Wash, then dry, then cut. Scissors works great to get small pieces, and leave out the stems. I bunch it up real well between my fingers and snip away.

I hope you've bought flat-leaf Italian parsley (not curly parsley) for your recipe.

First thing to do when you get it home is snip off the ends of the stems and place the bunch into a vase of warm water -- as you would do with a small flower bouquet.

When you need a bit of parsley, take a few stems from the "bouquet", rinse them off and -- for most recipes -- chop them coarsely. Some people snip off the stems first and chop only the leaves but it doesn't make a difference unless you want a very fine "dust" of parsley for garnish or such. Sometimes, you'll use the stems and leaves unchopped and whole to flavor a soup, sauce or stew, to be removed just before the dish is to be served.

You don't usually need to pat your parsley dry after washing but I'm not sure what your recipe is and maybe wet parsley may not be right.

Your parsley bouquet, by the way, will stay fresh on your kitchen counter (not in the fridge) for a week if you change the water daily.

Parsley has a wonderfully rich, herby, sprite flavor that goes great with Italian and Mediterranean dishes. Time to enjoy.

Joe

Normally one uses

Here's an instruction video. They don't use the stems, but I usually do, as long as they're tender.

SharonCb

Here is a link that might be useful: How To Chop Parsley

Joe I posted without refreshing the screen so didn't see your entry LOL.

SharonCb

Ditto on the varieties--Italian is for cooking, curly is for garnishing. I generally have both in my garden so I have exactly what I need, when I need it.

It's easiest to snip parsley if it is dry. So give it a rinse, then give it a good shake to get rid of most of the excess water. There's nothing wrong with using the stems--some do, some don't.

Quickest way to snip parsley (or any herb) is to put the herb leaves in a cup, then take your kitchen shears and just start snipping and stirring the leaves until you have them as fine as your recipe specifies. I like that method if I need several herbs--I just drop them all in a cup and snip them together. Mixes and cuts them at the same time.

And if you continue to use fresh herbs in your cooking, here's a good, money-saving suggestion. Instead of buying a bunch of cut herbs at the produce counter, pick up a pot of the herb in the garden center. Costs about the same, but with one, you'll have fresh herbs for a week or 2, with the other, you'll enjoy them all summer. Even if you don't have a garden, herbs are easy to grow in containers on a window sill.

I find that my "vase" of parsley keeps longer in the refrigerator just as a vase of flowers does.
And, I also find that curley parsley has a surprising amount of flavor. Seems that when frost is imminent, that I usually have a lot of curley parsley....and I often put it between paper towels and dry it in short bursts in the micro.....being careful of course that it doesn't catch fire....:-( BTDT!
It has a lot of good parsley smell and flavor....for me the curley seems more vigorous than the flat leaf....or perhaps I use the flat leaf up first....
If I need a lot, I sometimes chop parsley in the cuisinart......and I very often use the stems in stock....they have a lot of flavor and get strained out....so who cares if they are stringy bits or lovely leaves??
Linda c

Joe :
Doesn't the Vase thing keep it from drying, to hold the aroma ?
A cook once told me years ago "Parsley is only for Garnish,
it doesn't have any spice value.
I didn't answer him, Just looked and stared in his face for awhile.
He just said, " What? "

Sharon:
How can you grow Italian Parsley in Spain ?
Lou

I bring home my bunch of parsley, wash it,cut off the bottom half of stems, dry it with paper towels and put it in my food processor. Then I put it all into a zip lock baggie and in the freezer it goes.

When I need fresh parsley, I pinch off the amount I want from the freezer.

My German mother put minced parsley on just about everything! The dish was not complete without a touch of parsley sprinkled over it.....mashed potatoes, cooked carrots, cream sauces, hamburger mixes, etc. I like to do the same. Separate the leaves from the stems and mince them. The stems are put into a plastic bag and frozen to be used later in making soups or sauces along with celery and the other veggies in cooking.

Believe the minced parsley must lend a tad of flavor to the dishes, but also think it was more for embelishment. A European "hausfrau" wouldn't think of not using parsley in some form or other! The dish just wouldn't be complete without a sprinkle of parsley over the top,

I think of curly parsley for garnishing and the flat leaf parsley for cooking and eating. The flat leaf seems to be more tender.

I've made a favorite chicken salad for years that is very easy and good.
Chop equal amounts of flat leaf parsley and green onions and add to your cooked, diced chicken. Add salt and pepper and bind with mayo. Used quite a bit of parsley and onion... about 1/2C of each when chopped, to 3C of chicken.

Nancy

Thank you ever so much. I will try all your ideas.

I never use curley - only the flat leaf kind. It takes a little longer, but I just snip off all the leaves taking as little stem as I can into a bowl and then do like azzalea said - snip at it with my scissors until it's the size I want.

And to make sure I have fresh parsley even when I don't have a bunch in the house, I take the very tops parts, stems and all since the stems near the leaves are pretty tender, and throw them in my food processor. I give them a few pulses to chop them, then I take empty ice cube trays and fill them almost to the top with the chopped parsley. Then I fill them with water until the parsley is covered and freeze them. I do this with fresh cilantro and basil as well. Then when frozen, I pop them out and store them in freezer bags. When you need a fresh herb you just toss in a cube. The little bit of water cooks off but if you don't want even that you can always melt it in the microwave or let them sit out till they're melted and pour off the water. This method won't work if you need really fresh herbs, but if you're going to use them as an ingredient in cooking, it works fine. The flavor is almost as good as fresh, and I think, far superior to dried. I do the same when I have lemons or limes I can't use right away and even for left-over chicken stock. Squeeze and pour the juice or pour the left-over stock into the ice cube trays and freeze. You always have fresh lemon or lime juice if you can't get to the store, and if you need just a dash of chicken stock you don't have to open a whole can.

Lisa

When I was young Parsley used to be free! Yes free. I guess it was so cheap they didn't want to bother charging for it. My mother used to grab a free bunch weekly when she went to the grocery store. I think it was the curly kind but I was young when this was going on and had no clue there were different kinds so who knows? It sometimes shocks me how much they charge for the stuff nowadays since I remember those good ol' days.

She used it quite a lot in cooking. It actually IS a flavorful herb. And you know that bit of parsley garnishing your plate? If you choose to eat it after your dinner, it will freshen your breath.

I do pretty much what shaun does. I get it washed, trimmed & chopped, then freeze and use as needed.

Lisa:
I like your tips with the ice cubes.

The only thing, it was hard writing on the ice cubes,
to ID Them

Maybe we should have another " COOKING TIPS," Post.
I think we had over 75 on the last one.

No offense intended but I tried the ice cube approach to save fresh herbs and it made for horrible wilted flavorless herbs. So the next time I was offered fresh herbs I took them washed them shook 'em off and put them in small snack bags and freeze dried them. I found them much more viable for later use that way. but that's just my experience. YMMV. [Oh for Lou who hates acronyms thats 'your mileage may vary']

None taken! Fresh is always the best, but I found when you were adding herbs to something long cooking like a stew or something like that, it didn't matter. They definitely "wilt", which is why I said they're no substitute for fresh, but I found when I froze them dry, they kind of "burned up" - it's hard to describe, kind of freezer burned? The stronger flavored herbs like cilantro and basil kept their flavor much, much better than the parsley, but I still do the parsley as well just for those times when I need some, but don't have any on hand. It's easily available and cheap but it's always the way that when you really need it, that's the week you forget to buy it or run out!

Lisa

Lisa :
That's why I use a good brand of Parsley in large Jars.

My Daughter would grow it, then there would be too much.
So she would dry some for winter and freeze some.
The Frozen parsley got lost in the shuffle and the dried ?

If, I'm going to dry it, why not buy it ?
I use a lot of Parsley for every thing.

A couple of weeks ago, my wife's Bible Study friends ,
wanted to have it at my house, like for a memory.
My wife was loved by everyone !!!

I made a big pot of Chicken Wedding Soup. They all raved about it and the great flavor.
And of course, the tiny Meatballs.
They talked about the Fresh Parsley and the Fresh Chicken Flavor.

I couldn't lie to a Bible Group, so I just didn't answer.
How could I break the Bubble and tell them I use ,
Chicken Soup Base and Store bought Parsley.

Couldnt do that? Well at least it wasn't during Lent.

Sol : I didn't use Kosher Chickens.

Joe: What can I say, I'm Sorry ! I'll let you guy's have all the fun.
I don't have time anymore, to do all these things.

IYDLWISTS Figure that one Sands

Lou