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The world of spices and seasonings is surprisingly diverse. Some of them can be used only for some specific dishes, usually either sweet or salty. But there are also truly universal spices, the use of which is not limited to a narrow area in cooking. So, it is allowed to add rosemary seasoning to meat, vegetable, and even sweet dishes. This spice is also irreplaceable for making sauces, marinades and various drinks.
What does rosemary seasoning look like + photo
Rosemary is a perennial highly branched subshrub from the Lamiaceae family with evergreen leaves, which in natural conditions can reach 2 m in height.
Rosemary leaves have an elongated, lanceolate, bright green hue. They are quite dense to the touch, have a glossy outer surface. On the underside, they are matte pubescent and have a lighter shade. Rosemary blooms in various shades of blue and lavender. Seeds are small, elongated, brown in color.
Only leaves are used as a seasoning, sometimes whole small twigs, abundantly covered with leaves. For the manufacture of spices, the youngest and most delicate leaves are collected from the upper 1/3 of the branches before flowering. The collection of leaves should be carried out no earlier than the plant is 3-4 years old. When properly dried, the leaves curl up into thin sticks-tubes, which most of all resemble small needles with a convex upper surface and a curled bottom. It is in this form that the rosemary seasoning appears (pictured below) in its traditional dried form, ready for use.
However, in recent years, rosemary has become more and more popular. Therefore, it is often used fresh, buying on the market or growing on the kitchen windowsill, and even frozen, harvesting it on its own in the summer season.
Also, ready-made dried rosemary seasoning is easy to purchase at almost any grocery store or market.
How rosemary smells
Rosemary is not in vain translated from Latin as "sea dew" or "sea freshness." Its aroma is really very fresh, pleasant, slightly sweetish. It harmoniously combines notes of citrus, camphor, eucalyptus against the background of resinous conifers, primarily pine.
The seasoning has a rather pungent and somewhat bitter taste, so it should be used in very moderate proportions. When dry, the leaves of the seasoning practically do not smell. To feel their aroma, the spice must be lightly rubbed between your fingers or on the palm of your hand. The aroma of rosemary also intensifies during heat treatment, and it does not weaken, so the spice can be completely added at the beginning of the preparation of the dish.
The most valuable in the plant is the essential oil, which itself contains many useful substances, primarily for mental activity. It is actively used for medical purposes, perfumery and cosmetics.
In addition, the rosemary scent itself is able to have a beneficial effect on the human body.
- Improves mood, restores strength and desire to live, especially after stress and troubles.
- Helps to gain determination, activates strength and forces action.
- Tones up, adjusts to a positive mood.
- Promotes increased mental alertness, improved memory.
- Has aphrodisiac properties.
Where is rosemary added?
Since the Mediterranean countries are considered the homeland of rosemary, it is not surprising that it is most often added to Italian, Greek and French cuisine.
Rosemary can be used both as a standalone condiment and as one of the ingredients in a mixture of aromatic spices. The most famous ready-made spicy compositions with rosemary:
- Provencal herbs;
- a bouquet of Garni;
- Italian herbs.
However, in recent decades, the use of rosemary has been noticed not only in European, but even in Asian cuisines.
Historically, this seasoning has been actively used to make a variety of meat dishes, especially from wild game. After all, rosemary fights off the unpleasant aroma inherent in many types of meat, and also facilitates the digestion of foods that are relatively heavy for the stomach. In modern kitchens, almost any meat dish (pork, lamb, rabbit meat) is not complete without the addition of rosemary. It is only important not to exceed the dosage, otherwise the opposite effect can be achieved - the meat may begin to taste slightly bitter.
Rosemary is commonly added to marinades when steeping a variety of meats. But it can be added to meat dishes both when stewing, and when cooking, and when making goulash or minced meat.
An indispensable seasoning is also for cooking meat and fish dishes, grilled or baked on charcoal. Dried rosemary can be used not only to grate the dish, but also to sprinkle it on embers. So that the aroma from them will flavor the fried meat. In the Mediterranean countries, dry rosemary sprigs are even used as natural fragrant skewers or skewers. It is believed that its aroma drives away evil spirits, and the substances contained in the composition of the essential oil reduce the harmful effects of carcinogenic substances on the human body.
The seasoning can also impart an exquisite aroma and improve the taste of baked, stewed or fried poultry: chicken, duck, turkey.
The second popular use of rosemary in cooking is adding it to cheese dishes. The seasoning can be used both at the time of making cheese, and already as a flavoring additive for ready-made culinary products.
This seasoning is no less good in a variety of dishes with mushrooms and eggs.
However, all kinds of vegetables - potatoes, beans, eggplants, any kind of cabbage, tomatoes, zucchini - will only benefit from adding rosemary during their preparation. For example, in the production of sun-dried tomatoes that are gaining popularity, it is the addition of this seasoning that plays a decisive role in shaping the taste of the dish.
You can also remember the classic Greek dish of baked zucchini, eggplant, tomato and onion with garlic, the taste of which is greatly enhanced by the addition of rosemary.
And in Russia, fried in olive oil or baked potatoes with sea salt and sprigs of thyme and rosemary are becoming more and more popular.
The use of affordable Crimean rosemary as an additive to all kinds of sauces and gravies is becoming a good tradition. This spice is able to ennoble the taste of any vinegar. Any vegetable oil infused with rosemary turns out to be very tasty and aromatic. And when combined with garlic, lemon zest and capers, it makes a tempting addition to any meat or fish sauce.
By the way, it is in the manufacture of fish that rosemary seasoning should be used very carefully. It is necessary to add it in minimal quantities and preferably at the end of the cooking process, otherwise the taste of the finished dish may deteriorate thoroughly. Due to its rather active aroma, this spice should be used with caution in dishes with delicate flavoring properties so as not to overpower their smell and taste.
Finally, the good pairing of rosemary with pasta, baked goods, confectionery and sweet products should be especially noted. It is customary to add it to the dough when baking, sprinkle finished products with dry crushed powder. The seasoning adds a special aroma and flavor to some fruit desserts, salads and jellies.
Where to put rosemary when canning
Taking advantage of the good preservative properties of rosemary, this seasoning is often used when storing supplies for the winter.
Adding rosemary when pickling, pickling and pickling cabbage and other vegetables, not only increases the preservation of the preparations, but also improves their taste, makes them even more useful and attractive.
The addition of rosemary will help to add additional piquancy to the blanks and improve their aroma when pickling and pickling mushrooms.
It should only be borne in mind that for pickling and pickling, it is advisable to use fresh twigs and leaves of the plant whenever possible. But for marinades, especially where hot filling is used, dried rosemary is added.
The use of rosemary in the preparation of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages
Since ancient times, the famous rosemary honey and the equally famous rosemary wine have been used for healing. The latter was prepared by infusing fresh rosemary leaves in a light dry or semi-dry grape wine for several days.
Currently, the most famous alcoholic beverage using rosemary is vermouth. The seasoning is also used to prepare various medicinal tinctures with alcohol or vodka, including those with the addition of other aromatic herbs. Rosemary can simply ennoble the taste and aroma of almost any alcohol-containing drink: liqueur, punch, grog, mulled wine, beer.
In the homeland of the plant, in Italy and in France, this seasoning is added even when cooking compotes and jelly.
There is a well-known recipe for the famous medicinal tea with rosemary.
You will need:
- 1 tsp topped with crushed dry rosemary leaves;
- 250 ml boiling water.
Manufacturing:
- The rosemary leaves are poured over with boiling water.
- Insist covered for 15 minutes.
Drink one cup 2 times a day during infectious diseases or during epidemics to enhance immunity.
Also, rosemary is a very popular additive in the manufacture of non-alcoholic cocktails, lemonades and other soft drinks.
How to prepare rosemary for the winter
In the old days, harvesting rosemary for the winter was limited exclusively to drying its leaves. Nowadays, there are a wide variety of interesting ways to preserve the flavor, aroma and health benefits of this seasoning throughout the year.
Can rosemary be frozen
With the advent of modern freezers, the most popular and interesting way to preserve rosemary for the winter is to freeze it. Moreover, often in the end you can get a real ready-made seasoning, which will help not only enrich the taste of the dish, but also provide it with additional useful elements.
Freezing with oils
In this way, you can prepare for the winter not only rosemary separately, but also in a mixture with any other herbs.
- The grass is washed, dried, finely cut and laid out in any small containers for freezing. Better to use silicone molds for easier removal.
- The forms are filled in half or even most of them.
- If butter is used for pouring, then it is first melted on the stove, and then, after cooling a little, pour it with rosemary leaves in molds.
- Pour the contents of the molds immediately with olive or other vegetable oil.
- After the oil has cooled completely, the containers are removed to the freezer.
When using this method, the leaves retain all their taste, aroma, as well as useful properties, which still partially pass into oils and are enhanced by them.
If there are not enough convenient freezing molds available, then this method can be slightly improved. Prepare an oil-herbal mixture, add ground ginger, garlic or lemon zest to it and grind everything in a blender until a homogeneous paste is obtained. The resulting paste can be placed in a plastic bag with a fastener, straightened in a horizontal position, closed and put in the freezer.
Rosemary prepared for the winter in this way can be used to fill pasta, pie filling, stewed and fried potatoes and any other vegetables, as well as semi-finished meat products.
Regular freeze
After washing and drying, the rosemary is chopped with a knife and, spread out on a thin pallet, is removed for 12-24 hours in the freezer.
After the allotted time, the grass is taken out, transferred to a plastic container, or a plastic bag, written in order to remember and put back into the freezer.
By the way, rosemary greens can also be stored frozen in ice cubes. This storage method is convenient for later adding them to a variety of drinks and liquid dishes, such as soups and stews.
The fastest and easiest way to freeze
This method is especially useful when you want to keep a lot of rosemary.
- The branches of the bush together with the leaves are thoroughly washed in cold water.
- Dry at room temperature until moisture is completely evaporated.
- Straight as a whole, they are placed in plastic bags with a fastener, closed and placed in the freezer for several days.
- After a few days, the completely frozen packages are taken out and, without opening them, placed on the table and rolled on top with a wooden rolling pin.
- The leaves are very good and easy to separate from the stems, while remaining completely fresh and green.
- After that, if desired, the stems can be easily separated from the leaves, and the latter can be put back into storage in the freezer.
In this form, rosemary retains both a fresh green look, and all its aromatic and taste properties, and can be used to prepare absolutely any food and drink.
How to dry rosemary
Drying rosemary is a snap. Usually it is divided into small bunches and, tied with a strong thread, is hung in a warm, shady, dry, but ventilated place for several days. If a dryer is available, you can dry the seasoning in it as well. You just need to know that the drying temperature should not exceed + 35 ° C.
Then the twigs are placed in a tight plastic bag, closed and rubbed with dried greens in it with your hands. As a result, the leaves are separated from the stems and can be spread out in hermetically sealed packages.
How to store rosemary as salt
There is another way to preserve rosemary for the winter, traditionally used in Mediterranean countries.
- The rosemary leaves are removed from the stems and mixed with sea salt. The number of leaves collected from 10 stems will require about 80 g of salt.
- The mixture is interrupted with a blender until it turns greenish.
- Spread the mixture in a thin layer on a baking sheet covered with baking paper.
- Dry in an oven at a temperature of about 100 ° C for 15-20 minutes.
- They are laid out in absolutely dry and clean jars, sealed and stored in a dark and dry place.
The aromatic and tasty salt obtained from these actions can be used to season salads and many other dishes, including savory baked goods.
How to store rosemary (fresh and dried storage rules)
Of course, at the height of summer, you want to make the most of fresh rosemary for cooking various dishes. Keeping it fresh for 1 month is easy. For this, it is only necessary to observe two basic conditions: low temperature (about + 5 ° С) and high air humidity.
- The easiest way is to put the twigs in a jar of water, cover with plastic and refrigerate. It is advisable to change the water in the bank every day.
- You can leave such a jar in a room. In this case, there is a possibility that some twigs will even be able to take root and the bush can be transplanted into the soil mixture.
- You can wrap the rosemary sprigs in parchment paper or a damp rag, place in a bag or transparent container, and also store in the refrigerator for about a month.
In vacuum bags, such greens can be stored in a refrigerator for up to 3 months inclusive.
In frozen form, rosemary can be stored for 6 to 8 months without losing its taste.
In dried form, this seasoning can be stored in a dry room without access to light for about six months.
As a flavored salt, rosemary retains its properties for up to 12 months.
Conclusion
Rosemary spice can be added to such an endless number of dishes that it can rightfully be considered universal. From the first try, perhaps not everyone will be able to appreciate its taste and aroma. With its regular use, you can get so used to the new look of familiar dishes that it will be difficult to do without it later. It is only important to observe the required dosage.
