Sage has a long and varied history as a culinary herb and medicinal plant. Native to the Mediterranean region, it was revered by Ancient Romans for its healing qualities. Later, the French grew large amounts of sage for tea.

Today, sage is considered a classic ingredient in holiday stuffing and other rich dishes.

Growing Tips & Facts:

Sage is an attractive perennial. It doesn’t like the extreme heat of warmer regions and won’t stand up to the intense cold.

Sage is a member of the mint family, along with basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary and many others. Like other members of this family, sage prefers full sun and light well-drained soil. It doesn’t do well in heavy clay soils that hold excess water. Loose soil, raised garden beds or containers are ideal for growing sage.

With its soft, greyish green leaves, sage is a nice looking plant. It doesn’t always play nicely with others, however. Sage is antagonistic to cucumbers; so don’t plant them too close together. Its strong flavour can have an adverse affect on the fruit.

Tips for Using & Storing Sage:

Sage is best known for its place at the holiday table where its distinctive flavor sets the stage for classic stuffing recipes. For many home cooks, sage’s place in the kitchen ends there. So lets take a look at how this often under-utilised herb can be enjoyed all year long…

Sage pairs beautifully with foods high in fat and oil. It is often used to make sausage and other meats for this reason. Sage is also perfect with buttery pasta dishes. For a super easy and delicious meal, simply sauté fresh sage leaves in butter and toss with penne pasta, sliced grilled sausage and some freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Fresh sage sautéed in a browned butter sauce is also wonderful with delicate butternut squash ravioli.

Sage is best enjoyed fresh, but it can also be dried or frozen, either alone or in ice cube trays with water or oil. Fresh sage can also be preserved in butter for future use. Dried leaves can be used to infuse vinegar and honey, or used to make an herbed salt that is perfect for meat rubs.

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Basil                            Chamomile                 Chives

Cilantro                        Dill                              Echinacea

Herb Fennel                Lavender                     Mint

Oregano                      Parsley                       Rosemary

Sage                            Stevia                         Thyme