Ingredient · Rosemary

Rosemary leaves,
picked and dried the same day.

FD Harvest grows rosemary on our own farms at Lake Naivasha and freeze dries it the day it is picked, as whole leaves certified organic to USDA and EU standards by Ecocert. It ships in metalized pouches with a lot number, keeps 3 years sealed, and samples are free with a spec sheet.

01 — The plant

A Mediterranean shrub, harvested all year at the equator.

Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus, long known as Rosmarinus officinalis) is an evergreen shrub with narrow, needle-like leaves. It tastes resinous and piney with a cooling, camphor-like edge, and belongs with roast lamb and potatoes, focaccia, white beans and grilled vegetables.

Our rosemary grows on our own farms and with contracted growers around Lake Naivasha. The plant sits beside the fields, so the harvest reaches the dryers the same day.

02 — Cuts and formats

The words you will see on a rosemary spec.

Leaves are the standard. Everything else on this list is developed with you, piloted small at the plant and then scaled, with no minimum order.

Leaves: Whole needle leaves, freeze dried and separated from the woody stem. Our standard cut.
Custom cut: Leaves cut shorter, for a seasoning that must coat evenly or a cup soup where whole needles feel sharp.
Powder: Rosemary milled to the particle size you set. Only made when you ask for it.
Blend: Rosemary combined with thyme, oregano, garlic or other ingredients from the range, to your recipe.
Lot number: On each pouch; traces the lot to farm, plot, harvest date, dryer run and packing date.

03 — In the product

How the leaf behaves in different products.

Rosemary does most of its work in seasonings, rubs and herb salts and in soups and ready meals. These notes are general guidance for a first trial.

Product	How to add it	Watch for
Herb salts and meat rubs	Whole leaf for a rustic look, or a shorter cut for even coverage	Whole needles can feel sharp in a fine rub.
Roast vegetable and meat ready meals	In the seasoning or sauce, before cooking	Rosemary holds through long cooking and is strong, so dose with care.
Focaccia, crackers and breads	Into the dough at mixing, or on top before baking	Leaves on the surface darken in a hot oven; a brush of oil helps.
Infused oils and marinades	Into the oil, then left to rest	A dry leaf brings no free water into the oil.

Dose on the bench. Without its water, the leaf is more concentrated by weight than fresh rosemary.

04 — What drying cold does

Kept cold, so the resinous oils are not baked off.

Rosemary's character lives in its oil, and reviews of herb drying report substantial losses of volatile compounds with hot air. Freeze drying removes the water under vacuum while the leaf stays cold.

Results differ by herb and by trial, so judge the aroma on your own bench with a free sample.

Moisture is clearer. European spice-trade quality minima allow conventionally dried rosemary up to 10 % moisture; freeze-dried herbs typically finish at a few percent, with our target on the spec sheet.

05 — Pouches and samples

Sealed straight after drying, kept for 3 years.

The leaves go into metalized pouches, bulk or retail-ready, as soon as they leave the dryer, and keep 3 years sealed. Store cool, dry and out of light; reseal an opened pouch. Lots are micro-tested in our own lab.

Samples are free and ship globally with a spec sheet. No minimum order; supply by sea from Mombasa or by air.

Questions

Questions buyers ask about freeze-dried rosemary.

Is FD Harvest's freeze-dried rosemary organic?

Yes. Our freeze-dried rosemary is certified organic to USDA Organic and EU Organic standards by Ecocert, grown on our own farms and by contracted growers at Lake Naivasha. The certificate is available on request.

Is freeze-dried rosemary supplied as whole leaves or cut?

Whole needle leaves are the standard. Shorter cuts, powders and blends are made to your specification, with no minimum order.

How do I use freeze-dried rosemary in bread or focaccia?

Mix the leaves into the dough or scatter them on top before baking. They add no water at mixing; leaves on the surface darken in a hot oven, so a brush of oil helps.

Does freeze-dried rosemary need to be rehydrated before use?

No. In sauces, soups and doughs it takes up water from the recipe, and in dry rubs it is used as it is. To soften leaves for a garnish, steep them briefly in warm oil or water.

Can you blend rosemary with other herbs?

Yes. Rosemary can be blended with thyme, oregano, garlic and other ingredients from the range to your recipe, piloted small at the plant and then scaled.

Contact us to discuss your product requirements.

Tell us the product and whether you need whole leaves or a shorter cut, and we will send rosemary samples with a spec sheet.

Rosemary leaves,picked and dried the same day.