Rosemary

Salvia rosmarinus · Herb

40 pairings

Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) is a woody, evergreen Mediterranean shrub whose stiff, needle-like leaves carry one of the most recognisable scents in cooking — piney, resinous and camphoraceous, with a clean eucalyptus lift. Robust enough to stand up to roasting meat, bread and potatoes, it is used fresh or dried, on the sprig or stripped, and is as much an ornamental and aromatic herb of the garden as a culinary one.

Picking a good onedrag

Just cut, resinousGrey, shedding, scentless

Shop freshThe all-rounder: roast, grill, braise, focaccia.Everyday best

NeedlesGreen, a few needles yellowing

The sprigTip bends, needles still hold

Cut stemCut end dry, stem still woody

Smell when bruisedScent comes when you rub a needle

What to look for, from just cut, resinous to grey, shedding, scentless.

Keeping ittap a band

A domestic fridge holds it about 4× longer than the counter.

Humidity

90-95%

90-95%: damp paper round the cut ends, in a bag. Dry fridge air turns the needles brittle and grey within days.

Airflow

Perforated bag, not sealed

A perforated bag, as the market packs it. Sealed tight the cut ends mould; open to the room it just dries out.

Yellows and drops beside fruit

Handbook 66 marks fresh herbs ethylene-sensitive: apples and pears beside them yellow the leaf and loosen needles, faster the warmer it sits.

Preparing