray. Fill the tray with a little water and freeze as usual. When ready to use, thaw a cube of parsley, drain, and add to your cooking. Be aware that frozen parsley will retain its flavor but lose its crunch.
- You can dry parsley by hanging the stalks upside down in a well-ventilated, dark, warm room. The parsley will dry in a week or two, at which point you can crush the leaves and store them in a watertight bag or container.
Part 2 of 2: Harvest Parsley Seeds
Step 1. Wait until the second year
The parsley plant does not produce seeds in its first year. If you are planning to harvest seeds, you will need to find out if the plant is in its second year.
- Parsley is a plant that lives two years (biennial). These plants generally only live for two years, and at the end of their lives, these plants flower and produce seeds.
- To maximize seed harvest, it is recommended to remove imperfect or weak two-year-old plants at the end of the first season. That way you make sure the healthiest plants nourish each other and produce good seeds.
- When harvesting and storing seeds, try to separate those that are ready to be harvested early and those that will be ready to be harvested later in the season. Seeds from early seed-producing plants should take priority over seeds from later seed-producing plants.
Step 2. Harvest the seeds when they darken
To harvest entire heads of plants, wait until most of the seeds have turned dark brown. If you harvest seeds early, they may not germinate well later.
Parsley seeds go through three basic stages. As soon as the plant finishes flowering, the seeds will appear a light green or bright green color. It will be brown in the second stage, and in the last stage it will be brown or a dark color
Step 3. Cut off the seed heads
Cut the seeds by cutting directly under the seed heads. Pinch the stalk just below the seed head with your thumb and index finger. Cut the stems directly under your fingers.
Carefully cut off the seed heads, shaking as little as possible. if you shake the seeds while cutting them, they may scatter. Since the seeds are quite small, most of the scattered seeds will be lost
Step 4. Shake gently
Gently rock the seed heads onto the paper bag quickly and drop most of the ripe seeds into the bag.
- You can also shake a little or pull the seeds out on a tight cloth or plastic sheet.
- Shake or drop the seeds in a gentle motion. If you are too strong, the seeds will blow and scatter everywhere.
Step 5. Ripen additional seeds
If some of the young seeds are still attached to the seed heads, you can allow them to ripen by placing the seed heads in the sun for a few days.
- To ripen more seeds, spread the cut stalks on plastic or tight-fitting cloth and place them in direct sunlight indoors. Lay the parsley sprigs in a thin layer to dry.
- The remaining seeds will ripen in two days.
- Keep the seeds indoors while they are drying. If you dry the seeds outdoors, birds or other small animals may pick them up first.
Step 6. Consider removing the seeds one at a time
If some seeds from one clump ripen faster than others, you can harvest only those seeds by picking them with your index finger and thumb.
- Parsley plants tend to ripen at an irregular pace. Some seeds may be ready for harvest three weeks earlier than others, even if they are in the same plant head.
- Carefully pick the seeds. The force you use to pull the seeds out one by one can cause the stalks to roll back up, and if there are too many ripe seeds in the plant, they can break off as the force of the stalks rewinding and flying is lost. Therefore, it is recommended that you pick the seeds one at a time only when most of the seeds are not ready to be harvested.
Step 7. Dry the seeds
The seeds will need to be dried for 10 to 14 days before being stored and used later.
- To dry the seeds, spread them in a single layer on a cookie sheet and place in a warm, dry place.
- Turn and stir the seeds daily to prevent them from drying out unevenly.
- The seeds must be completely dry before you store them.
- Store the dried seeds in an airtight plastic bag or container. Store in a cool, dry and dark location until ready to plant.
