Herbs
Dried RosemaryDrying Time, Storage and a Potato Mochi Recipe
Rosemary is an herb with a strong aroma: cool and fresh, with hints of sweetness and bitterness.
Dried over about a week, the leaves gradually turn brownish and thin. The aroma becomes gentler than fresh, just right for cooking. Strip the leaves and keep them in a jar for easy use.
Besides seasoning meat and fish, you can use it for herbal tea, potpourri or a bath.
| Drying time | Storage | |
|---|---|---|
| Dry | 5 days–1 week | 6 months at room temperature |
Drying times assume drying during the day in sunny weather and bringing them in at night.
How to dry rosemary
- Wash and pat dry: Swish the branches in water and dry thoroughly with paper towels.
- Lay out: Lay the whole branches on a basket without overlapping.
- Dry: To keep the aroma, avoid strong direct sun and dry it in a breezy spot in shade or part shade. Bring it in by evening.
Where and when to dry is covered in How to Dry Vegetables, and tools in Tools for Drying Vegetables.
When it’s done
Dry (5 days–1 week)
It’s done when the leaves have curled thin and fall off when you run your fingers down the branch. The branches snap too.
Day by day
Before drying
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Storage
- Room temperature: Keep the branches whole or strip the leaves, and store in a jar or bag with a desiccant, somewhere cool and out of direct sun, for about 6 months.
The aroma fades over time, so for the best flavor, use it within about 3 months. More in How to Store Dried Vegetables.
How to use it
- With meat and fish: Roast chicken, pork chops, grilled white fish. The leaves are tough, so chop them finely, or cook a whole branch alongside to add its aroma.
- With potatoes: Roast potatoes, fries and potato mochi are a perfect match.
- Infused oil: Heat oil and rosemary gently in a frying pan to infuse the aroma before cooking.
- Herbal tea: Put a pinch in a teapot, pour boiling water over, and steep for 3–5 minutes.
If you’re pregnant, breastfeeding or have a medical condition, check with your doctor before drinking it regularly as tea.
Recipe
Potato mochi with dried rosemary
Imo mochi are chewy pan-fried potato cakes, a Hokkaido favorite. Using dried rosemary gives them a gentle aroma that isn’t overpowering. We used Inca no Mezame, a yellow-fleshed Japanese potato.
Ingredients (8 potato mochi)- 2 sprigs dried rosemary
- 2 medium potatoes
- 3 tbsp potato starch
- 3 tbsp soy milk
- 1 tsp coconut oil (or vegetable oil)
- Herb salt, to taste
- Dried parsley (optional)
- Wash the potatoes well and cut a deep cross into each, skin on. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 6 minutes.
- Peel carefully so you don’t burn yourself, put in a bowl and mash.
- Add the potato starch and soy milk and mix. When it comes together, divide into 8 and shape into patties.
- Put the oil and rosemary in a frying pan over low heat. When fragrant, add the patties and cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes, until browned.
- Turn them over, cover, and cook over low heat for 3 minutes.
- Serve sprinkled with dried parsley, with herb salt on the side.
Other dried herbs work well instead of rosemary. Dried parsley is handy to keep on hand too.
