[FOOD] Plain Parsley

[Walrus Whisperer]

I wish I had tasted some parsley before I put into a salad yesterday, I had a plant labeled as "Plain Parsley" bought from the nursery. My husband had his salad first and asked what was that stuff in there that tasted like gasoline.... I said WHAT?

I got my salad and tasted the parsley and it DID taste like some strong chemical. Nasty.
I pulled the plant up...... It sure looked like parsley, but I never tasted any that was that bad, its usually kinda bland. There is no way anything could have been on it, theres been nothing but water anywhere near the garden.

 

[goatlady2]

I don't know what you have been eating but parsley is a strong flavored plant almost peppery, but not a chemical taste. True, fresh, homegorwn parsley is definitely NOT bland. Most parsely is either Italian = flat leaves or curly - tightly ruffled leaves.

 

[Gingergirl]

Parsley root looks alot like a weakly growing parsley, but the leaves are not so pleasant tasting. Other than that I haven't a clue.

 

[Pogonip]

Have you ever eaten fresh cilantro (coriander leaf)? Hard to tell from plain leaf parsley...plants could have been mixed up at the nursery...

 

[Para36]

Betting it is cilantro

I think Pogonip may have the right idea. I would describe cilantro , particularly at the mature stage, as having a "chemical" taste. That was the exact word my sister used 2 weeks ago when I introduced her to a leaf. She gagged and called me a choice name but I didnt do it to be mean. I have a leaf or two each morning when I make my patio garden "rounds" sampling about a dozen greens I have. As to parsley I much prefer the italian parsley for eating fresh picked.
Para.

 

[Gingergirl]

Cilantro,

the redish stems and strong odor are a "dead" give away to me. (Pun intended.)

 

[Walrus Whisperer]

I have no idea what it could have been, but it did not have have red stems. When I was watching it grow, I thought the leaves looked a lot like celery leaves. The only parsley I've ever eaten was the curly type, and I've never had cilantro. Garden mystery, but the plant went into the compost heap.......

 

[Pogonip]

Cilantro jpeg

Hoping this works...there are different breeds of cilantro--the only one I recall as having red stems was Vietnamese cilantro, which is not related to the other kinds, and has a different-shaped leaf. A lot of people think fresh cilantro smells and tastes like stink bugs mashed into diesel oil, and hurl for height and distance on eating it...the rest of us are -addicts-...

cilantro.jpeg
Address:http://greystontech.org/public_html/et/bean/cilantro.jpeg

BTW, if you let cilantro go to seed, the flowers are incredibly attractive to all kinds of beneficial wasps and bees...and then you can harvest coriander seeds!

 

[Lady in Ash]

Another idea to think about: Several years ago I planted Basil which I love. When I ate it, it was really awful. I ended up going back to the nursery and questioning them about their plants. It turned out that Basil plants are affected when planted within 3 feet of a rue plant. Which mine was. Is there something that will change the taste of parsley if planted too close?