Drying Rosemary Herb

Rosemary is just one of those herbs that everyone seems to love. Rosemary is easy to grow, harvest and dry. It can be used as a culinary, cosmetic, decorative and medicinal herb. Rosemary has long been a symbol of love, and friendship. The aromatic leaves have been used as far back as Shakespeare's time to purify the air, scent toilet water and for memory (Ophelia). Chef's often use rosemary both fresh and dried to season lamb, steak and chicken.

What is the best way to preserve or dry rosemary?

Fortunately, rosemary is one of those herbs that retain their flavor and aroma even after drying or preserving. You have lots of options for preserving rosemary-dry, freeze, use fresh. When drying rosemary you can hang dry, dry in dehydrator, in oven and even in the microwave. We almost always dry rosemary by either hanging it up or in the dehydrator and have had great success both ways. Rosemary can also be preserved by freezing into butter cubes, or in olive oil.

How to hang-dry rosemary

Harvest in the morning before it gets too hot but after the dew has burned off the plants.

1 With sharp herb scissors, cut branches from your rosemary.

2 Remove all diseased leaves, little bugs, and or soil.

3 Some people say you can wash your herbs first before drying. I usually do not wash our indoor herbs because they are grown organically, and the water could cause the rosemary to mold.

4 Drying rosemary for non culinary purposes follow this tip-With kitchen twine (I use the inexpensive kind on the spool that you tie meat up with), make bundles of rosemary branches and tie them leaving long enough string to hang.

5 Drying rosemary for culinary purposes follow this tip-If you have pets or dusty home (no offense- we have both) dry your rosemary in a bag instead of just hanging out to dry if it will be used as a culinary herb. Clip the corners off the bottom of a paper bag and hang the herbs inside the paper bag to keep dust off while drying. Also good technique when drying a lot of herbs so you can label the bags. Hang the bag upside down to dry. You want to make sure there is plenty of room for circulation- don't stuff the bag full of rosemary.

6 Check the bag in a few weeks to see if they are dry. When dry, store the rosemary in air tight container in a cool, dark place. When you go to use your herbs if there is any mold- do not use them. Your herbs must be dryer next time.

Helpful Tools for drying rosemary

Cooking Twine with Cutter

Stainless-Steel Herb Scissors

Food Dehydrator

Herb Storage Canister and Mill

How to dry rosemary in a dehydrator

Harvest in the morning before it gets too hot but after the dew has burned off the plants.

1 With sharp herb scissors, cut branches from your rosemary.

2 Remove all diseased leaves, little bugs, and or soil.

3 See note above about washing rosemary

4 Place the rosemary in the dehydrator on the rack. Leave plenty of space between sprigs so they have room for circulation.

5 Read the manufacturers suggested time for drying herbs. Test the rosemary after the given time to see if it is completely dry.

6 Store in air tight container.