Aromatic and full of flavor and character, rosemary is one of the most popular and used spices in the culinary world. For flavoring roasted meat—lamb, pork, chicken, fish and even seafood and vegetables—it adds an incredible aroma and charrm to a multitude of dishes.
It is also added to stews, as well as to flavor butter and olive oil. Rosemary tea is very healthy, because of its ability to improve blood circulation, calms and has a beneficial effect on the mood.
The qualities of this herb in cosmetics are undoubtedly recognized and many people take advantage of them to prepare a steam bath with rosemary for the face and body at home and effective hair masks with a revitalizing effect.
For these reasons, the priceless rosemary is an affordable herb that is present in every home.
Unlike many other spices, rosemary loses very little of its flavor after drying. This makes it very suitable for storing it for a longer time, since we can always have an aromatic sprig at hand to flavor various of our favorite dishes.
The sprig of rosemary also serves as a decoration and aromatic decoration of the dishes, in which it is used.
Here's how to dry rosemary at home:
1. With scissors, cut twigs of the same length and if possible, straight, not with curves. The best time to do this is in the late morning when the sun has dried the night dew. Your bush or potted rosemary will grow back very quickly where it was cut.
2. Tie the twigs at the base, where they are cut, by making one or several bundles depending on the amount you are preparing to dry.
- collect 8 twigs in a bundle;
- use at least 16″ (40 cm) of string, with which you can tie the twigs at one end and hang it in a suitable place with the other;
- you can use an elastic band to tighten the bundle and attach a hanging string to it later;
3. Hang the rosemary twigs to dry in a cool, dry place with good ventilation.
It is recommended not to leave them outdoors to protect them from adverse weather conditions such as moisture and direct sunlight and not to lose the aroma.
If you cover the twigs with paper envelopes made of wrapping paper (beige brown, ink-free or plasticized), you will not only prevent light reaching them, which would kill the color of the spice, but also prevent dust particles from sticking. If you choose this method, be sure to punch holes in the envelopes, so that the twigs do not shrivel and there is ventilation.
4. Move and rotate the twigs and whole bunches every day or every other day, in order to dry them evenly.
You'll know when rosemary is well dried - when the twigs and petals become brittle when bent. This natural drying process takes about 2 weeks.
You can also try another way. It consists in stretching a fine mesh over wooden logs or blocks of other material. The goal is to keep it loose on the ground to allow air to circulate freely underneath while drying. Here, too, you need to keep rosemary away from moisture and direct strong sunlight.
5. If you can't wait for the natural process of the dried rosemary, use a food dehydrator, which is set to 100°F (35°C).
You can also dry the herb in a regular oven. To do this, wash the twigs, drain them and dry them. Cut them into smaller bundles and arrange them far apart in a tray covered with baking paper. Dry them on low heat for 2 to 4 hours. After the second hour, constantly monitor and test whether the moisture has evaporated and the twigs break when bent.
6. Put the finished dried rosemary spice in a paper bag and separate the petals from the twigs. Transfer them into a tightly closed container and store the spice in a dry, cool and shady place.
