2 Methods For Storing Fresh Rosemary From Your Garden

If you're a seasoned gardener, you're probably familiar with rosemary and have already reaped the year-after-year benefits of planting this rustic herb. However, once it has been picked, the timer begins, and the freshness of the herb quickly begins to fade. Typically, rosemary will only last about two to three days if picked and left in a plastic bag. Fortunately, there are a few simple tricks that can extend its life for days, weeks, or even months, and they involve paper towels, water, and your fridge.

Rosemary's flavor comes from its natural oils and other compounds known as monoterpenes, and without the right storage, those properties start to fade. That said, the two most reliable methods to preserve your rosemary are wrapping it in a damp paper towel or storing it in fresh water.

Ultimately, each one has its own benefits and drawbacks depending on how you plan to use it. A nice feature for preserving the herb is that you won't need any special equipment beyond what you already have in your kitchen.

Using a damp paper towel is the easiest way to maintain your rosemary's freshness for short-term use. Moreover, this method is great if you cook with it a few times a week. You're going to start by giving the harvested sprigs a quick rinse under cold running water to remove any dirt. Pat the herb until it's dry, and then wet, strain, and lay out your damp paper towel. Take your rosemary and place it on your clean, damp paper towel, making sure that the herbs are spread evenly so that the leaves are not crushed. Gently roll the towel around the rosemary, then place the bundled herb inside a plastic bag or airtight container. Now that it is wrapped up, store the rosemary in your fridge.

This method does a great job of maintaining freshness without requiring too much effort. Also, if you want to pluck off the individual leaves or simply store the entire stem, that's completely up to you. With this method, rosemary can stay fresh for up to two weeks and be at the ready for your cooking needs.

Using the water jar method is great if you want rosemary to look and smell like it's been freshly plucked — a nice secondary benefit if you like the aroma of rosemary. To use the water jar method, you're going to trim the ends of the stems at a slight angle to help them absorb water more easily. Next, you're going to fill a glass jar with roughly an inch of fresh water — the measurement doesn't need to be exact — and place the stems upright, similar to how you would with flowers. Cover the rosemary sprigs with a plastic bag to help trap humidity.

As a general rule, be sure to change the water every two days to prevent bacteria from building up, and keep the jar out of direct sunlight. Ultimately, this approach can preserve rosemary's freshness for roughly two weeks. Moreover, you'll always have fresh rosemary at arm's reach that's ready to be added into your recipe, whether you're preparing rosemary and garlic roasted potatoes or baking rosemary shortbread cookies. Now that you know how to preserve it, it's important to know how to cook with rosemary.