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Parsley
Petroselinum crispum
Held in such high regard by the Greeks, Parsley was used to crown the
victors at the Isthmian Games, and to decorate tombs. The Greeks were the
first to use it as medicine, and Homer tells of warriors feeding
Parsley to their horses. It was the Romans who used it first in their food.
They ate it in large amounts, even weaving garlands for banquet guests to
wear, to prevent intoxication and reduce strong odors. By the Middle
Ages, Parsley was well-known for healing an array of unhealthy conditions.
Nicholas Culpeper recommended it for water retention, menstruation, kidney
stones, bladder conditions and coughs.
There are several excellent Parsley varieties, the flat-leaved, strongly
flavored Italian or ’Neopolitanum’ being the most popular. All are rich in
vitamins and minerals, and antiseptic chlorophyll, making it a beneficial,
attractive garnishing herb, that should be consumed rather than appreciated
for its looks on dinner plates. Set out a dish of Parsley leaves every day,
to enjoy flavor which is a “summation of all things green”.
Parsley should be grown in full sun or light shade, in rich, moist soil, and
tilled deeply because plants send down deep taproots. It is said to grow
well indoors. When harvesting, keep these guidelines in mind: pick leaves
throughout the entire season their first year, collect the seeds when ripe,
and dig up the roots in the autumn of their second year. Parsley is
preserved by drying or freezing (better) the leaves, and drying or blanching
and freezing the roots.
USES
Culinary
Leaf - Add to salads, and finely chopped to egg dishes, vegetable soup,
sandwiches, fish and boiled potatoes, and to many classic sauces. Parsley
enhances other flavors, as when used in Pesto, and is used in ‘bouquet garni’.
Root - Used in ’bouquet garni’, added to soups and stews (the mild “Hamburg”
variety), and boiled as a vegetable. Grate raw into salads.
Household
Whole Plant - Grow by roses to enhance their scent and general health.
Cosmetic
Leaf - Make a tea to use as a hair tonic and conditioner, also as an
eyebath. Add strong tea to facial steam, and to lotion for dry skin and to
minimize freckles.
Medicinal
The primary nutrients in Parsley are Calcium, chlorophyll, cobalt, copper,
iron, potassium, riboflavin, silicon, sodium, sulfur, thiamine, vitamins A,
B and C. It is recommended as a preventive herb. It is so nutritious that it
increases resistance to infections and disease. In addition to being good
for liver, spleen, kidney, urinary tract, and circulatory system (congestive
heart failure), Parsley contains histidine, a substance in which cancer
cells cannot multiply. Its primary applications are for impurities in the
blood, gallstones, kidney inflammation, urine retention, cystitis and
jaundice. Secondary applications include for cancer, gout, sciatic nerve
problems, prostate and thyroid problems, arthritis, coughs, indigestion,
rheumatism and tumors.
LEAF - Chew raw to freshen the breath and to promote healthy skin. Infuse
for a digestive tonic. Use strong tea in a poultice for an antiseptic
dressing for sprains, wounds and insect bites.
ROOT - Make a decoction for kidney troubles and mild laxative. Apply fresh
juice to reduce swelling.
CAUTION: Do not use during pregnancy as it may bring on labor, and
cause mother’s milk to dry up.
(some information obtained from "The Complete Book of Herbs“,
by Leslie Bremness,
and from “Today’s Herbal Health” by Louise Tenney, M.H.)
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