Rosemary Uses

[larry_stewart]

Is Rosemary supposed to be used by fishing it out at the end of the recipe? Finely chopping it up? or drying and making into a fine powder?

I have a significant amount of rosemary in the garden. It never makes it through the winter ( outside or when I attempt to bring it in).

I was hoping I could dry it at the end of the season to use throughout the winter.

I just dont like when the leaves break apart in whatever dish Im preparing, so I thinking of drying it, and putting through my spice grinder to make a powder out of it.

 

[Andy M.]

Fresh rosemary is soft enough to be left in a dish after cooking. You could dry and grind it. It's very strong so be careful.

 

[GLC]

I, too, am not fond of leaving the leaves whole in the finished dish. I grind it in a pestle or chop it very fine. And it can be dried and ground, also. Don't neglect the woody branches. Stripped of leaves, they make great skewers for chicken, etc. And you can still freeze sticks with leaves for future use in bouquet garni.

 

[Katie H]

I
I have a significant amount of rosemary in the garden. It never makes it through the winter ( outside or when I attempt to bring it in).

I've had great luck with keeping rosemary during the winter but it may be because of how I protect it. I finally had to toss my last rosemary plant that was nearly 10-years-old. The ice got it this winter.

However, what I normally do is to wrap the pot, mine is a huge pot, in sheets of small-sized bubble wrap, then move the pot as close to the house as I can. I usually move it to a sunny spot near the outer corner of the wall of my studio, which is near the breezeway. Then, I swaddle the whole rosemary plant with more sheet bubble wrap, using stakes in the pot to keep it away from the bubble wrap. I leave a small opening at the top to allow the plant to breathe. What I've created is a makeshift greenhouse and it works pretty well.

Just a thought.

 

[larry_stewart]

Ill try anything, got nothing to lose ( since id be purchasing a new one anyway next year if it fails).

But this years plant is doing extremely well. Id love for it to last.

 

[Steve Kroll]

Larry, you can also just throw the entire sprig in, stem and all. Just remember to fish it out before serving.

 

[taxlady]

Larry, you can also just throw the entire sprig in, stem and all. Just remember to fish it out before serving.

I often do that.

I have two rosemary plants. One is from last year and one is from the year before. I just bring them into the house in winter and let them sit where they get a bit of direct sunlight. I let them get quite dry between waterings. I wait until the leaves start to droop a little bit.

 

[Addie]

Ill try anything, got nothing to lose ( since id be purchasing a new one anyway next year if it fails).

But this years plant is doing extremely well. Id love for it to last.

If you are like most of us, you toss that bubble wrap when you get a package. If so you can buy a small roll of it at Staples or Home Depot for almost pennies.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

My little rosemarys are still very little...barely an inch tall after 3 weeks.

 

[Addie]

My little rosemarys are still very little...barely an inch tall after 3 weeks.

Considering Rosemary belongs to the pine tree family, I just can't get past that. It smells and taste like pine to me. Although I will toss a couple of sprigs into the pan when roasting lamb. And a sprig or two added when making the gravy only enhances it. Maybe the heat is what changes the smell.

 

[Andy M.]

When I first started cooking, rosemary was my favorite herb. I put it in everything including pasta sauce. A little at a time, I tapered off to more normal use levels.

My current favorite is cumin.

 

[taxlady]

Considering Rosemary belongs to the pine tree family, I just can't get past that. It smells and taste like pine to me. Although I will toss a couple of sprigs into the pan when roasting lamb. And a sprig or two added when making the gravy only enhances it. Maybe the heat is what changes the smell.

Rosemary smells a bit like pine, but is not in the pine tree family. Rosemary is a flowery plant. Pine is a conifer, which produces seeds in cones. You can't really get much further apart in the plant kingdom.

 

[Oldvine]

I've had the same rosemary bush going for at least 20 years by my back door. My favorite thing to do with rosemary is to gather a big handful of the twigs, tie them or rubber band the twig ends together, give them a wash and use the paint brush I created to paint on BBQ sauces or olive oil on grilled tri-tip during the last minutes of grilling..

 

[Rocklobster]

Submerge a few sprigs in oil, let sit for a week and you have Rosemary oil.

Grind dried rosemary and mix equal parts sage and thyme for poultry seasoning.


Add the fresh leaves with garlic, green onion, black pepper, fresh parsley and a half cup of oil. Put in a blender until smooth and make a marinade for chicken or other meats. You could make bigger batches and freeze this in ice cubes trays like some do with pesto....

 

[Mad Cook]

Is Rosemary supposed to be used by fishing it out at the end of the recipe? Finely chopping it up? or drying and making into a fine powder?

I have a significant amount of rosemary in the garden. It never makes it through the winter ( outside or when I attempt to bring it in).

I was hoping I could dry it at the end of the season to use throughout the winter.

I just dont like when the leaves break apart in whatever dish Im preparing, so I thinking of drying it, and putting through my spice grinder to make a powder out of it.

Oh dear, you wouldn't like the way we use it, cutting slits into a leg of lamb and pushing needles of rosemary into them prior to roasting.

Normally I chop the needles finely before use. An alternative if using in a sauce or stock or gravy, etc., is to tie the rosemary in a piece of muslin then the needles can't escape.

 

[CraigC]

Rosemary makes great skewers for grilling, but not for seafood. I've never used it in a powder form but whole sprigs for roasting and finely chopped as a flavoring.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Thanks for reminding me to go water my little guys...they looked a bit more robust this morning when I walked by.

 

[taxlady]

Thanks for reminding me to go water my little guys...they looked a bit more robust this morning when I walked by.

I've been told not to over water them. Are they getting lots of sunlight?

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I've been told not to over water them. Are they getting lots of sunlight?

Ive got them on the back steps, so they don't get their little fronds burned out, they get at least 6 hours of sunlight each day. I soaked them two days ago when they looked like they were starting to wilt. They are dry again, how much should I be watering them in their infant stage? They are still in their little pellet pots.

 

[taxlady]

Ive got them on the back steps, so they don't get their little fronds burned out, they get at least 6 hours of sunlight each day. I soaked them two days ago when they looked like they were starting to wilt. They are dry again, how much should I be watering them in their infant stage? They are still in their little pellet pots.

I never bought them quite that small, so I'm not sure. Mine have been between 3" and 6" tall. I just treated them the way I do bigger plants. Maybe it's time to put them in bigger pots.