rosemary
Also known as: Dried Rosemary, fresh rosemary
A pungent, pine-scented herb used fresh or dried, common with roasted meats, potatoes, and bread. Whole sprigs release their oil slowly during cooking, while chopped or dried rosemary disperses through a dish faster and more evenly.
Buying guidance
Dried rosemary should still smell strongly of pine when the jar is opened; a faded, dusty smell means weak flavor, so buy in a quantity usable within about a year. Fresh sprigs should look green and hold their needles firmly rather than dropping them at a touch.
Substitutions
- Thyme -- milder and less resinous, but a reasonable stand-in for roasted meats and vegetables.
- Dried rosemary in place of fresh -- use about a third the volume, since dried rosemary is concentrated and can taste woody if overdone.
Tips & common mistakes
Whole rosemary sprigs behave more like a flavoring aid than an ingredient meant to be eaten -- the leaves stay stiff and needle-like no matter how long they cook, so pull the sprig out before serving, or strip and finely chop the leaves first if the herb needs to actually be distributed through a dish.
Storage
Fresh rosemary is a hardy, woody herb, so it keeps far longer in the refrigerator than soft herbs like basil or cilantro -- wrapped loosely in a damp paper towel inside a bag, it can last a couple of weeks rather than days. It also dries well left out uncovered, so a sprig that's starting to look dry isn't necessarily gone to waste.