Description
Rosemary
The rosemary plant (Salvia rosmarinus) is a fragrant herb that grows as a perennial rounded evergreen shrub. It features slender, needle-like, gray-green leaves on erect woody stems. And it produces clusters of small, light blue to white flowers typically in the late spring to early summer, though it can bloom at other points of the year as well. Rosemary is best planted in the spring once the weather has warmed and there’s no frost in the forecast. Containers indoors generally can be started at any time of year. Rosemary can be harvested at almost any time of year, though spring and summer are when it grows most actively. The leaves are most flavorful and aromatic just before the plant blooms. To harvest, use pruners to cut off 4- to 6-inch stem tips.
Use fresh rosemary sprigs or leaves in cooking as you like. Or hang the stems upside-down in a dry, cool, well-ventilated area for drying, which should take a couple of weeks. Once the stems are dry, strip off the leaves and keep them in an airtight container in a pantry.
