How to preserve sage: how to dry it

A lot of good for us humans lies dormant in the silver-green leaves of the sage. The intense aroma gives our dishes a touch of spice. Its essential oils are extremely healing: a sage tea soothes sore throats in a gentle, natural way. Unfortunately, it can only be freshly harvested in the garden in summer. But thanks to gentle drying, sage is available to us all year round.

Preserve sage

Sage does well in our home gardens. Over the years it can develop into a handsome shrub with plenty of green leaves sprouting on it in summer. Freshly harvested and then immediately processed sage tastes best and contains a lot of essential oils. But after flowering, the amount of essential oils decreases and the harvest is over with the first frosts at the latest. So that the sage does not disappear from our menu for months, a dry supply for the winter can easily be created from the abundance of leaves. Its beneficial effect as a tea is particularly in demand when the throat hurts and calls for relief. The sage can be frozen for preservation, but drying is more advantageous. The sage retains its taste longer than when frozen. There are several options for drying:

• in the air
• in the oven
• in the microwave
• in the food dehydrator

Harvest fresh sage

The essential oils are what makes sage so special. They provide the desired aroma in food and have a beneficial effect in natural medicine. It is therefore important to keep as much of it as possible in the dried leaves. In order for this to work, the freshly picked leaves should already contain as many essential oils as possible. The right harvest time is particularly important here, because their concentration is not consistently high.

• Use leaves with plenty of essential oils
• The aroma content in the leaves fluctuates
• it is at its highest a few days before flowering
• therefore the ideal harvest time is the beginning of summer to midsummer
• Pick leaves before the midday sun
• use sharp secateurs or a clean knife
• Cut off the tips of the shoots or entire branches straight
• Flowers are not suitable for use

Tip: Gently shower the shrub with water the evening before harvest. The leaves become so clean and also have time to get rid of the moisture before harvest.

Thoroughly clean the sage

If the sage is cleaned with water immediately before further processing, it does not dry as well. However, sometimes there is no getting around it. It has to be washed, especially if it grows outdoors, if wild sage is picked or if animals may have come into contact with it.

• shower whenever possible the evening before harvest
• otherwise wash before drying
• Rinse the leaves briefly
• Use cold to lukewarm water
• Carefully pat the leaves dry with paper towels
• Sort out the leaves with spots and withered parts

Note: Freshly harvested and cleaned sage should be processed or dried as soon as possible. Long storage has a negative effect on the later taste.

Preserving sage in the air

Sprigs of sage that hang in the air gradually lose their moisture until they are finally completely dry. This is an easy way to preserve sage that requires nothing but sage and a little patience. However, since this type of drying takes some time, the sage loses some of its essential oils.

• Tie shoots together with thread
• in bouquets with 6 to 10 branches each
• hang upside down
• dark and dry room is ideal
• alternatively: place individual sheets of paper on newspaper
• Drying takes about 1 to 2 weeks
• The drying time depends on the weather
• then store sage in a container

Tip: The room where the sage was hung to dry should be ventilated regularly. This allows the moisture to escape and the sage to dry safely without becoming moldy.

Remove the moisture in the oven

Sage can be turned into a storable herb in an oven faster than in the air. The whole process is completed within a day and the sage is completely dry. More aromatic substances are retained than when drying in the air.

1. Harvest the sage fresh. The fresher the leaves are, the more essential oils they contain.

2. If necessary, clean the sage with lukewarm water.

3. Then carefully pat the leaves dry with a paper towel.

4. Preheat the oven to 40 to 50 degrees with a fan oven.

5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

6. Spread the sage leaves on the baking paper without the individual leaves touching each other.

7. The baking tray can now be put in the oven.

8. Leave the oven door ajar to allow moisture to escape.

9. The leaves should be turned by hand about every 30 minutes.

10. After about 6 to 8 hours, the leaves are completely dry.

11. Rub a few sheets of paper between your fingers. If they rustle and crumble, the sage is really dry.

12. Let the sage cool completely.

13. Put the cooled sage in a suitable screw-top jar.

Tip: Wait until the optimal harvest time just before flowering, when the essential oil content is highest. You will be rewarded with a more intense aroma and higher healing power.

Quick drying in the microwave

If you are in a hurry and have a microwave, you can also use this method to preserve the sage. It is one of the few types of herbs that can be dried in the microwave. The process is similar to that in the oven, except that everything happens at the fast pace that is typical of microwaves. However, the speed also has a disadvantage: the intensive treatment leads to a loss of aromatic substances. A sage dried in the microwave is therefore particularly suitable for drying arrangements or as a smoking material.

1. Prepare the freshly harvested sage for drying by rinsing it with lukewarm water and then pat dry with a paper towel.

2. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the microwave and line it out with it.

3. Spread the sage leaves on it without touching the individual leaves. Alternatively, you can place the leaves in a microwave-safe container.

4. Set your microwave to 150 to 200 watts and start it up for about 10 to 20 seconds.

5. Then open the microwave door to allow the moisture to escape.

6. Check how far the sage has dried.

7. If the sage is still damp, twist it

Flip the sheets and start another 10 second pass.

8. Repeat the drying process until the sage is completely dry.

Tip: Wait for the sage to cool before placing it in a dark glass. If the sage is still warm, condensation can form and affect the shelf life.

Preserve sage in an automatic dehydrator

If you have a dehydrator, you can use it to keep sage in a particularly easy and convenient way. Buying a new dehydrator can also be worthwhile, especially if there is a large harvest of vegetables, fruits and herbs in the garden. Because a dehydrator is suitable for preserving many garden products. This method works like an oven, with warm air flowing around several sieve trays. However, a dehydrator is particularly energy-efficient compared to an oven. The oven is also not blocked for many hours.

1. Pick the sage fresh and before the midday sun can shine on the bush.

2. Clean the leaves under running water to wash away any contamination.

3. Wet sage takes longer to dry, so pat it dry carefully before placing it in the food dehydrator.

4. Spread the sage leaves on the sieve bottom, leaving about 20% of the area free.

5. Remove any sieves that are not required. No other parts of the plant may be in the dehydrator during the drying process.

6. Turn the dehydrator on at the number recommended in the instructions for use.

7. The drying process should be over after about 6 to 7 hours. The leaves should still be slightly green and pliable.

Store dried sage properly

So that the sage retains its aroma for a long time and is useful to you, it should be properly stored after drying. An optimally stored sage retains its essential oils and thus the taste as well as its healing properties for a long time.

• Sage must be completely dried
• Store correctly immediately after drying is complete
• use a suitable storage container
• Airtight glass is ideal
• store in a cool, dry place
• The container is provided with a designation and date
• Shelf life depends on the storage conditions
• with suitable storage it is about 2 years

Note: If sage is stored that is not completely dry, mold can develop. A dryness test should therefore be carried out before storage. If the leaves rustle and crumble to the touch, the sage is dry.

Important instructions

In addition to many welcome substances, sage also contains poisonous thujone. Sage-based medicines are therefore not suitable for long-term use. This also applies to sage tea. In the kitchen, however, sage can be used to season dishes without hesitation, as the dose used is small.