It goes without saying that rosemary is one of the top popular herbs presents in almost kitchens of the most famous chef to an urban housewife.
When get dried, rosemary doesn’t lose a significant aroma and flavor which is perfect for storing and spice dishes.
There is nothing easier than drying rosemary following our steps we’ve learnt from Josephine DC; you will have the dried sprigs ready at hand for any meal.
Let’s move on.
Get it hung
Get the fresh sprigs together and bundle them with rubber bands.
Rinse the sheaves gently to avoid the leaves falling. Use paper towels to pat most of the water out.
Find a well-ventilated area to hang them up, indoor or outdoor.
It is recommended to dry rosemary inside of your house for the best looking-color and taste.
You need to insulate the binds with a brown paper bag to shield them from pests and dirt.
Make sure you tore some holes to let the moisture escape.
Let the hangs dry in 2 weeks. Avoid any water or humidity invasion. Take them inside if you leave the herbs on the porch when you go out in case of rain.
Have them regularly checked if there is any mold or color-bleaching by the sun.
When you see brittle leaves start to lose its pliability, it is dried.
Now you can take the bundles off and place them on a waxed paper sheet to separate the leaves from stems.
Store the results in an air-tight jar.
**Hanging should do the dry well enough; but if you want more options, you can spread the rosemary sprigs flat on a wooden block in an air-circulated place for it to dry. Doing this, you need to turn the bundles every day to make it dry evenly.
***If you live in a high humid region, the hanging method would take more than 14 days. Hence, it’s not the optimal option.
Using Oven
Heat can dehydrate rosemary quick and neat.
In this way, you also rinse and dry the sprigs. Or use a salad spinner to remove the drops.
Cut them down into ¼ inch to fit in the oven tray. Lay them on the baking sheet. Remember not to overlay them or make the sheet too crowd.
Place the try to the top shelf. Set the oven to the lowest temperate around
Leave the oven dry the rosemary for 4 four hours.
Frequently check on them. If the needles become brickle, take them out.
Store the herbs in an airtight container in a dry, dark cupboard.
Dehydrating
If you have a food dehydrator, it is the most effective way to have perfect dried rosemary.
Wash the herbal sprigs with cold water and pick out withered leaves.
Spread the rosemary in the tray, run the dehydrator at 90oF to 115oF.
**If the air is too humid, you can set 125oF.
After 1 – 4 hours, you will have perfectly dried rosemary for your next dish.
Transfer the leaves into a glass jar and keep them in your kitchen cupboard.
Using Microwave
In this method, you will need to strip the leaves from the woody stems.
Place them on the paper towel and sandwich them in one layer.
Set the microwave at medium mode for 30 seconds.
Take the rosemary out and let them cool in 30 seconds.
Remove the leaves that are brittle and return the ones are not to the microwave for another 30 seconds.
Repeat this process until every leaf is dry.
Keep the leaves in its largest form to store.
**Don’t crumble the rosemary unless you want them to lose flavor.
***Dried rosemary can last for as long as you want. But after one year, its scent will deteriorate.
Where to use dried rosemary?
They have a wide application on many fantastic recipes.
Adding rosemary to roasted root vegetables to emit the best taste. In particular, try it on zucchini, you should see a whole different.
Poultry meat recipes of grill or smoke are friends of dried rosemary in all sense. Try this herb on lamb or chicken.
Sprinkle some dried rosemary to olive oil then warm it and leave the portion overnight. Add the combination to the dough to make bread. Your loaves of bread will taste heavenly.
Bottom line
Drying rosemary is a kitchen-friendly task that can be done with no hassle. You can buy dried rosemary from the store but making your fresh one is always a better option.
We hope to break down the steps scrupulously to guide you to dry your rosemary.
Share with us your most favorite dish with rosemary.
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