Got a Rosemary Bush? Here Are 20 Brilliant and Unusual Ways to Use All That Rosemary
If you’ve ever brought a handful of rosemary indoors and used only a teaspoon for dinner, sort the next harvest before you strip off the leaves. Save the tender tips for chopping, the long flexible sprigs for tying, and the sturdy woody stems for skewers. The shape of each piece tells you what to do with it.
For anything you plan to eat, use rosemary grown for culinary use. Rinse the sprigs and pat them dry. Then pick an idea that suits what you have, whether that’s a few loose leaves on the cutting board or an armful of long branches.
1. Turn Woody Rosemary Stems Into Skewers
The stiff stems that are awkward to chop make the best skewers. Choose straight pieces, strip off the leaves except for a small tuft at one end, and trim the bare end to a point.
Thread on pieces of zucchini, mushrooms, or bell pepper. Make the holes first with a metal skewer so the rosemary slides through without splitting. Roast on a baking sheet and use the leafy end as a handle to slide the vegetables onto a plate. Save the stripped leaves for the rosemary salt below.
2. Make Rosemary Salt You’ll Actually Reach For
For a small jar, start with one teaspoon of finely crushed, completely dried rosemary and two tablespoons of flaky salt. Rub them together with your fingertips. Keep some flakes intact if you’ll use it as a finishing salt; grind it finer for popcorn or fries.
Try the first pinch on a sliced ripe tomato or a warm boiled egg. Both make it easy to judge whether you’d like more rosemary in the next batch. Use dry leaves for a jar you intend to store, and keep it closed away from heat and steam. extension.umn.edu
3. Give Roasted Pears a Rosemary Twist
Halve two ripe but firm pears, scoop out the cores, and arrange them cut-side up in a baking dish. Add a knob of butter to each hollow, drizzle with honey, and tuck one short rosemary sprig between the pears. Roast at 375°F (190°C) until a knife slides easily into the flesh, checking after 20 minutes.
Remove the sprig before serving. A spoonful of plain yogurt turns the pears into breakfast; vanilla ice cream takes them in the other direction.
4. Add Finely Chopped Rosemary to Shortbread
For your usual shortbread recipe made with one stick of butter, start with ½ teaspoon of very finely minced fresh rosemary. Rub it into the sugar with a little lemon zest before mixing the dough. That distributes the herb more evenly than scattering it over the finished cookies.
Use the soft tips for this one. Run your knife through them until you can’t see any long needles; a buttery cookie should crumble without leaving a tough leaf behind.
5. Steep a Sprig in Milk for Mashed Potatoes
If you love rosemary with potatoes but dislike biting into the leaves, flavor the milk instead. Warm the milk your recipe calls for with one small rosemary sprig. Take it off the heat, taste after a few minutes, and remove the sprig when the flavor is strong enough.
Mash the hot potatoes, then add the warm milk a little at a time. This also works for a cauliflower mash or a creamy white bean purée.
6. Bake Rosemary Breadcrumbs From Yesterday’s Bread
Tear two thick slices of stale bread into pieces and pulse or crumble them into coarse crumbs. Toss with a little olive oil, a pinch of salt, and half a teaspoon of minced rosemary. Toast in a skillet over medium-low heat, stirring until golden.
Scatter the crumbs over tomato pasta, baked beans, or roasted cauliflower just before serving. They give a soft dish a crunchy top without needing to turn on the oven.
7. Make a Rosemary and White Bean Spread
Warm a drained can of white beans with a splash of water and a small rosemary sprig. When the beans are hot and the liquid smells fragrant, lift out the sprig. Mash the beans with olive oil, lemon juice, and a little salt, loosening the mixture with warm water as needed.
Spread it thickly on toast and finish with cracked pepper. This is a good use for a slightly woody sprig because you remove it whole.
8. Press Rosemary Into Focaccia Dimples
Before baking focaccia, dimple the risen dough with oiled fingertips. Break the tender rosemary tips into little clusters and press them partly into the dimples with a few flakes of salt. Follow your dough recipe for baking.
Tucking the tips into the dough keeps them in place when you slice the loaf. For a smaller household, use the same idea on individual flatbreads and try a different topping on each.
9. Make Lemon-Rosemary Butter in Small Portions
Mash four tablespoons of softened butter with one teaspoon of finely minced fresh rosemary and a little grated lemon zest. Taste on plain bread before deciding whether it needs salt.
Spoon small portions onto parchment and freeze until firm, then transfer them to a labeled freezer container. One portion can finish a pan of green beans, melt over a baked potato, or turn yesterday’s bread into herb toast.
10. Flavor Apple Crumble Without Chopping a Single Leaf
When softening sliced apples for a crumble, tuck a short rosemary sprig into the pan. Taste the juices after a few minutes and remove the sprig before adding the topping. A tart apple works especially well because its flavor still comes through.
This is a good first experiment if rosemary in dessert sounds unusual. You control the strength by lifting out the sprig, rather than committing a spoonful of chopped leaves to the whole dish.
11. Wake Up a Bowl of Roasted Nuts
Toss two cups of warm roasted almonds or pecans with a teaspoon of melted butter, a pinch of salt, and a little finely ground dried rosemary. Add black pepper for a savory snack or a pinch of brown sugar for a sweeter version.
Start with ¼ teaspoon of dried rosemary, toss, and taste. It’s easier to add another pinch than to rescue a bowl that tastes mostly of herbs.
12. Make a Rosemary Syrup for Sparkling Lemonade
Heat equal volumes of sugar and water just until the sugar dissolves. For a small batch, use a quarter cup of each. Remove from the heat, add one small rosemary sprig, and let it steep. Taste with a clean spoon after five minutes; strain when you like the flavor.
Start with a teaspoon of syrup in a glass of sparkling water, add lemon juice, and adjust to taste. Make a small batch for the occasion and refrigerate the cooled syrup. A strip of orange peel makes a good swap for the lemon.
13. Freeze Whole Sprigs for Winter Cooking
If you’re short on time, freeze the sprigs whole. Rinse, pat dry, spread them on a tray, and freeze. Once firm, transfer them to a labeled freezer bag. Freezing herbs whole or in portions is an established way to preserve a harvest. extension.umn.edu
Choose sprigs short enough to fit your usual saucepan. Later, you can drop one straight into simmering lentils or tomato sauce and lift out the woody stem before serving.
14. Dry the Leaves for a Pantry Jar
Gather rosemary into small, loose bundles and hang them in a dry, well-ventilated place away from direct sun. Alternatively, spread the sprigs in a single layer on dehydrator trays. Wait until the leaves crumble easily before stripping them into an airtight jar. Label the jar and store it away from heat and light. extension.umn.edu
Keep most of the leaves whole and crush a pinch as you cook. That gives you a choice between coarse leaves for a roasting pan and a finer texture for crackers or seasoning blends.
15. Tie a Bouquet Garni You Can Lift Out in One Piece
Bundle one small rosemary sprig with a few parsley stems and a sprig of thyme. Tie them with food-safe cotton kitchen twine, then lower the bundle into a pot of soup or stew.
This is particularly useful for brothy dishes where you don’t want loose rosemary needles in the bowl. Leave the twine long enough to find easily, keeping it inside the pot and away from the burner.
16. Twist Flexible Sprigs Into Napkin Rings
Choose long green stems that bend into a curve without snapping. Wrap each loosely around a rolled napkin and fasten the overlapping ends with cotton twine. Tuck a handwritten name card beneath the knot to make the ring double as a place setting.
If a stem cracks on the first bend, don’t force it. Lay it straight along the napkin and tie it in place. The simpler version looks just as good.
17. Make a Small Wreath for the Kitchen
Tie short rosemary sprigs to a reusable wire or twig ring, overlapping the leafy tips so each sprig hides the previous tie. Work around the ring in one direction. For a fuller wreath, attach little bunches of two or three sprigs rather than using thicker, less flexible branches.
Hang it away from cooking flames. If you use craft wire, glue, or decorative finishes, keep that rosemary for decoration and use a separate harvest for food.
18. Print Rosemary Patterns on Gift Tags
Brush a thin coat of washable craft paint onto one side of a small sprig. Lay it on kraft paper, cover it with scrap paper, and press lightly. Lift the sprig by its stem to reveal the branching print.
One impression makes a gift tag; repeated impressions make wrapping paper. Try the first print on a scrap. If it looks like a solid stripe, use less paint so the individual needles show.
19. Use Rosemary as Greenery in a Cut-Flower Arrangement
A few upright rosemary stems can support softer flowers in a small vase. Strip off leaves that would sit below the waterline, arrange the rosemary first, and place the flowers in the spaces between the stems.
For a low dining-table arrangement, use a short jug with rosemary and just three flower stems. Turn the jug as you work so it looks finished from both sides. Once the sprigs have shared vase water with cut flowers, keep them out of the kitchen.
20. Grow a New Rosemary Plant From a Cutting
Before you cook or dry the last sprig, look for a healthy, nonflowering shoot. Cut a tip about 3–5 inches (8–13 cm) long just below a leaf joint. Strip the lower leaves and insert the bare section into a small pot of moist, freely draining propagation mix. Put it in bright, indirect light and keep the mix lightly moist while roots form. www.rhs.org.uk
Give the cutting several weeks. When it has developed roots, move it into its own small pot and gradually introduce it to stronger light. A rooted cutting makes a useful gift: add a handwritten tag with the rosemary shortbread or roasted pear idea so its new owner has something to try with the first harvest. yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the easiest way to use a large rosemary harvest?
Freeze enough whole sprigs for the dishes you cook regularly, then dry a second portion for salt and seasoning. Keep a few long stems intact for skewers, napkin rings, or a vase. Sorting the harvest before stripping the leaves gives you more options. extension.umn.edu
Can you use the woody stems of rosemary?
Yes. Use clean, sturdy stems as skewers or leave the sprig whole to flavor soup, milk, or poaching liquid. Remove the woody stem before serving. For dishes where the herb stays in the food, strip the leaves and chop them finely.
Should you freeze rosemary or dry it?
Freeze it if you usually drop whole sprigs into soups and sauces. Dry it if you want a seasoning you can crush into salt, sprinkle over nuts, or add to bread dough. Both methods work; the better one is the one that suits how you cook. extension.umn.edu
How can you harvest rosemary without leaving a bare patch?
Snip leafy tips from several parts of the bush rather than taking every stem from one side. Leave green growth below your cuts. If you only need enough for dinner, take a few tips and save major shaping for a more suitable time.
