This is the Pantry Staple I’ll Be Sprinkling on Everything This Summer

An herbaceous finishing salt that’s good with every meal (even cocktail hour!)

I found myself with lots of extra rosemary after testing a recipe (hi Grilled Grape and Halloumi Skewers!) and none of my weeknight dinner plans called for it. Rather than forcing it into a dish, I asked myself a different question. Not How do I use this right now? But How can I preserve this? The resolution was simple: homemade rosemary finishing salt.

How To Make Homemade Rosemary Salt

The process for this finishing salt couldn’t be simpler.

You’ll need:

• ½ cup fresh rosemary leaves

• 1 heaping cup coarse sea salt

Here’s how to make it:

1. Process the rosemary and salt in a food processor until the mixture is speckled green and fragrant.

2. Spread it onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.

3. Bake at your oven’s lowest temperature (usually 160–170ºF) for 90 minutes, until fully dried.

4. Let cool, then break up any clumps with your hands and store in an airtight jar.

🧂 Side note: Your house will smell incredible while it bakes.

This recipe makes a small-ish batch that is reasonable for a single household. Nothing is worse than embarking on a cooking project meant to preserve or reduce food waste, only to make much more than you can use and eventually throw it away! However, you can scale up this recipe easily if you want to package some up to give as a gift.

Choosing the Right Salt

The world of salt is surprisingly vast—and a little confusing. For this recipe, look for a pure, coarse sea salt with visible texture and a slightly damp feel, like it just came from the ocean.

I used Celtic Light Grey Sea Salt because it’s affordable and comes in a manageable size, but Maldon, Jacobsen, or any high-quality Mediterranean sea salt would work great.

These types of salts are ideal for finishing. They’re briny, minerally, and often taste saltier than standard kosher or table salt—so a little goes a long way.

How to Use It

This rosemary salt has become a secret weapon in my kitchen—and not just at dinnertime.

Try it on:

• Hard-boiled eggs

• Summer corn

• Sliced tomatoes

• Buttered bread or focaccia

• Cottage cheese with seasonal fruit & honey

• …or even the rim of an ice-cold margarita 🍹

It’s herbaceous, salty, slightly earthy, and makes even the simplest snack feel special.

Here are a few ways I have been enjoying my homemade rosemary salt