When to harvest sage: how to store the aromatic plant

Sage is known as a useful medicinal plant with anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects. This spicy herb with a rather pungent aroma and a characteristic minty-musky flavor is also used in cooking.

Sage has long gray-green leaves with a slightly fluffy surface and blooms with purple flowers. The experts told us how and when to harvest sage and where to store it.

Harvesting sage

Common or garden sage (Salvia officinalis), and sometimes pineapple sage (Salvia elegans), is usually used in the kitchen. Sage is a staple herb for many fall dishes, such as roast turkey, pumpkin soup, and cookies with pumpkin, seeds, and spices.

Harvest only a third or less of the plant's leaves at a time to preserve the shoot and promote new growth. The exception is when you harvest the last of the leaves in the fall and prune the plant for the winter.

Harvesting time

Harvest when the leaves are full-sized and healthy. Young plants should be allowed to grow a little before harvesting. Older plants can and should be harvested frequently to produce new, soft, healthy herbs.

Sage is best harvested in the morning after the dew has dried for maximum flavor. Fresh young growth is the most flavorful and aromatic, and frequent harvesting keeps the plant in vegetative mode and prevents flowering. While the flowers of culinary sage varieties are gorgeous, they can soften or dilute the flavor of the leaves.

Storing sage

Although sage is usually dried, it can also be frozen. Whichever method you choose, store the herbs in an airtight container protected from light for the best flavor.

There are several ways to dry:

1. Using a dehydrator: place the sage leaves on the dehydrator tray, they usually dry within 8-12 hours.
2. Hanging drying: Tie the sage in small bunches (large bunches do not dry well) and hang upside down on a string in a dry, dark, ventilated place. They will dry in a week to 10 days.
3. In the oven: Place the herbs in a single layer on a wire rack or baking sheet lined with parchment paper and set the oven to 80 °C. It takes about 2-4 hours.

Do not hang herbs to dry near the stove. The grease-laden air will coat the herbs, creating a sticky mess.

Freezing sage

Rinse and dry the herbs. Spread them out in a thin layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (to prevent them from freezing to the baking sheet) and place in the freezer for an hour. Remove the plants, put them in a resealable bag and gently squeeze out all the air with a rolling pin. You will have a flat sage bag that is easy to store in the freezer.

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