5 tips for growing and cooking with rosemary

Rosemary's strong, resinous scent and delicious flavour are perfect with grilled fish, meats, and Mediterranean-style vegetables. Plus it's easy to grow, especially when you follow these five tips for cultivating the herb in your garden and kitchen.

A Mediterranean native, rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) grows as a shrub in areas with dry summers and mild winters.

• Its hardiness in other regions is iffy without protection, because cold, dry winds will quickly dehydrate the leaves.
• To be safe, grow some of your rosemary in pots and bring it into a cool room during frigid weather.

Light, well-drained soil is essential for rosemary, especially for container-grown plants. Water only as often as needed to keep the soil slightly moist.

Plants need full sun in summer, and it's best to keep them indoors in winter near a sunny south- or west-facing window.

Fast-growing and tough, rosemary is ideal for simple topiary shapes.

• To make a tree-shaped standard, choose a plant with a straight central stalk.
• Prune off the lowest branches a few at a time and shorten branches near the top to keep them from becoming too heavy.
• When the plant reaches the height you want, trim the head into a bushy ball.

There are several ways store rosemary for cooking.

• You can strip leaves from branches and freeze in a freezer bag,
• hang it upside down indoors until it is dry,
• bake it in the oven for several hours,
• or use a food dehydrator to remove all moisture.

Barbecuing?

• If you toss rosemary sprigs on the coals or grate of the barbecue during the last 10 minutes of cooking it will impart a wonderful flavour and aroma to lamb, veal, or chicken.
• Rosemary branches can be used as skewers for kebabs or tied together to make an aromatic brush for applying sauce to the meat as it cooks.