uses for parsley seed

We all have things that grow easily and well, and things that just don't.

In my ecosystem, parsley grows well and self-seeds so long as I periodically give it a new area to exploit.

Parsley and celery are in the same plant family. That got me thinking. Celery seed and parsley seed look quite similar, but celery is *much* harder to grow in my region.

Has anyone tried substituting parsley seed for celery seed in recipes?

I regularly used celery seed in pickle recipes for example.

Has anyone tried this? Can anyone think of a reason not to?

Jay Angler: That is an awesome idea! Certainly makes sense!

I did a search, and the net is not useful for this question. Only thing I saw that was interesting was one line that said Italian cuisine uses parsley seeds.

I think parsley seeds would be yummy to cook with! I have a batch that is starting to flower, I'll be saving the seeds anyway, I'll try some!  Wonder if I have any around from the last batch... hmm...

Pearl Sutton wrote:I think parsley seeds would be yummy to cook with! I have a batch that is starting to flower, I'll be saving the seeds anyway, I'll try some!  Wonder if I have any around from the last batch... hmm...  

We could start a new trend! I guess I'd better hunt up my older seeds, although I tend to just broadcast parsley seeds by cutting of a ripe seed head and shaking it in other spots on my homestead.

Jay, I also, feel you have come up with a great idea.

I don't use a lot of seeds in cooking and probably should.

I know I have celery seeds and I use dill seeds when making pickles.

I can't remember though I feel celery seeds give a dish a celery flavor so parsley seeds would give the dish a parsley taste.

I ask Mr. Google who did not find anything about eating or cooking with parsley seeds.

I did find This article on the health benefits of using parsley:

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/parsley-benefits#TOC_TITLE_HDR_3

Here are some articles on cooking with culinary seeds that some might find interesting:

https://www.ourmidland.com/lifestyles/article/Cooking-with-culinary-seeds-and-how-they-can-be-15734077.php

https://nuts.com/cookingbaking/seeds/

https://www.foodnetwork.com/healthyeats/healthy-tips/2013/04/10-everyday-uses-for-nuts-and-seeds

It sounds very much like something John and I would both love to play with, too.

I've known for years that parsley leaves are a very nutrient-rich addition to anything I can add some to. It's one of the reasons I grow it around the property, particularly some right near the door so I can grab some if I'm making bone broth, soups, stews etc.

I also add the leaves when making pesto - I had some Stinging Nettle Pesto as part of lunch and I remember adding parsley leaves to it.

I dry my own as larger leaves and only crush them when I'm ready to use them to help preserve that nutrition. I can hide the dry version in another batch of dishes where people might not expect it.

The one thing I *don't* do, is use it as a "garnish" as most people won't eat it that way, so it seems a waste of good parsley.

However, I will try to do some hunting later to see if it's possible to get a nutritional breakdown of the seeds. That said, I don't need to compare that to the leaves, but rather compare that to celery seed or other herb seeds that I might use.  I know I've got a recipe somewhere that called for Coriander seeds,  which is really just another name for Cilantro and I think Cilantro is in the same family  as parsley if I'm not misremembering.

I do think it would be good to do some experimenting here, and I'm glad to have expert cooks like Carla and her husband on board!  Let's try this fellow permies!

Not much time for research tonight, but I did find one site that suggested medicinal uses for parsley seed.
https://www.alwosta.tn/en/blog/160_amazing-health-benefits-of-parsley-seeds.html

The article doesn't say anything about the quantity ingested to get the effect, which means I'm left guessing about how much could be used in cooking without getting a negative reaction. Certainly, that suggests as with any food, I need to start with relatively small quantities.

I was out watering some planters this morning and here's one of last year's parsley plants about to bloom. It's got a young tomato at its feet, along with a little romaine lettuce that might produce if we don't get too many heat waves in the next 3 weeks.

I harvested my parsley seeds today, or rather, cut the stalks and put them to finish drying and dropping seeds. I was late getting them, lots are reseeding (which is fine) but I'll still get a lot. Will be experimenting soon!! I think I ended up with 20 or so bushy plants with multiple heads on each, so there's a lot. I stuffed them head down into a trash can to drop their seeds.  :D  

I've read that what are sold as celery seeds are often actually lovage seeds. I grew lovage last year and this. It's similar to parsley and celery but a large perennial. It makes big seed heads.

I often use parsley seeds in place of or in addition to celery seed. I find dried parsley has so little flavour it's not worth bothering with. If I want parsley flavour in something when there's no fresh parsley, I'll use seed.

I also use in it place of caraway, which I believe is a punishment upon the earth 🤮

Jan White wrote:I often use parsley seeds in place of or in addition to celery seed. I find dried parsley has so little flavour it's not worth bothering with. If I want parsley flavour in something when there's no fresh parsley, I'll use seed.

Oh good! That's what I'm hoping for, I think dried parsley is lame too.

I also use in it place of caraway, which I believe is a punishment upon the earth 🤮

Hahaaha... I love caraway!
I want more things like it, one of my favorite default spice combinations is caraway, cumin seed, and cayenne pepper. I have things in the freezer labeled with their base ingredients, then CCC which means that mix.

Beware of my cooking if you don't want caraway!

Thank you for good points about parsley seed, I'm really curious!

Pearl Sutton wrote:That's what I'm hoping for, I think dried parsley is lame too.

Home dried or commercial? It certainly is milder dried, but when I home dry it, I don't crush it until I'm ready to use it, and I keep it in a glass jar in the fridge. I think that helps a bit. I suspect the seeds will be more shelf-stable.

Jan White wrote:  when there's no fresh parsley, I'll use seed.

crushed, ground or whole?

Pearl Sutton wrote:... I love caraway!
I want more things like it, one of my favorite default spice combinations is caraway, cumin seed, and cayenne pepper.

Yuck! I don't like either caraway or cumin. I do like cayenne! I particularly dislike caraway in bread! Yuck, yuck, yuck - waste of good bread! That said, I'm also in the cilantro tastes like soap camp, so maybe all those flavors have something in common, other than heavy use in Indian food?

Jan White wrote:I often use parsley seeds in place of or in addition to celery seed. I find dried parsley has so little flavour it's not worth bothering with. If I want parsley flavour in something when there's no fresh parsley, I'll use seed.

I also use in it place of caraway, which I believe is a punishment upon the earth 🤮

hola from Ecuador. parsley leaves snipped into a paper bag and placed in the refrigerator will dry and maintain beautiful colour and flavour. I do this for large leaf herbs like basil and sage. and no, cannot remove into jars unless your kitchen is very dry.  In my climate the humidity seeps in and ruins the leaves. Air drying is the only method that works against the humidity but is difficult for the herbs menbtioned. but my 'bags' of herbs and bread crumbs do not take up a lot of space in the tray below the freezer. Also, if your trays in the refrigerator are wire racks bunches of herbs can be clipped, hung and dry the same.  I prefer the paper bag method.  try it.