Harvesting culinary sage for the kitchen is simple with these tips.
Denny Schrock
If youregrowing culinary sage, chances are you want to use it in the kitchen.
Here’s how to harvest sage including a few helpful tips to guide you.
Credit:Denny Schrock
Many sage plants, likeRussian sage, are intended to be ornamental.
Theharvesting methodshere work equally well for all types of culinary sage.
When harvesting sage, use scissorsor a sharp thumbnail and forefingerand take one leaf at a time.
Credit:Bob Stefko
Snipping directly into a small basket makes gathering larger amounts easy.
When harvesting an entire stem, cut it off just above a node.
Young leaves can be left on the stem, even when used in the kitchen.
However, older leaves benefit from removing the stem, which can start to get tough.
Harvest only a third or less of the plant at a time to keep sage healthy.
The time to harvest is when the leaves are full-sized and healthy.
Young plants should be allowed to grow a bit before harvesting.
Older plants can and should be harvested frequently to keep them producing new, soft, healthy vegetation.
Like many herbs, sage is best harvested in the morning after the dew has dried for peak flavor.
The oils that give sage its wonderful aroma and flavor are at their highest in the late morning.
Sage can be harvested whenever there are enough leaves on the plant.
Not only is this one of the best-smelling tasks you’ve ever done, it’s easy.
While sage is usually dried, it can also be frozen.
Drying Sage
Drying sageis easy no matter which method you choose.
Sage is properly dried when the leaves are brittle and easy to crumble.
A few methods to get you started include:
Dont hang herbs to dry near your stove.
The rising grease-laden air will coat the herbs, creating a sticky mess.
Freezing Sage
Fresh herbsincluding sagecan be frozen.
Its super simple and yields amazing results.
Rinse the herbs and pat them dry.
Youll have a flat, easy-to-store bag of sage ready for later use.
It keeps well in the freezer for a couple of months.
