How To Dry Rosemary And Preserve Them

Air drying your rosemary is a convenient way to dry it because you do not require fancy equipment. You should only focus on where you air-dry the herb.

Dark places, especially without sunlight, like basements and closets, are better for drying your rosemary. These areas should be clean and free of dust, smoke, or steam. Avoid air-drying by the kitchen window as it is not a good location. 

To air dry, tie the rosemary sprigs at the base with a rubber band and hang them upside down in a dry, well-ventilated area away from direct sunlight. Check on them regularly for mold or sun damage. It will take fourteen to twenty-one days to dry the rosemary.

Oven drying is ideal when you harvest rosemary leaves and want to preserve the surplus and dry big batches to save time. The heat from the oven can be a little aggressive, but it does not affect the hardy rosemary as much.

All ovens are different, so it is better to use a thermometer and experiment slightly to find the perfect temperature setting. 

• Preheat the oven to 100°F or the lowest setting. 
• Separate the leaves from the stem and lay them in a single layer on a parchment-paper-covered-oven-rack.
• Slide the rack in the oven. If the lowest setting is higher than 100°F, leave the doors slightly ajar to keep the temperature lower.
• After 30 minutes, flip your rosemary. Check to see how dry they are. If needed, dry for another 15 minutes. Repeat if necessary.
• After an hour, turn off the oven and let the rosemary cool before storing.

With multiple shelves, settings, and a timer, dehydrating your rosemary in the dehydrator is much more efficient. You can dry multiple batches of rosemary simultaneously and go about doing other chores. You do not have to watch over it, as the timer will let you know. 

Lay the rosemary leaves in a single layer on the dehydrator trays and place the trays into the dehydrator. Adjust the heat to 100°F and timer to 4 hours. Check on the trays occasionally to gauge dryness.

When the rosemary becomes crisp and crumbly, take it out of the trays. Allow it to cool before storing. You can use it to brew rosemary tea. 

Microwave your rosemary for dried rosemary in minutes. Many resort to the microwave to dry the herb fast without compromising the flavor and quality. However, this method only works for small batches. 

Pluck the leaves off the stems and sandwich them in a single layer between paper towels. Then, place them on a microwave-safe plate.

Microwave at high for 1 minute. Then, dry the rosemary at 30-second intervals until crisp and crumbly. This process will take 5 to 10 minutes.

A herb drying rack is a reliable way to dry your rosemary without relying on electricity. It is also the upgraded version of air drying since it is faster and takes up less space in the kitchen.

The rosemary will take several days to dry on the drying rack, but if you spread it out, it will take less time. 

Just spread the herbs out on the rack far enough apart so they are not touching. Avoid piling them. Put the rack in a dark, cool, dry spot with good air circulation. Check on the rosemary every few days to test for dryness, and make sure they are not molding.

The brown paper bag for drying herbs like rosemary is as popular as air-drying and over-drying. It is convenient. You do not need anything fancy, and neither do you need to devote a part of your day watching over the herbs. 

Before using the paper bag, punch holes in the bag using a fork to allow air circulation. Then, put your rosemary (you don't need to separate the leaves and stems) inside the bag and secure it with a rubber band without affecting the stems. 

You can hang the bag or place it somewhere dark. Check herbs after a week to see if they are dry. If not, check back in another 3 – 5 days until they crumble at the touch. The drying might take from 1 to 3 weeks.

Using heat to dry rosemary is effective but could kill the nutrients and reduce the health benefits of rosemary. If you are concerned about this, you can use a fan to dry your herb. The fan will evaporate the moisture in the herb quickly, leaving you with dry, crumbly rosemary. 

For this method, you obviously need a fan. Place rosemary leaves in a single layer on a tray lined with a paper or kitchen towel and cover everything with another paper towel.

To prevent the fan from blowing everything away, place heavy objects at the four corners of the tray. Turn on the fan at low to medium settings. Check on the rosemary and switch off the fan when satisfied with the dryness.

For this method, we utilize the power of the sun to dry the rosemary. You can use an electric-solar dehydrator, but a cheaper option would be to use your car.

It is a little eccentric, but don’t judge till you try it. You will be surprised at how effective it is. If your car is in the garage, park it outside in the sun and crack open the window.

Place the rosemary in a brown paper bag with holes and leave it on one of the car seats. It might take a few hours or days, depending on the climate. Do note that this method only works on sunny days, not overcast or chilly days.

While silica gels alone might be ineffective at drying your rosemary, they will speed up drying with other methods. The gel packets help remove moisture while maintaining the color and scent of the herb. When using this method, ensure the gel packets are food and do not open the packet. 

Pour food-safe silica gel crystals into a container and arrange the rosemary branches atop the gel crystals in a layer. Place additional silica gel and make sure that the container is well closed. Let it rest for 1-2 weeks, and then take out the dried rosemary and store it in an airtight container.

Lastly, we have the refrigerator drying. While most methods mentioned above rely on room temperature or hot air, this one relies on cold air. Cold air works just as well as hot one when drying the rosemary.

When using this method, avoid placing the rosemary in a plastic bag. You want to wrap the herb in layers of paper towel instead. The paper towels absorb moisture from the herb and allow for controlled evaporation.

The rosemary will dry in 3 to 4 weeks. It is longer than other methods, but the flavor and color are better than air-dried rosemary. 

Step 1: Harvest Rosemary

You can ignore this step if you are using store-bought rosemary,  but fresh rosemary from garden dries best. If you are interested in growing rosemary, plant it alongside some rosemary companion plants. https://blog.natureplusme.com/rosemary-companion-plants

But if you grow your rosemary, you need to harvest it. Unlike other fresh produce, rosemary can be harvested at any time of the year, but for the best quality, harvest in summer while the rosemary is tender. 

Harvest your rosemary early in the morning so that it is fresher. Trim off what you need, but no more than 20/30% of the plant. If not, it will not grow back. You can trim more if your rosemary plant is solely for drying purposes. 

Step 2: Remove Wilted Leaves

After that, inspect your rosemary harvest. If they are brown, wilted leaves, remove them. These leaves will not dry well and are a waste of space while drying. 

Step 3: Wash/Dry Rosemary

Wash the remaining rosemary in a water bowl and strain it to remove the dirt. Repeat until you are satisfied.

Pat dry the herb or give it a spin in the salad spinner until it is dry. The rosemary has to be completely dry as even a little moisture could affect the drying. 

Step 4: Separate the Leaves from the Stem

This step is optional, but some find the stems bitter after drying. This bitterness could affect the taste of the recipes it is cooked in. If you don’t mind the bitterness, skip this step.

Step 5: Use the Methods Above

For the actual drying, you can use any method mentioned above. All the steps have been discussed.

Now that you have successfully dried your rosemary, you should store it properly. There are a few storage conditions you should meet. If not, your efforts will be wasted. Improperly stored dry rosemary loses flavor quickly.

Airtight Protection

You should ideally use airtight glass jars or containers that can be tightly sealed. Glass does not cause reactions or absorb odors. Wipe the glass jar dry if there is moisture, and fill it with the dried rosemary. Do not fill it to the brim and leave a little space. Seal the jar tight. 

Ideal Temperature and Humidity Levels

Place the jar in a storage area that remains between 50°F to 70°F (10°C to 21°C). Dried rosemary is sensitive to heat and fluctuations in temperature, so keep it away from sunlight, stoves, ovens, or radiators. The best place to store the jar is in kitchen cabinets and drawers.

Dried rosemary will last three years if you maintain the conditions mentioned above.

However, this may vary depending on the quality of rosemary used, how frequently you open the jar and storage conditions. It is worth noting that the flavor of the dried rosemary may diminish over time, so check on its potency by judging the smell and color before use. 

Maintenance of Taste and Smell

Dry rosemary is very effective as seasoning because it gets much stronger when dried.

This yields the oils, thus providing a stronger taste than fresh rosemary, which can complement different meals such as soups, stews, and roasts.

Extended Shelf Life

The drying of rosemary can help preserve it for 1-3 years, while fresh rosemary will wither and become unusable within weeks.

This extends the shelf-life of the. And since it is a versatile herb, it is an ideal product to have in the long term.

Convenience and Versatility

Dried rosemary is more convenient to store and use compared to fresh ones.

It does not require a refrigerator and is less bulky. This makes it convenient for enhancing the flavor of marinades, rubs, and seasoning blends, among others.

Cost-Effective

Drying rosemary is economical, particularly if growing it in your herb garden. It helps in avoiding buying packaged and expensive dried herbs.

Thus, you acquire fresh rosemary during the harvest season, hence getting quality rosemary at cheaper prices, and this increases the value of your harvest.

Nutritional Preservation

It is good practice to dry rosemary because it preserves antioxidants and essential oils.

Sometimes nutrients are lost, but most are retained that have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial benefits. This results in positive impacts on health.

Reduced Spoilage and Waste

Drying rosemary helps to preserve it, subsequently reducing wastage.

Fresh rosemary spoils rather fast, while dried rosemary has a relatively longer shelf life, which will help minimize the wastage of herbs once grown.