Common parsley is one of the most widely used culinary herbs, forming part of the bouquet garni used in court-bouillons. Having it available all year round is easy when you harvest the seeds at ripeness and sow them from one year to the next. Let us look at when and how to harvest and properly store parsley seeds.
Why harvest your own parsley seeds?
It is always more economical to harvest your own seeds when you have a plant in your garden than to buy them from a shop. It also means you can give little gifts to friends and family! Provided, of course, that you store them properly.
With parsley, however, allowing the flower heads to develop seeds without cutting them means that the plant produces far fewer leaves. If you want to harvest seeds for future sowings, it is therefore generally best to leave just one flowering stem, so that the plant is not prematurely exhausted by producing seeds instead of leaves.
N.B.: the advice in this guide applies equally to flat-leaved and curly parsley.
When should you harvest parsley seeds?
Parsley is a biennial plant. If you want to harvest its seeds, you need to wait until the second year of growing: in the second year, yellow-green umbels rise above the foliage. Wait until the end of summer to harvest the seeds produced by the flowers.
As with all seeds of this type of herb, you need to wait until the seeds turn brown and dry before harvesting them. Do this after the dew has evaporated, so that you only pick thoroughly dry seeds.
How do you harvest them?
- Cut the stems bearing the seed umbels with kitchen scissors;
- Hold the cut umbels over a large kraft paper bag or a bowl and gently shake them to make the seeds fall. Most of the seeds will come away on their own;
- Sort the seeds if necessary, setting aside those that are not as brown;
- Leave them to dry flat indoors for a day if they are not completely dry when harvested;
- Take a small paper envelope or seed sachet and place the seeds inside, then seal it.
How should you store them?
Once the parsley seeds have been packed in a sachet, they should be stored in an airtight container, such as small glass jars or a metal tin. The aim is to keep them away from moisture, heat and direct light, which can reduce their quality. Place this container, or the sealed paper sachets themselves, somewhere cool and dry, away from direct light.
How long can parsley seeds be stored?
Parsley seeds have a limited germination life: do not store them for more than 2 years.
Uses
Of course, when you harvest your own parsley seeds, it is generally so that you can sow them, from March onwards. But parsley seeds are themselves aromatic and can therefore also be used as a condiment, like fennel or coriander seeds.
As a decoction or infusion, parsley seeds are believed to have diuretic and digestive properties. Always seek the advice of a healthcare professional before ingesting them, as parsley has several medical contraindications, particularly for pregnant women and people with kidney problems.
Ground into a powder, the seeds can even be used, where there are no contraindications, as a stimulant treatment to encourage hair regrowth.
Comments