Rosemary, scientifically known as Rosmarinus officinalis, is a woody, perennial herb that is native to the Mediterranean region. Adorned with fragrant and evergreen, needle-like leaves, the herb is a member of the mint family Lamiaceae. The term 'rosemary' has been derived from the Latin word 'rosmarinus', which literally means "dew of the sea". The herb is associated with a number of benefits. Right from an upset stomach to digestive disorders to headaches, rosemary is used to treat a number of ailments. Through the following lines, we will tell you how to dry rosemary properly.
Drying Fresh Rosemary Quickly
Things Needed
- Fresh Rosemary
- Garden Shears
- Water
- Cotton Kitchen String
- Scissors
- Plastic Clothing Hanger
- Glass Jar
Instructions
- First of all, you need to cut out sections of rosemary that are 5 to 6 inches in length.
- Rinse rosemary stems with clean water, to ensure that they are free of insects and dust particles.
- Make bunches of the herb, making sure that there are eight lengths in each of the bunch.
- Take a cotton cloth and cut 12-inch of string for each of the rosemary bundle.
- Hold eight stems of rosemary together. Tie one end of the bunch with the cotton string, with a knot similar to the one used for tying shoelaces.
- Repeat the above step for each one of the rosemary bundles that you want to dry.
- Take a clean, plastic clothing hanger and hang each bunch of rosemary over it, with the extra string or by draping it half over the hanger.
- Place the hanger in a dark place, like a closet, while making sure not to overcrowd it and crush the herbs.
- Let the rosemary stems stay in the closet for 4 weeks.
- Remove the hanger from the closet and place it on a flat surface.
- Unfasten each of the rosemary bunches, discarding away the cotton string.
- Remove the rosemary leaves from the stem, by pulling them off in the opposite direction of their growth.
- Discard the stem and put the rosemary leaves in an airtight jar, to be used later on.
