While studying the best foods to store, I realized that we’d be short on vitamin C if we ate strictly the “usual” food storage.
The early sailors’ diets lacked fresh fruits and vegetables which caused the onset of scurvy. Vitamin C doesn’t store in our body; we need a new supply. Keeping vitamin C tablets on hand is an option, but I also like the idea of a fresh source. I learned:
“Parsley is a course in vitamin therapy all by itself, containing vitamin A, more vitamin C per volume than an orange, several B vitamins, calcium, and iron.”(source: Rodale’s Encyclopedia of Herbs)
Parsley is more than just a pretty garnish! Parsley is easy to grow, is hardy, and comes back year after year, if undisturbed. It could be grown in a window sill, too.
I grow parsley on my property and dry it each year. I like to add it to soups and sauces. It is comforting to know that I have a way to naturally provide vitamin C for my family.
(Caution: Parsley in too large of quantities can be toxic….I can’t see anyone actually eating enough of it to make them sick, but thought I better pass that information on 🙂 )
I also enjoyed reading about parsley’s benefits at whfoods.com: PARSLEY
(The pictures in this post came from pixabay.com)
Becky says
Great info! It’s always nice to learn more about food storage. Just curious, does drying the parsley deplete the vitamins in any way? I know veggies lose their nutrition the more they are cooked, not sure how drying would affect them…
Amy says
I did a little research and found this: https://www.livestrong.com/article/430397-nutrients-in-fresh-vs-dried-parsley/
It does appear that you get less Vitamin C from dried parsley than from fresh parsley. Thanks for your comment.