Dry the rosemary
To dry rosemary, first harvest a few whole branches. Make sure these are dry - after all, moisture leads to mold growth. Tie the twigs together in small bunches and hang them upside down in a warm and dark place, for example in the boiler room. The dried rosemary is stored - either whole or in pieces - in airtight containers in a dark place.
also read
- Freeze or dry rosemary
- Soaking rosemary in oil - several recipe ideas and instructions
- For cooking and medicine: drying rosemary properly
This is faster: drying in the oven
If you don't have the space or the patience to hang dry rosemary, you can do this in the oven. To do this, preheat the oven to a maximum of 50 ° C and spread the rosemary sprigs on an oven tray lined with baking paper. Slide the baking sheet into the top rail of the oven and clamp a wooden spoon or a crown cap between the door and the oven - this allows any moisture to escape. The rosemary now needs to dry between two and four hours, turning the twigs about every half to full hour.
Freeze the rosemary
Rosemary is one of the herbs that can be frozen without major loss of flavor. You can either freeze whole twigs (in freezer bags) or just the needles in appropriate containers. Rosemary needles, which you fill in ice cube trays and pour on with good olive oil, are particularly tasty. These herb cubes can be used in many ways, for example for rosemary potatoes or Mediterranean stews. Frozen rosemary lasts about a year, but loses its flavor within a few months and should therefore be consumed quickly.
Soak rosemary in vinegar or oil
Alternatively - and a very original gift idea - are aromatic rosemary oils or rosemary sprigs. Rosemary sprigs should be fresh but dry for soaking in oil. Use a good olive oil and be sure to completely cover the herbs with oil. White wine vinegar is particularly suitable for soaking in vinegar, here too the herb sprigs are completely covered with vinegar. The mixtures must soak through well in a cool and dark place for at least two weeks.
Tips & Tricks
How to make rosemary or herb salt yourself: Weigh two sprigs of rosemary, thyme, lovage and marjoram as well as six sage leaves, a few crushed juniper berries and crushed black peppercorns very finely. Now take a well-sealable, clean container (e.g. with a screw-on lid) and alternately layer salt and herb mixture in a ratio of 1: 5, ie one part salt is added to five parts of herbs. Coarse sea salt is particularly suitable.
IJA
