Parsley is pretty easy to grow, and even easier to harvest, but to get the most out of your crop there are a few rules to follow. From one year old parsley plants, the leaves are usually harvested, while two year old plants are used to get the seeds.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Collect the Parsley Leaves
Step 1. Choose the youngest plants
The youngest parsley plants are the ones with the strongest flavor. The leaves can also be harvested after the first year of age, but if you can harvest them during the first year, doing so will reward you with better flavor.
Step 2. Wait until the seedlings have stems that branch out in at least three ways
Check the stems. If they have three or more branches, the plant is mature enough. Plants whose stems with only one or two branches should be allowed to grow further.
Most parsley will be ready to harvest 70 to 90 days after planting
Step 3. Cut the plant at the base
When harvesting stems or bunches of parsley, cut as close to the base of the plant as possible, not the top.
Cutting the parsley close to the base will stimulate the plant to produce even more stems, resulting in a more lush bush and thus ensuring a higher yield
Step 4. Start collecting leaves from the outside
If you only want to harvest a little parsley to use in the kitchen soon, you should start cutting the outer stems first, not the ones in the center of the plant.
- Even if you plan to cut more than a few twigs from the base of the plant, you should still start from the outside. The inside of the plant will take more time to mature.
- Removing the leaves starting from the outside will ensure that the older ones are harvested, avoiding wilting or staying on the plant for too long.
- Collecting the leaves starting from the outside will also allow the plant to concentrate its energies on the younger central area, which will allow you to obtain an overall healthier plant.
Step 5. Collect continuously
Parsley will continue to grow throughout the season, even after it has been stripped of its leaves. For this reason, you can always have your parsley supply ready to be harvested without having to do it all in one go.
Parsley planted outdoors will remain a beautiful bright green until late autumn / early winter. As the color begins to fade, the parsley flavor will also begin to deteriorate dramatically. Until that happens, you can still continue to harvest it whenever you like without it losing flavor or damaging the plant
Step 6. Collect everything at the end of the season
If your parsley is outdoors and isn't properly protected, it will die over the winter. Before that happens, harvest any remaining parsley so the plant can grow back the following year.
- Parsley will continue to grow throughout the winter if you keep it in a warm place protected from the elements. Make sure plants grown indoors get enough sunlight each day, perhaps by placing them near a well-lit window.
- If you are growing your own parsley indoors, there is no need to do a full crop when winter arrives. Instead, keep picking it up when you need it.
Step 7. Keep it and use it whenever you want
Parsley should be used fresh. However, if needed, it can be stored for months, even though the flavor will never be the same once dried.
- If you harvest parsley leaves from time to time, it is best to use them immediately. If you've collected a little too much for a single meal, place the rest on a sheet of paper towel and refrigerate for one to two days.
- Similarly, you can soak any excess parsley twigs in water and store them in the refrigerator for up to seven days.
Step 8. If you are going to keep it for a long time, your best bet is to freeze it
There are several methods to do this, but one of the easiest is to cut the leaves into small pieces and place them in an ice cube tray, then cover them with water and place them in the freezer. When you're ready to use it, just melt the necessary cubes, discard the water and add the parsley to your plate. Frozen parsley retains its flavor, but will lose its typical crunchiness
Step 9. You can also dry the parsley by hanging the various twigs upside down in an indoor area that is well ventilated, warm and dark
It should dry in about a week or two, at which point all you have to do is crumble the leaves and place them in an airtight bag or container.
Another option is to dry the leaves in a food dehydrator
Part 2 of 2: Collect the Parsley Seeds
Step 1. Wait until the second year
Parsley plants do not produce seeds during their first year of life. If you plan to harvest the seeds, you will need to identify plants that are at least two years old.
- Parsley plants are biennial. Typically, in fact, they live for only two years and, at the end of their life cycle, they bloom and produce seeds.
- To maximize your seed harvest, it is recommended that you remove the weakest or most imperfect two-year-old plants at the end of each harvest. By doing this, you will make sure that the healthiest plants get enough nutrients and therefore guarantee you great seeds the following year.
- When harvesting and storing seeds, try to separate those harvested early in the season from those harvested later in the season. The first seeds will be better than those collected at the end of the season.
Step 2. Collect the seeds when they turn dark
If you want to harvest whole groups of seeds, wait until most of them have turned dark brown. If you harvest the seeds too early, they may not germinate well in the future.
Parsley seeds go through three stages. When the plant has just finished flowering, the seeds will come out green in color. They will begin to turn towards a darker tint during the second phase and, during the last, they will acquire their characteristic dark color
Step 3. Cut away the groups of seeds
Collect the seeds by cutting the plant just below the top group of seeds. Grab the stem using the thumb and forefinger of your hand, and cut the stem just below your fingers.
Remove the group of seeds carefully, shaking them as little as possible. If you shake it while cutting, you will end up spreading the seeds everywhere and, since the parsley seeds are quite small, you will never find them again once they fall to the ground
Step 4. Gently shake the groups of seeds in a paper bag to easily remove most of the ripe seeds
- You can also gently shake the seeds on a cloth or sheet.
- Shake or remove the seeds with gentle movements. If you use too much force, the seeds could fly away in all directions.
Step 5. Ripen the attached seeds
If you have also collected fresh seeds, you can let them ripen by placing them in the sun for a couple of days.
- To ripen the remaining seeds, sprinkle what you cut and shake on plastic or tightly meshed cloth and expose them directly to sunlight indoors. Try to form a single layer.
- The remaining seeds should mature in a couple of days.
- Keep the seeds indoors to dry them. If you put the seeds to dry in the open air, birds or other small animals could make them disappear quickly.
Step 6. Consider detaching the seeds individually
If some seeds in the group ripen much faster than the others, you can harvest them by detaching them individually by simply using your thumb and forefinger.
- Parsley plants tend to ripen at an irregular rate. Some seeds may be ready to harvest three weeks earlier than others, even if they are seeds from the same group.
- You are waiting when you detach the seeds. The force used to detach the individual seeds could shake the group and, if it contains too many already ripe, you will end up scattering them in the air. For this reason, you should only separate them individually if the rest of the seeds in the group are not yet ready to be harvested.
Step 7. Dry the seeds
The seeds will need to be left to dry for at least 10-14 days before they can be stored for future use.
- To dry the seeds, arrange them on a baking tray in such a way that they form a single layer, and then place them in a warm, dry area.
- Turn and mix the seeds daily to prevent them from drying out unevenly.
- The seeds must be completely dry before they can be stored.
- Store dried seeds in an airtight bag or container. Keep them in a cool, dry, and out of light place until you are ready to plant them.
- You can use the seeds to plant next season's parsley! Don't eat the seeds.
