Dried rosemary keeps most of its piney, camphor-like flavour but the needles stay hard and spiky. Crush or grind it for rubs and long-cooked dishes, and use a light hand: it quickly overpowers.
Dried or fresh?¶
Rosemary is a resinous, woody herb whose flavour survives drying well; dried rosemary is, if anything, a little harsher and more camphor-like than fresh, with less of the fresh plant's sweetness. The real difference is texture. The dried needles stay hard, sharp and unpleasant to chew, and they do not soften much even with long cooking.
Fresh rosemary is better wherever the herb is seen or eaten whole: on focaccia, scattered over roast potatoes, or fried until crisp. Dried works well in slow-cooked dishes and dry rubs, as long as it is crushed first. See rosemary for the fresh herb.
In the kitchen¶
- Crush it first. Pound dried needles in a pestle-and-mortar or whizz them in a spice grinder before use; see grinding-spices. Crushed, they disappear into a dish.
- Rubs. With garlic, salt and olive oil for lamb, pork or chicken; with salt and pepper for roast potatoes.
- Braises and beans. A crushed teaspoon early in a lamb stew, white bean soup or ragù.
- Blends. A standard part of herbes-de-provence and italian-seasoning.
- Whole, then removed. If you cannot crush it, tie whole needles in a square of muslin and lift the bag out before serving.
How much to use¶
About 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary for 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh, or for a sprig about 10 cm long. Rosemary easily dominates a dish and tastes medicinal in excess, so start with less than you think: ½–1 teaspoon crushed for a stew serving four. Ground rosemary is stronger by volume; use about half as much.
Buying and storing¶
Keep the needles whole and crush them as needed; they hold their oils far longer than ground rosemary. Store airtight, out of light and heat, and replace after about a year. Good dried rosemary is grey-green and smells sharply of pine when crushed.
Rosemary dries easily on the stem: hang sprigs somewhere warm and airy, then strip the needles once they snap cleanly. See drying-herbs.