Rosemary, an aromatic herb full of health and culinary benefits!

Scent your home and flavor your meals with this unique herb known as rosemary.

Read what foods to add it to, how to make delicious homemade butter and tea that detoxifies your body perfectly.

Find out much more in our article!

What is rosemary?

It is a herb with needle-like leaves that comes from Asia and the Mediterranean. This evergreen shrub belongs to the mint family and is classified as a perennial, which means it regrows itself every year. Rosemary bushes can grow to a height and width of about 120 cm and its flowers can be blue, purple, white or pink.

The name “rosemary” comes from the Latin words “ros” meaning “dew” and “marinus” meaning “sea” – “sea dew”. Rosemary has been used in cooking since at least 500 BC

As a medicinal herb, it is recommended to strengthen the brain and memory. The herb contains substances that are useful for improving digestion and improving blood circulation.

In cooking, rosemary is used as a spice in a variety of dishes such as soups, baked dishes, salads and stews. Rosemary goes well with chicken, but also other poultry, game, lamb, pork, steaks and fish, especially fatty fish. It also goes well with mushrooms, onions, peas, potatoes and spinach.

Rosemary vs. lavender

Rosemary and lavender are very similar in appearance. Both are shrubs with woody stems and their leaves are long, thin and aromatic. And lavender has a lighter and more floral flavor and aroma than rosemary.

However, rosemary plants will generally grow to a larger size than lavender.

Health benefits of rosemary

High content of antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory compounds

Antioxidants are compounds that help protect your body from inflammation that can lead to chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.

Lowers blood sugar

If left untreated, high blood sugar can damage your eyes, heart, kidneys, and nervous system. Studies have shown that compounds in rosemary tea can effectively help with weight loss.

Improves mood and memory

Taking rosemary orally twice a day for 1 month significantly reduces anxiety levels and improves memory and sleep quality. Rosemary extract can improve mood by promoting a healthy balance of gut bacteria and soothing the parts of your brain associated with emotion, learning and memory.

Supports brain health

Compounds in rosemary tea may help your brain health by preventing brain cells from dying.

Supports eye health

Rosemary extract may slow down age-related eye diseases.

How to grow rosemary?

• Start by sowing its seeds in a pot that is placed inside. This will give the seeds a better chance to germinate. Because seeds germinate and grow slowly, the best time to sow rosemary is 3 to 6 months before the growing season begins.
• This means that you plant the seeds 8 to 10 weeks before the last spring frost. (Seeds can take a long time to germinate – 2 to 3 weeks – so don’t give up right away!)
• The planting site should have well-drained soil. Constantly moist soil does not suit the herb.
• Be sure to give the plants plenty of room to grow. Once the herb takes root, it can grow to a height and width of up to 120 centimeters.
• Plant the seeds in well-drained soil. For best growth, the soil temperature should be around 21°C.
• Water your rosemary plants evenly throughout the growing season, but be careful not to overwater.
• If you want to overwinter rosemary, grow the plant indoors in a pot. Place it in a well-lit place and protect it from cold drafts.

How to harvest rosemary

• Cut off the stems and use them fresh or hang them up to dry.
• For the freshest flavor, harvest young stems and leaves.

What can you do with rosemary?

Garden – it is relatively undemanding to grow, which makes it a popular ornamental garden plant.

Cooking – it is an excellent seasoning for soups, stews, meats and sauces. It is also a popular tea herb, and when chopped and mixed into olive oil, it makes a delicious topping for bread.

Fragrance – its distinctive aroma makes it a common ingredient in perfumes, shampoos and soaps.

Rinse the fresh rosemary sprigs under cold running water and pat dry.

Recipes usually call for whole leaves, which can be easily removed from the stems.

What to pair rosemary with?

• Apricots
• Beans, lentils, peas
• Chicken, lamb, pork, fish, soups, eggs, hash browns
• Pepper, cabbage, eggplant, tomatoes, pumpkin, potatoes

Other herbs

• Bay leaf
• chive
• garlic
• lavender
• mint
• oregano
• parsley
• sage
• thyme

Rosemary Butter Recipe

This butter is an excellent addition to steak, or simply spread it on homemade bread, it also goes well with baked potatoes or pasta.

Method

• Chop 2 medium cloves of garlic and then mash them wide
• In a small bowl, mix the garlic with 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice and about 1 teaspoon of salt
• Add ½ teaspoon of finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves and mix well
• Add 70g butter and mash it with a fork until thoroughly mixed
• Refrigerate or freeze it

How to make rosemary tea

Rosemary tea is very easy to prepare at home and requires only two ingredients — water and rosemary.

Method

• Bring 300 ml of water to the boil
• Add 1 teaspoon of rosemary leaves to hot water or pour into a tea infuser and steep for 5-10 minutes, depending on how strong you want your tea
• Drain the rosemary leaves and discard the used leaves
• Add a sweetener such as sugar, honey, or agave syrup

How to store rosemary?

To store rosemary, place the sprigs in a plastic bag with a damp paper towel. Fresh rosemary will keep in the fridge for about 1 week.