Chervil Cultivation, Uses and Maintenance

Chervil

From the family Umbelliferae

Native to the Middle East, South Russia and the Caucasus. Cultivated in warm temperate climates where it is now occasionally found growing wild.

Almost certainly brought to Britain by the Romans, it is one of the Lenten herbs thought to have blood-cleansing and restorative properties. It was eaten in quantity in those days, especially on Maundy Thursday.

Gerard, the Elizabethan physician who superintended Lord Burleigh's gardens, wrote in his Herbal of 1636, 'The leaves of sweet>^ chervil are exceeding good, wholesome and pleasant among other salad herbs, giving the taste of Anise seed unto the rest.

Species

Anthriscus cerefolium

Chervil

Hardy annual (some consider it to be a biennial). Ht 30-60cm (1 -2ft), spread 30cm (12in). Flowers, tiny and white, grow in clusters from spring to summer. Leaves, light green and fern-like, in late summer may take on a purple tinge. When young it can easily be confused with cow parsley. However, cow parsley is a perennial and eventually grows much taller and stouter, its large leaves lacking the sweet distinctive aroma of chervil.

Anthriscus cerefolium crispum

Chervil curly leafed

Hardy annual. Grows like the ordinary chervil except that, in my opinion, the leaf has an inferior flavor.

Cultivation

Propagation

Seed

The medium-size seed germinates rapidly as the air and soil temperatures rise in the spring provided the seed is fresh (it loses viability after about a year). Young plants are ready for cutting 6-8 weeks after sowing, thereafter continuously providing leaves as long as the flowering stems are removed.

Seed in prepared plug trays if you prefer, and cover with Perlite. Pot on to containers with a minimum 12cm (5in) diameter. But as a typical Umbelliferae, with a long tap root, chervil does not like being transplanted, so keep this to a minimum. It can in fact be sown direct into a 12cm (5in) pot, growing it, like mustard and cress, as a cut-and-come-again crop.

Pests and Diseases

Chervil can suffer from greenfly. Wash off gently with a liquid horticultural soap. Do not blastoff with a high pressure hose, as this will damage its soft leaves.

Maintenance

Spring: Sow seeds.

Summer: A late sowing in this season will provide leaves through winter, as it is very hardy. Protect from midday sun.

Autumn: Cloche autumn-sown plants for winter use.

Winter: Although chervil is hardy, some cloche protection is needed to ensure leaves in winter.

Garden Cultivation

The soil required is light with a degree of moisture retention. Plant spacing 23-30cm (9-12in). Semi-shade is best, because the problem with chervil is that it will burst into flower too quickly should the weather become sunny and hot and be of no use as a culinary herb. For this reason some gardeners sow between rows of other garden herbs or vegetables or under deciduous plants to ensure some shade during the summer months.

Harvest

Harvest leaves for use fresh when the plant is 6-8 weeks old or when 10cm (4in) tall, and all the year round if you cover with a cloche in winter. Otherwise, freezing is the best method of preservation, as the dried leaves do not retain their flavor.

Container growing

When grown inside in the kitchen chervil loses color, gets leggy and goes floppy, so unless you are treating it as a cut-and-come-again plant, plant outside in a large container that retains moisture and is positioned in semi-shade.

Chervil looks good in a window box, but be sure that it gets shade at midday.

Medicinal

Leaves eaten raw are rich in Vitamin C, carotene, iron and magnesium. They may be infused to make a tea to stimulate digestion and alleviate circulation disorders, liver complaints and chronic-catarrh, and fresh leaves may be applied to aching joints in a warm poultice.

Culinary

It is one of the traditional 'fines herbs', indispensable to French cuisine and a fresh green asset in any meal, but many people in Britain are only now discovering its special delicate parsley-like flavor with a hint of Aniseed. This is a herb especially for winter use because it is easy to obtain fresh leaves and, as every cook knows, French or otherwise, 'Fresh is best'.

Use its leaf generously in salads, soups, sauces, vegetables, chicken, white fish and egg dishes. Add freshly chopped towards the end of cooking to avoid flavor loss. In small quantities it enhances the flavor of other herbs. Great with vegetables.

Other uses

An infusion of the leaf can be used to cleanse skin, maintain suppleness and discourage wrinkles.