Try This: Rosemary Water

I love rosemary in savory dishes, like rosemary almond crackers, or roasted rosemary sunchokes/potatoes.

But recently I’ve been enjoying it’s robust, piney flavor in my water!

Benefits

It’s a great addition to regular ‘ole H20 during the work day. Not only does it give a nice hint of flavor, but rosemary has been shown to increase concentration by encouraging blood flow to the brain (1).  

Additionally, it’s stimulating to the immune and digestive system. Historically, rosemary has been revered for its power to help memory, and present day studies also support this. A 2012 study found that rosemary can have objective effects on cognitive performance, enhancing the performance for overall quality of memory, as well as subjective effects on mood, including feeling more alert (2).

Explore & Harvest

Do yourself a favor by getting outside, moving your body, maybe getting a bit of sunlight as you search for a rosemary bush nearby. They’re an evergreen and available year round, making them a sturdy herb for most home gardens. Many folks have giant bushes growing, plenty for you to take a little sprig, or keep your eyes peeled during your next hike. And if you don't already have a rosemary plant, consider growing your own. It’s a great indoor plant that can live happily in a pot and doesn’t need too much watering.

How to Make

Keep things simple and just add an entire sprig or two to your water. Since it’s so pungent, it’ll hold well with several steeps. I like to add a big sprig to my water bottle and enjoy the flavor all day, or put a couple sprigs in a pitcher and let steep overnight.

Alternatively, you can take the rosemary leaves off the stem and roughly chop them before adding to the water, but then you’ll want to strain before drinking the water (unless you want to chew the herbs).

Let me know if you give it a try!