Rosemary is a delicious aromatic plant that is rich in flavor, smell and texture that is used for cooking, to flavor environments, for seasoning, to make beauty creams and ointments and much more.
If you want to have rosemary branches in the comfort of your home, in today’s article we will teach you how to cut, dry and save its leaves so that you can use them whenever you want and enjoy its great benefits.
How to cut rosemary branches
Rosemary is a plant with rustic qualities that you can cut without problems. To do this, you must choose a branch of your plant that has a good amount of leaves and cut it with pruning shears or sharp scissors so as not to hurt the plant.
You should make the cut just above where the green leaves grow, it is advisable to do it little by little, that is, one day cut one or two branches and let the plant continue growing to perform another pruning. This will not alter its growth and will give it a chance to recover and continue growing even healthier and stronger.
How to dry rosemary branches
Once you have cut the rosemary branches you need, taking the necessary care of the plant, you should place them to dry. For this we tell you how to do it:
What I need?
- fine thread
- scissors
- dark and airy space
Step by Step:
- The first thing you should do when you have your rosemary branches separated is to peel the stem a little at the bottom.
- Then you will have to tie a little fine thread around its stem and place this fine thread hanging from somewhere high (dark and airy: this can be a closet, a piece of furniture, or something similar that has good ventilation and that you can control day by day. day)
- You should then leave the rosemary branches drying there for approximately a week and then remove to store.
How to store rosemary branches
Once the drying process of the rosemary branches has been successful (depending on the space where you store them, you will have to extend the amount of time more or less) you will be able to store your rosemary branches.
To store rosemary branches you have various options depending on what you want to use them for:
Rosemary in vinegar or oil
If you want to use your rosemary branches for cooking and to enjoy its delicious flavor and aroma in your recipes, an excellent option is to do it in vinegar or oil, this way they will be preserved very well.
To do this you will only need a glass jar and place the rosemary branches you want inside and fill it with oil or vinegar to use whenever you want and season your salads, your pastas and more.
Rosemary in freezer
If, on the other hand, you want to use rosemary leaves to make fresh infusions, cocktails or to give a pinch of smell or flavor to a cooking recipe or to prepare an ointment, cream, shampoo or soap , we recommend roasting the leaves.
For this you can spawn the entire branches or cut the leaves and leave them in airtight bags and use them whenever you want. This option is very useful and the rosemary can be kept there for months.
Rosemary in a jar
Another easy and super useful option to store rosemary leaves if you want to use them dry at any time, both for cooking and to use to make a beauty product, is to do so in a jar with an airtight seal.
This will allow you to store the dried rosemary leaves for a good amount of time and you will be able to have them at your fingertips quickly and easily. Only after drying them should you leave the leaves in there and they will be ready to use.
Rosemary in water
Another great storage option for this great plant is to place the chopped rosemary along with water in an ice cube tray and freeze it and then defrost it in cubes when you need it for whatever you need it for.
You can use them for cooking, for infusions directly that you want to be cold and that provide a great aroma and flavor or to make sauces, season stews or risottos and much more.
