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Growing and Using Sage

All About Herbs / Gardening
Posted by Adrianne on Apr 04, 2006 - 11:29 AM
Sage is a great herb to use with meats like pork or duck, as it helps us to digest fat easier, and is also a wonderful tonic for the body.



Growing and Using Sage

by Adrianne Lake

Sage is a robust, perennial evergreen herb, with veined and hairy leaves, and purple flowers. It grows to about 18 inches tall. Sage is commonly used in stuffings, sauces, marinades, soups and vegetables and, of course, it is often sprinkled on liver and onions before frying. Be sure to use it carefully, as sage has a powerful, earthy flavour. The name "sage" comes from the word "salvare", which is latin for "to save".

Medicinal Uses of Sage
Sage is a tonic and helps keep internal organs healthy. It is great for treating headaches, migraines, and cold symptoms. Sage is one of the best herbs to use when treating hot flashes and sweating due to menopause. Sage is also antiseptic, astringent and anti-inflammatory which make it ideal as a mouthwash for treating sore throats and other mouth ailments.

Take care never to boil sage, as it will lose its medicinal qualities. To make sage tea, boil water, and remove from the heat for a short time to cool before pouring over the leaves. This tea is also useful to wash out and clean minor wounds. For a stimulating bath, add some sage tea or extract to the bath water.

Cultivating and Growing Sage:
Sow sage seeds in late spring in sandy soil. When the plants are three inches in height, move them to be 20 inches apart. Four inch cuttings can also be taken in the fall, to be overwintered indoors and planted out in the spring. To harvest and dry sage, cut the plant back to about four inches above the ground and hang upside down in a dry spot indoors. Sage is best harvested completely in its third year, as it loses its potency after the fourth season.

Cooking with Sage:

Sage Garnish
Try this unusual sage garnish as a side dish for meat.
  • 1/2 cup sunflower oil

  • whole sage leaves

  • sea salt

    • Heat oil in a skillet until hot. Fry the sage leaves until they shrink slightly (about 10-15 seconds). When done, place on paper towel. They should be crunchy. Sprinkle with salt and serve.

    Sage and Onion Stuffing in a Jar

    You can find many recipes on the net and in recipe books for traditional sage stuffing, but try Sage and Onion Stuffing Mix - Gift in a Jar [1] if you'd like to give the stuffing as a gift to someone you know who values the taste of sage and the ease of instant stuffing mixes. There is a free printable tag to help you decorate the jar, which includes directions on how to use the mix.     		Buy Sage Seeds Online from Nature Hills Nursery:

    Broadleaf Sage [2] - $ 1.89
    The Sage Garden Broadleaf, 'Salvia officinalis', has a strong unique flavor and aroma. You will love sage for a variety of reasons. Being a salvia, it has beautiful purple/blue edible flowers and the grey-green foliage is an excellent contrast for the garden. The semi-woody shrub has foliage that has a pebbly texture. Young leaves are eaten fresh in salads or cooked in omelets, breads, poultry stuffing and all types of beans, cabbage, and garlic. Plant in the spring in well drained soil.

    You can also Order Live Herb Plants [3] for delivery in gardening season.
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    Links in this article
      [1] http://www.allfreecrafts.com/giftinajar/homemade-stuffing-mix.shtml
      [2] http://www.shareasale.com/m-pr.cfm?merchantID=4742&userID=54686&productID=453451543
      [3] http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=17061&u=54686&m=4742&urllink=&afftrack=