Herb Tips: Storing and Using Fresh Sage

Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow. ~Edward Sandford Martin

I received this question in our email at OFL and thought I would answer Linda, and also give you all some tips and a recipe using fresh sage. If you don't grow it, look in the produce section of your grocery store. Usually they sell smaller amounts of fresh herbs like sage and thyme.

I have already picked off the leaves of my sage. At this point, is there a way to dry the leaves? ~Linda

Yes, you can dry the leaves in the lowest setting on your oven. Watch it carefully, remove when dry and allow them to cool. When they are cool you can store them in a container or resealable plastic bag. Crumble them as you need them, rather than beforehand. You can also freeze sage leaves whole, then mince them right from the freezer when you need them. It's an easy herb to work with.

You can add fresh or frozen sage to potatoes sauteed with onions. Boil them lightly until just tender, cool slightly, then slice and saute in olive oil with the 5 or 6 leaves. Season with salt and pepper.

You can also add minced fresh, frozen or dried to corn muffins, cheese biscuits, scones or corn bread.

Butter Sauce With Sage

Use this sauce on lamb, poultry or vegetables.

5 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons fresh sage, finely minced
1½ cups chicken stock
¼ cup white wine

Saute the butter until it JUST begins to brown. Add the chicken stock, wine and the sage except for 1 tsp. to set aside. Continue to cook this until it reduces to about a 1/2 cup. Drizzle over vegetables or meat, then sprinkle each serving with a tiny bit of the remaining sage.

You can also find more recipes on OFL for sage:
http://oldfashionedliving.com/sage.html