Drying Rosemary

When I visited the Garden of Gethsemane earlier this year (where Jesus was praying for us before He was arrested and crucified), I was amazed by the enormous olive trees. Some of them are more than 2000 years old, so yes, they were there when Jesus was praying. All these centuries later, I knelt and prayed by the very same trees where Jesus had knelt. How amazing is that?  The very surprising thing about the Garden of Gethsemane is that there were rosemary bushes everywhere, so the fragrance in the garden was incredible. Ever since, I've been determined to root my rosemary cuttings and make new plants in all my landscaping areas. I want my yard to smell like the Garden of Gethsemane! 

Yesterday, I snipped some tender young rosemary branches so that I could start rooting it, which is not the easiest thing to do. I trimmed off the lower leaves and dried them. My drying technique is so amazingly fast that I thought you might like to hear it. 

I put the leaves on a paper towel, cover them with another paper towel, microwave them for one minute, stir them around a little, then nuke them for another 30 or 40 seconds. The goal is to get them dry but still green. That's all there is to it! Perfectly dried rosemary for cooking (or whatever) in under two minutes!

There's a faith lesson in this wonderfully fragrant plant. The herb of memory, rosemary leaves are believed to quicken the mind and prevent forgetfulness.  It represents the importance of remembering all that God has done for you – in forgiveness, cleansing, healing, freedom. 

This evening, look in your spice rack for rosemary and crush a few leaves in your hand. Breathe in that lovely aroma and think on all that God has done for you. As you remember, be sure to thank Him for the sweet smelling sacrifice our Lord made of Himself on your behalf.