Herb of the Month - Sage

Sage Salvia officinalis

I think sage may be one of my favourite herbs (but I do love marjoram…and lemon verbena….and lavender….and….and….). Well, it’s my favourite herb for this month when there is not a lot of colour in the garden, and yet the purple and green leaves of the sages are still soldiering on through the wind and rain. I do love sage in May when its leaves are so fresh and green that they appear velvety and seem to glow with vibrancy, sphered buds about to the burst into beautiful bluey purple flower. Bees, hoverflies, and other insects will surround the plant as if in excitement and joy. But this month the frost covered leaves seem magical.

In the Kitchen

Sage is used for many home health care applications. Sage is a good herb for relieving stress and brilliant for so many recipes with its warming taste and scent.

Sage makes a lovely tea, which you don’t often see suggested in recipes. I am unsure why this is - it is my go-to tea for when I am feeling a little tired and need an energy boost. It is fresh and revitalising, always wakes me up, and is usually my lunchtime tea. Sage tea is recommended as a gargle for sore throats and has high mineral content.

To use infuse a couple of whole leaves into a cup and pour over boiling water. Fresh or dried leaves can be used - dry leaves are stronger so you will not need to use as many. Leave to steep for 5 minutes and remove the leaves before drinking (unless you want a mouthful of leaves!).

Sage goes well with most vegetables, particularly with pumpkin, squashes, parsnips, celeriac, swede, onion and garlic, and tomato-based sauces. Try baking with pumpkin, onions and garlic, lots of salt and pepper and maybe even a light sprinkling of cheese on top. Blue cheese added with sage makes an especially lovely combination.

Sage cooked in butter or oil until crispy is wonderful and, I think, good enough to eat on its own (although not a substantial meal!). Try frying with croutons for a garnish to top soup.

Add it to soups, stews or casseroles alongside white beans. All perfect for this time of year. It’s obviously lovely with chicken and pork, but good with pheasant and game too and, obviously, in or with sausages and stuffing mixes.

Sage is a lovely addition to an apple sauce and a few leaves added when poaching pears works well.

Harvesting

Sage is evergreen and can be harvested throughout the year, but won’t produce new leaves over winter so only take what you need. I harvest extra in summer and autumn to dry, so as not to diminish the herb through winter.

To harvest, cut single leaves, or stems just above a pair of leaves. The flavour of sage varies in strength according to the time of year and can be very strong, particularly in winter. Judge by its scent and adjust amounts used according to strength. The flowers are edible too and have a more delicate flavour than the leaves.

Sage dries well. To dry, I have found it best to collect stems and dry them upside down in bundles in paper bags. I tie the bundle together and tie the string to the handle of the bag so the herbs are hanging inside the bag. This catches any leaves as the dry and fall. Sage also dries well on a sunny windowsill.

As mentioned previously, dried leaves are stronger in flavour so you may need less than if using fresh, so adjust according to taste. Once dried, leaves can be crumbled or left whole and placed into clean jars, to be stored away from sunlight. It helps to have a coloured glass jar to keep light out if you are not storing in a cupboard.

By the time I have run out of the dried leaves, hopefully it will be time for the cycle to start again with the fresh new soft leaves during spring growth …

How to Grow

There are over 750 species of sage across the world, consisting of biennials, annuals and perennials. Salvia officinalis is the common sage, a hardy evergreen perennial with green broad leaves and blue/purple flowers in summer.

Other varieties include pineapple and blackcurrant scented sages, variegated sage and purple sage. We have both common sage and purple sage, which I love for their contrasting colours within our herb areas, and they do also provide different flavours.

Sage can be grown from seed or cuttings, or young plants are readily available to buy from most garden centres. I have never had much success growing sage from seed. Each year, I take cuttings instead. Several 10-15cm lengths, removing the lower most leaves to reduce moisture loss, and cut below a leaf node (the point where new leaves grow). Cuttings can be potted individually. However, I prefer pushing several cuttings around the edges of a pot of moist compost, finished with an additional light watering.

I like growing from cuttings as many lengths can be taken, increasing the chances of having some successful plants. Take soft wood cuttings in late spring or early summer from strong new growth or take semi-hardwood cuttings in summer from non-flowering stems.

Cuttings do not need high nutrient soil and seed composts work well. I have had good success with used compost too, as the cuttings will be potted on into higher nutrient substrate at a later stage.

Place the pots somewhere sheltered - I often keep mine in the shed. Ensure the compost is moist but not waterlogged. After a few weeks, check beneath the pot for signs of root growth.

Once they have a good root system establishing, gently tease the cuttings apart and place into individual pots of compost. Keep the plants watered, checking the bottom of the pot for signs of roots before potting on when necessary. Once I can see roots at the drainage holes, I will repot. Once big enough (15cm-20cm perhaps) with an established root system, plant outside.

Plant out in a sheltered spot in well-drained soil in full sun. As a Mediterranean native, sage does not like to be waterlogged.

History

Sage was spread across the world by the Romans and, centuries later, became such a highly prized export item when it was worth three to four times its weight relative to Chinese black tea.

Uses

The name officinalis indicates that sage was one of the herbs listed in the official pharmacopoeia as having medicinal value. The name Salvia is derived from the Latin salveo, meaning ‘I save’ or ‘I heal’, due to the medical properties of some species. As the name suggests, sage is used for its healing powers. Sage infused as a tea, as is my favourite, is a good to take when you have a cold. Combined with a little cider vinegar it makes a good gargle for a sore throat.

Used as a hair rinse, sage is said to help dandruff and restore colour to greying hair. To use, infuse in 500ml of water, strain and cool to a suitable temperature, and use as a final rinse of a hair wash.