Should I wash rosemary before drying it for later use?

July 11, 2020 10:16 PM

Today I pruned a couple of the large rosemary bushes in our yard, and now I have about 2/3s of a brown grocery bag full of 2-3 inch long rosemary sprigs. I'm planning on hanging a bunch of it to dry, in brown bags in our basement. My question is, should I wash the springs before hanging them?

The bushes are near/under a couple of large Doug firs, so there are a bunch of old pine tips mixed in with the rosemary leaves, as well as spider webs, general dirt, and probably some bird crap. (That is to say, washing seems like a good idea!)

If I do wash, do I need to do anything special to dry the sprigs before bundling and hanging them? I was thinking about putting them on a half sheet in the oven at the lowest possible temp for 10-15 minutes, but i'm not sure if that's a good idea or not...

posted by genehack to Food & Drink (5 answers total)

I would definitely rinse the sprigs well in water (immerse, swish around, drain) and then blot dry in paper towels. I like the idea of a little heat afterwards to make sure everything is really dry.
posted by fingersandtoes at 10:51 PM on July 11, 2020

I usually rinse well in water before sun drying. If is hanging in a well ventilated area no need to pre-dry, the air will take care of it. Just make the bunches small so they don’t trap too much water.
posted by ohio at 11:58 PM on July 11, 2020 [1 favorite]

Yes, definitely clean the sprigs of rosemary. As for drying, you can use the oven, but you can also use the microwave(!).
posted by hydra77 at 12:28 AM on July 12, 2020

I love large, lightweight stainless steel bowls for processing produce. Leave herbs in cold water for a few minutes, shake or spin in a salad spinner and wrap in a dish towel to blot off more moisture. If the pieces are too small to bundle lay them in baskets lined with paper towels and put in a dark, warm, well-ventilated space. My attic works and a garage or shed would also probably do. Paper bags could slow down drying and a basement is likely too damp. The only herbs I put in the dehydrator are basis and parsley which lose their flavor if air dried. Store in a dark place or dark, air-tight containers as soon as dry.
posted by Botanizer at 3:14 AM on July 12, 2020

Yes, wash the rosemary.

If you can, consider freezing some of that rosemary (after washing it). Just placed in a ziplock freezer bag with most of the air sucked out, it lasts several months for me and I like it much better than dried. It probably lasts even longer in the freezer if first mixed with olive oil oil or water, chopped up and frozen in an ice cube tray.
posted by chromium at 10:35 AM on July 12, 2020 [1 favorite]