Organic curly parsley

Seeds:  800  / Botanical name:  Petroselinum crispum

A staple herb not only in German cuisine

Parsley is a biennial cultivated plant. Under very good growing conditions, it can also be perennial. However, it is then no longer usable as a spice, as after flowering in the second year, it produces only a few leaves with an excessively high concentration of the toxic compound apiol. Parsley is an ingredient in the famous Frankfurt Green Sauce.

Natural habitat:  Wild parsley originates from the Mediterranean region.

In the kitchen:  The best time to harvest parsley from the garden is early morning, after the morning dew has dried. This is when the herb is most aromatic. Harvest only as much parsley as you currently need, as the leaves do not keep for long. Cut the stems close to the ground and do not simply pluck the leaves. Never cut the heart of the plant, which you can identify by the thicker stem and the leaves developing from it. Without the heart leaves, the plant will die. Caution: The flowers and seeds are not edible and are even considered poisonous. After flowering, the leaves are also no longer edible. Parsley goes well with potatoes, vegetables, soups, sauces, and dressings. In Turkish cuisine, almost all cold dishes and roasted meats are garnished with chopped parsley. In Lebanese tabbouleh salad, parsley is the main ingredient, along with mint and semolina. Parsley can also be used in soups by cooking it in vegetable broth and then puréeing it. It's best to always use it fresh and add it to cooked dishes only at the very end, as heating it causes it to lose its aromatic flavor and healthy nutrients.