You can trim sprigs of rosemary off your plants whenever you want to use some, but just know that if you harvest rosemary during the fall or winter it won’t grow back until the following spring.
This method applies to both rosemary plants in a garden and potted rosemary plants.
Make sure you let the plant replace the growth you cut away before you harvest from it again.
You can either use fresh rosemary right away, store it in airtight containers for up to 2 weeks, or dry it and store it indefinitely.
You can also dry rosemary out in the oven by spreading the sprigs out on a baking sheet and putting them in the oven at the lowest possible temperature for 2-4 hours. Alternatively, you can use a food dehydrator if you have one.
Always wash your rosemary and strip the leaves off of the stems before you cut rosemary to clean off any dirt or pesticides and separate the leaves from the tough woody stems, which are not usable.
It’s easier to cut rosemary when it’s dry. If the leaves are wet, they can stick together, making it more difficult to cut them uniformly.
You can do this over a cutting board, a measuring cup, a bowl, or another container of some kind.
Try to cut only as much rosemary as you plan to use. Fresh rosemary will last longer if you keep it intact.
This will make it easier to cut the rosemary into equally-sized pieces.
If you do end up chopping too much rosemary, you can store the leftover pieces in a sealable plastic bag or a small jar for up to about 2 weeks.
You can repeat this process multiple times, alternating which way you slice across the pile of leaves if you want very finely-minced pieces of rosemary.
If you don’t have kitchen scissors, you can use a pair of sharp household scissors. If you do so, make sure to wash them with soap and water first.
