Rosemary, if properly cared for and placed in a good location, can grow into a sizeable bush about two meters high. However, optimal care also includes the correct harvesting of the rosemary needles. We'll show you what's important.
When and how should rosemary be harvested correctly?
Rosemary should be harvested late morning or midday on a dry, sunny day, as the essential oils are most concentrated then. Cut entire branches close to the woody part of the plant and process as quickly as possible to preserve aroma.
Harvest rosemary late in the morning or midday
The right harvest time depends on how you want to use the rosemary afterwards. Rosemary that is to be dried or frozen is best cut off late in the morning or at lunchtime. It should also be a dry, sunny day so that there is no excess moisture on the leaves. At this point, any morning dew has already dried off. Moisture quickly leads to mold formation, especially when the rosemary dries. Furthermore, rosemary contains the highest concentration of aromatic essential oils at this very late time of day. Rosemary for immediate use, on the other hand, can be harvested at any time of day.
Harvest also serves as care
Rosemary is a perennial shrub whose shoots tend to become woody and thus bald. For this reason, the young, still green branches must be pruned regularly. After all, fresh shoots do not sprout from the old wood. As a result, the harvest also serves as pruning care, which is why you should not only cut off individual twigs or needles, but rather entire branches as close as possible to the woody part of the plant. The cut is done with a sharp, clean knife or similar scissors.
Remove rosemary needles
The rosemary needles can either be cut from the stem with nail scissors or, with significantly less effort, after the entire branch has been frozen. The frozen needles can be easily removed, but you should hurry - the plant parts thaw very quickly. Freezing does not affect the taste of the rosemary.
Processing the freshly harvested rosemary
Process the rosemary as quickly as possible after harvesting to preserve as many of the volatile essential oils as possible. If possible, use the whole needles, as a lot of flavor is lost when they are chopped up. The same applies to dried or otherwise preserved rosemary, which should if possible only be ground, cut or rubbed shortly before actual use. Freshly harvested rosemary can be used either directly or through
- drying
- Freezing
- or Insert
be made durable. Preserved rosemary should be stored in a dark place as sunlight damages the delicate essential oils. Only use bright green, he althy and undamaged needles. On the other hand, wilted and dried-looking leaves are better to dispose of.
Tips & Tricks
In addition to regular thinning during the harvest - make sure to prune the rosemary bush as evenly as possible and remove shoots that are too close - a topiary is carried out in spring, during which the plant can be cut back heavily. This measure serves both to maintain he alth and to rejuvenate. In the fall, however, a Mediterranean herb like rosemary is not pruned.
