Freezing or Drying Rosemary - How To Make It Lasting

Harvest rosemary

Rosemary is harvested around noon, preferably on a sunny day. It is around this time that the herb has the greatest amount of essential oils. Cut only branches that are in perfect condition. If the needles are withered or dried up, the twigs are cut off but end up on the compost. Wash the twigs under running water and let them dry on a kitchen towel.

Preserve rosemary

How you proceed depends on how you want to preserve the herb. If whole branches are to be preserved, no further preparation is necessary. If you want to chop the herb, you have to cut off the individual needles from the point and chop them if necessary. Branches, whole or chopped needles can be frozen or dried.

Freeze the rosemary

It is easiest to freeze the cleaned, whole rosemary sprigs. Simply put them in a freezer bag or in a freezer box. The frozen needles can easily be broken off from the points and crumbled later.

You can also freeze crushed rosemary in ice cube trays. This is an easy way to make herbal cubes if you mix rosemary and other herbs before freezing.

Rosemary will keep for about a year in the freezer. However, if you use it, you will find that a long storage time has a negative effect on the aroma.

Dry the rosemary

If you want to dry rosemary, harvest whole branches. The herbs should be dry and clean. If it gets dirty, it is of course necessary to briefly shower the rosemary sprigs. Then bundle up to eight twigs in a bouquet and hang them on a line in a dry place. If there is enough space, you can dry the branches individually on a flat surface.

As soon as the needles crackle and can no longer be bent, the rosemary has dried sufficiently and can be stored in jars with screw caps.

It can also be dried in the oven. The rosemary dries on the tray for about four hours at a low temperature.