7 Ways to Dry Rosemary at Home [with ease]

Rosemary, a perennial herb, is known for its distinct fragrance and color. This herb incorporates anti-inflammatory compounds, assists with boosting blood circulation and is consumed for its antioxidant properties.

Essential oils, vitamins, and tea are all made from dried rosemary. Among the best ways to use rosemary buds and leaves for aromatherapy is to dry them.

We’ve got you covered if you’re curious how to dry rosemary the best way possible. We’ve applied our knowledge to come up with seven simple ways to dry rosemary.

Before you Proceed to Dry Rosemary

Before beginning the drying process, you need to make sure you cut the Rosemary sprigs properly before harming the herb.

Hold a branch and cut it about 8 inches long gently. Anything below would prevent the herb from growing back again.

Then, the Rosemary sprigs should be cleaned of any thick, hard, woody roots, rinsed with clean water, and examined for any signs of dirt or pests.

Using a salad spinner or paper towels to remove excess water from the fresh leaves and stems is recommended.

How to Dry Rosemary Using a Food Dehydrator

Dry Rosemary by Bunch Hanging

Bunch hanging your Rosemary sprigs to dry them is amongst the most common methods used for doing so.

It is quite safe, you don’t need to worry about your sprigs getting overheated and this method is quite simple since it does not include any appliances.

Wash your Rosemary Sprigs

Using a spray, thoroughly clean your fresh rosemary leaves or rinse your rosemary sprigs. Examine them for any signs of dirt or pests.

Use a salad spinner to remove excess water from the drenched Rosemary sprigs and pat them dry with paper towels.

Separate the Sprigs

It is advised to group the Rosemary sprigs according to their height. You can keep all the long ones separate, the medium ones together and the short ones separate as well.

This would simplify the next step drastically.

Tie the Rosemary

Cut the string long enough to loop around the bunch conveniently. Tie the rosemary bunch tightly, so it doesn’t fall apart when drying.

Make use of rubber bands for this because it is easier to tie another knot as your rosemary dries.

Allow the Bunch to Dry

Tape the bunch to a board or the wall. Allow the air to flow freely.You can refer to how this is done here:

Check your Rosemary Sprigs

You should dry Rosemary just till you have gotten rid of its moisture. Dried Rosemary retains some of its color as well.

Check the rosemary after 2 to 3 weeks; if it is brittle and crispy, it has thoroughly dried and can be used for the next 6 to 7 months.

Dry Rosemary Using Sun-drying

You can place your Rosemary sprigs in a sunny area and let them dry for a week or two.

This is another natural process for drying Rosemary and you would not require any appliances.

Cut your Rosemary Sprigs

Cut them about eight inches long. Make sure you don’t use any branches that have flowers on them and stems which are quite old and are way past their prime.

Wash your Rosemary Sprigs

Using a spray, thoroughly clean your fresh rosemary leaves or rinse your rosemary sprigs. Examine them for any signs of dirt or pests.

Use a salad spinner to remove excess water from the drenched Rosemary sprigs and pat them dry with paper towels.

Place the Rosemary Leaves

Remove all Rosemary leaves from the stem and arrange them on a sheet of paper or a plate.

Ensure that they have a little gap in between for proper air circulation. They should not be crowding or on top of one another for drying evenly.

Dry the Rosemary Leaves

Place the plate or cover, whatever you prefer, near the windowsill so that the leaves can be exposed to direct sunlight. It will take 1-2 weeks to dry completely.

You can refer to how this is done here:

Check your Rosemary Leaves

You should dry Rosemary just till you have gotten rid of its moisture. Dried Rosemary retains some of its color as well.

If your Rosemary leaves are brittle and crispy, they have thoroughly dried and can be used for the next 6 to 9 months.

Dry Rosemary Using an Oven

If you require dried Rosemary instantly, you should use an oven as it will take only an hour. This is one of the fastest methods to dry your Rosemary properly.

However, you will have to keep an eye on your Rosemary as it bakes to ensure it does not overheat and burn.

Wash the Rosemary

Using a spray, thoroughly clean your fresh rosemary leaves or rinse your rosemary sprigs. Examine them for any signs of dirt or pests.

You can even submerge your Rosemary sprigs in a bowl of water. Use a salad spinner to remove excess water from the drenched Rosemary sprigs and pat them dry with paper towels.

Place the Herbs

Arrange the Rosemary on parchment-lined baking tray/s with enough space between them to allow for air circulation.

Preheat the Oven

Preheat the oven to the lowest setting, preferably below 105 degrees Fahrenheit or 40 degrees Celsius.

This phase can take a different amount of time depending on the temperature. It is recommended to check on them every 15 minutes for the first hour and then every hour after that.

Dry the Herbs

Dry for 1 hour at 210 degrees Fahrenheit or 2 hours or less at 150 to 175 degrees Fahrenheit.

If your oven’s lowest temperature is much higher, using a wooden spoon to prop the oven door open slightly could be a good option, although this isn’t ideal for energy efficiency.

Still, it will lower the average temperature inside the oven, preventing your rosemary from being cooked.

Let them Cool

Place your dried Rosemary aside for some hours.

Dry Rosemary Using a Microwave

Using a microwave to dry your fresh Rosemary sprigs is the fastest method available. You will only have to wait for a few minutes before getting evenly dried, crunchy, Rosemary sprigs to store.

Cut your Rosemary Sprigs

Cut them about eight inches long. Make sure you don’t use any branches that have flowers on them and stems which are quite old and are way past their prime.

Wash the Rosemary

Using a spray, thoroughly clean your fresh rosemary leaves or rinse your rosemary sprigs. Examine them for any signs of dirt or pests.

You can even submerge your Rosemary sprigs in a bowl of water. Use a salad spinner to remove excess water from the drenched Rosemary sprigs and pat them dry with paper towels.

Arrange the Herbs

Place two paper towels over a tray that can be used in the microwave. On the plate, arrange fresh Rosemary leaves and stems.

To prevent overcrowding, spread the plant parts out far enough. Place the container into the microwave and cover the herb with another sheet of paper towel.

Dry the Rosemary

Adjust the microwave’s temperature to high and heat for four minutes. If it hasn’t thoroughly dried after heating, add two minutes to the drying time.

Ensure that you keep watch on the microwave so that your Rosemary doesn’t get overheated and burn.

Check your Rosemary Leaves

You should dry Rosemary just till you have gotten rid of its moisture. Dried Rosemary retains some of its color as well.

If your Rosemary leaves are brittle and crispy, they have thoroughly dried and can be used for the next 6 to 9 months.

Dry Rosemary Using an Air Fryer

Use an air fryer to dry your fresh Rosemary leaves if you wish to get them evenly dried within a few hours.

You won’t have to wait for too long as this process takes only 3 to 4 hours and is quite simple to follow.

Cut your Rosemary Sprigs

Cut them about eight inches long. Make sure you don’t use any branches that have flowers on them and stems which are quite old and are way past their prime.

Wash the Rosemary

Using a spray, thoroughly clean your fresh rosemary leaves or rinse your rosemary sprigs. Examine them for any signs of dirt or pests.

You can even submerge your Rosemary sprigs in a bowl of water. Use a salad spinner to remove excess water from the drenched Rosemary sprigs and pat them dry with paper towels.

Arrange the Herbs

Gather the rosemary leaves and arrange them on a plate. Discard something that has turned a different hue.

Set the Fryer

Set your air fryer to 130 degrees Fahrenheit for 4 hours. Constantly keep checking on your Rosemary leaves as they dry.

Make sure you don’t overheat it or else they will get burnt.

In case you are confused regarding how to go about this step, you can refer to this video here:

Check your Rosemary Leaves

You should dry Rosemary just till you have gotten rid of its moisture. Dried Rosemary retains some of its color as well.

If your Rosemary leaves are brittle and crispy, they have thoroughly dried and can be used for the next 6 to 9 months.

Dry Rosemary Using Trays

Make use of trays to dry your Rosemary leaves if you don’t wish to use any appliances.

You would not have to worry regarding your sprigs getting burnt because this is a natural process.

Cut your Rosemary Sprigs

Cut them about eight inches long. Make sure you don’t use any branches that have flowers on them and stems which are quite old and are way past their prime.

Wash the Rosemary

Using a spray, thoroughly clean your fresh rosemary leaves or rinse your rosemary sprigs. Examine them for any signs of dirt or pests.

You can even submerge your Rosemary sprigs in a bowl of water. Use a salad spinner to remove excess water from the drenched Rosemary sprigs and pat them dry with paper towels.

Arrange the Rosemary

Remove the needle-like leaves from the stems and cover the trays with newspaper.

Spread your fresh Rosemary leaves across the tray with little gap in between. Air will be able to circulate properly and your Rosemary will dry evenly if you do so.

Place the Tray

Make sure the tray is kept in a shady area, such as a windowsill. This will keep the rosemary safe from bugs and rot. Allow the Rosemary to dry for a few days.

You can refer to how this is done here:

Keep an Eye

Watch your Rosemary during this entire process. You should dry Rosemary just till you have gotten rid of its moisture.

Dried Rosemary retains some of its color as well. If your Rosemary leaves are brittle and crispy, they have thoroughly dried and can be used for the next 6 to 9 months.

Dried Rosemary Sprigs vs Fresh Rosemary Sprigs: The Difference in Texture and Ratio

Fresh rosemary has the best taste, but the volatile oils on the needles that give the herb its distinct aroma remain even when dried.

If a recipe requires fresh rosemary but you only have the dried ones with you, replace every tablespoon of fresh rosemary specified in the recipe with a teaspoon of dried ones.

Remember that dried herbs are at their best for the first six months after opening, but they can be stored for years.

Dried Rosemary will continue to emit flavor if it already emits an aroma. Until substituting, test a small amount to see whether you need to change for potency.

The Right Way to Store Dried Rosemary Sprigs

To save time, strip all of your rosemary onto non-stick tray liners or a tea towel. Tea towels are usually smoother than terry kitchen towels, so needles don’t get stuck as easily.

In a mason jar, vacuum seal your rosemary. You can use a standard vacuum sealing machine or a portable version, but the smaller version needs a little more effort because there is a lot of air in a jar like this.

You may store your rosemary in an airtight jar, but removing the air is recommended for longer-term storage.

If you have oxygen absorbers on hand, you can use one to achieve the same result as a vacuum sealer in around twenty-four hours.

Our Take on Which Method is Best

Dry your fresh Rosemary sprigs under the sun as it’s the best way if you reside in a tropical area where there’s abundance of sunlight.

You can bunch hang them as this is quite common and doesn’t need any appliances for providing you with the same results.

Dry Rosemary in a food dehydrator, oven or a microwave if you require dried Rosemary leaves in enormous quantities. These are also amongst the speediest alternatives available.

However, make sure you keep a constant watch when using these appliances to ensure you don’t overheat your delicate Rosemary sprigs and burn them.

FAQs

Bottom Line

We’ve covered seven basic methods for drying rosemary leaves for a variety of uses. Hopefully, you’ve now taken away some insight regarding how to dry fresh Rosemary at home.

We’d appreciate it if you shared this article with friends and family. Feel free to ask any questions in the comments section below!