Eventually Using The Parsley Honey

  Writing that post about parsley  for yesterday  reminded me that I'd  written about making parsley 'honey' back in 2023 HERE and still have some in the cupboard. It was too runny to use on toast and I've thought about tipping it away a few times but then hung onto two small jars, 'just in case'. It's still perfectly OK and that old post told me that I was going to bake some loaf cakes and use the very runny honey like you would lemon drizzle mix to pour over the top after it comes out of the oven. I'd completely forgotten that plan.

So that's what I did. I usually do two at a time when making lemon drizzle loaves but thought I'd better just do one honey drizzle cake 'just in case'.....again.

I skewered a  few holes in the cake when I took it out of the oven and spooned over some of the very runny 'honey'. It worked  well. 

Very delicious.

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Parsley

Years ago I always grew parsley from seed every year - that was when I was growing herbs for sale. More recently I've just been buying a pot from the supermarket each spring.

 Usually Parsley grown in one year dies back with the frosts over winter and then comes back a little in Spring before running to seed.

It's been so mild this winter that my parsley is still looking green and healthy and very usable.

It was way back in May last year when I bought this sad looking pot of parsley from Aldi at half price of 39p. Supermarket parsley in a pot is always dozens of seedlings rather than just one plant. I stood the pot in water for a while, divided into three and potted up two thirds putting the other third in the garden with that frame over to protect from neighbours cat digging it up. Poor cat was killed on the road not long after this but I didn't bother to move the framework.

39p pot of sad parsley!

I was able to cut plenty to use for potato salad last week - very useful.

According to the book "The Garden Apothecary" there are other uses for parsley apart from the well known. The Romans used it as a breath freshener after a meal rather than in the meal and it was grown as a fodder for horses and only became a culinary herb in the Middle Ages.

Culpepper the C17 herbalist said

The leaves of parsley laid to the eyes that are inflamed with heat, or swollen, doth much help them, if it be used with bread or meal and being fried with butter, and applied to woman's breasts that are hard through the curdling of their milk, it abates the hardness quickly, and also takes away black and blue marks coming of bruises or falls.

I seem to remember that years ago it was just used as a garnish on a plate - never eaten. Seems odd to say that  now.

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Compost Jelly

 I'd been saving apple and pear peel for about 6 weeks and popping in the freezer, until I had a big bag full. I  added the bag of raspberries that were put in there last summer before I found the dry weather had made the raspberry seeds very hard. My jam pan was full . 

When everything defrosted and settled down in the pan I added about a pint of extra liquid and cooked until it became a pulpy mixture.

Then strained through a jelly bag all day. The basin of juice was put in the fridge overnight and next day warmed  up, sugar added and boiled until setting point. It didn't make a huge amount but as I have no jam it will be handy.

 I'll use some of the jelly when I make scones soon - for Easter perhaps- and get some clotted cream to go with them for a treat.........sounds like a plan!

I made this a couple of years ago using blackberries and peel, I  think the original idea for this came from Sue in Lancs - Thank you - it's a fun make.

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