Stimulate the growth of parsley with proper pruning
- Cut stems with at least three pairs of leaves
- Let the heart of the parsley stand
- Always cut the outer stems first
- Cut out yellow leaves
When you want to harvest parsley, always cut off the outermost stems.
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At least three pairs of leaves should have formed on the stem, then the leaves are particularly aromatic.
Cut back the parsley vigorously before leaving
If it is foreseeable that you will not be harvesting your parsley for a long time, perhaps because you are on vacation, cut back the plants beforehand.
You can remove all stems except for the middle stems. You must not cut back the heart because the plant will die.
By pruning, you will prevent the leaves from turning yellow while you are away. You also promote the growth of the parsley plant. When you return, you can harvest fresh parsley from a particularly bushy plant.
Cut biennial parsley
Parsley plants are biennial. In the second year, they begin to bloom in summer. After that they are no longer edible because of the toxic apiol content.
Harvest all plants that will grow the second year beforehand and freeze the leaves if necessary.
No pruning necessary before winter
Perennial parsley does not need to be cut before winter. At the end of autumn the leaves turn yellow. Eventually the stems will retract on their own.
Shortly beforehand, harvest the plants again and freeze them. Then you will have almost fresh parsley available until new parsley leaves appear in spring.
Cut parsley in the kitchen
To prepare parsley for the kitchen, first wash the picked stems and remove debris and insects.
Cut the stems and pluck the leaflets from the upper stems. Parsley, which is to be used for decoration, is not cut into small pieces, but placed on the plate as a whole leaf or small tuft.
If you want to season quark or other dishes with parsley, you should cut them nicely. Place the still moist leaves on a cutting board, squeeze them a little and cut them into small pieces with a sharp knife. Professionals cut parsley with a chopping knife that has two blades.
Tips & Tricks
If you've cut too much parsley, you can store any stems that aren't going to be used right away in the refrigerator. Wrap them in damp kitchen paper, then the herbs will stay fresh longer. But you shouldn't wait too long to process them.
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