How to Harvest Parsley for Fresh, Full Flavor

Whether you're grabbing a pinch of parsley for a garnish or storing a bunch in your freezer, knowing how to properly harvest this herb will guarantee delicious flavor. 

Fortunately, this hardy plant can grow well just about anywhere. Before you start, though, there are two common types you should know: curly and flat-leaf. “Curly parsley has frilly, bright green leaves,” says Mary Jane Duford, master gardener and permaculture designer at Home for the Harvest. “It has a relatively mild flavor compared to flat-leaf, and is often used as a garnish.”

Knowing when and how to harvest these varieties is key to getting the most delicious harvest; this process can vary depending on your climate, the age of your plant, and how you store it.

When to Harvest

Timing is everything. Harvesting your parsley at just the right moment will ensure the best flavor.

What to Look For

You can harvest parsley throughout the season once it's mature, says Emma Ford, a resource manager for the Community Gardens team at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. It will have at least 10 leafy stems standing between 8 and 12 inches tall.

The best-tasting parsley comes early in its life. “After the first growing season, parsley’s leaves tend to become more bitter and tough,” says Duford. “You’ll get the sweetest parsley from a young plant.”

Time of Day

“As with most herbs, you should harvest in the morning after the dew has lifted, but before the sun beats down on the plant and evaporates the essential oils in the leaf,” says Marcia Lautanen-Raleigh, owner of Backyard Patch Herbs.

Sarah Akovic, adjunct faculty member with the sustainable agriculture program at Lorain County Community College, notes that parsley can wilt in the sun as the day heats up.

Time of Year

“Parsley is biennial, meaning it completes its lifecycle by producing flowers and seeds in its second year,” says Ford. She suggests planting new parsley each year.

After the first growing season, parsley’s leaves often become more bitter and tough. "Gardeners typically grow parsley as an annual because the best-tasting harvest comes from first-year plants,” Duford notes. 

Don't shy away from harvesting in the cold. “Parsley is impressively cold-tolerant,” Duford says. “It can handle light frosts."

How to Harvest

First, gather your tools: You can use sheers, scissors, or a kitchen paring knife. Just make sure whatever you use is clean and disinfected!

1. Start with the outer stems. “Harvest from the outside in,” recommends Duford. “Grab the plant near the base and find the largest, outermost parsley stems. Harvest these outer ones first.” This method allows younger inner shoots to continue developing.

2. Use the right tool. “Use clean, sharp kitchen scissors or pruning snips,” says Duford. “These can make a clean cut to reduce damage.” Avoid pulling stems with your hands, as this can damage the plant’s crown or roots.

3. Cut low and clean. Cut each stem at its base. “If you leave a stubby stem behind… that stem will not grow new leaves,” says Christy Wilhelmi, owner of Gardenerd. “The plant has to use energy to kill off that stem, and it may take longer for new stems to grow.”

4. Look for the base of the rosette. “Cut the leaf close to the stem at the bottom of the rosette of leaves,” says Laura Matter, natural yard care program director at Tilth Alliance. “Flat leaf Italian parsley is much larger, and you will harvest the same way, but it's easier to see where to cut, where the stem joins the base.”

5. Leave enough behind. Matter recommends trimming only the largest, lower leaves and leaving the rest to support continued growth. Duford agrees: “Never harvest more than one-third of the plant’s foliage at a time. If you need a large quantity of parsley, plan to gather it from multiple plants.”

6. Harvest regularly. “Fortunately, parsley is a very vigorous herb,” says Ford. “Very regular pickings tend to encourage persistent, healthy growth.”

How to Store

Once you've harvested your parsley, you'll want to make sure you store it so it maintains its delicious flavor.

Keep It Fresh

“Fill a small vase with water, trim the stem ends, and keep parsley in fresh water on the counter until used up,” Wilhelmi suggests. For longer storage, she recommends covering the vase with a loose plastic bag and placing it in the fridge.

Other methods include rolling the stems in damp paper towels and placing them in an airtight container or ziplock bag. Lautanen-Raleigh recommends putting the sealed bundle in a crisper drawer.

Freeze It

“My favorite method for preserving parsley is by freezing the leaves in oil or butter in ice cube trays,” says Matter. “You can also make pesto with them and freeze it in the same way.” 

Akovic also recommends chopping the herb and freezing it with olive oil or lard. “Whenever you need it for cooking, it's an easy add-in,” she says.

How to Dry

Dried parsley can be a delicious addition to many dishes as well—if you follow the right steps.

Air Drying

Gather small bundles of stems, tie them with string, and hang them upside down in a cool, dark, well-ventilated space. “Check on them periodically to ensure there's no mold,” Akovic says.

Dehydrator and Oven

For quicker results, try using a food dehydrator or oven set to the lowest temperature (around 95 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit). Remove the leaves from the stems, wash them, pat them dry, and then spread them in single layers. Once dry, crumble and store in airtight containers.