Grow It Yourself Ireland - GIY Editor's article - February Herb of the Month

February Herb of the Month - Sage

Published on 25.2.2010, 10:07 AM Last Update: 7 month(s) ago by GIY Editor

Category: All Articles » Experienced GIY'ers Articles » Denise Dunne on Herbs

SAGE

Salvia officinalis

HISTORY AND LORE

Sage is another word for wise. The Latin 'salveo' means to be well or to be in good health. A salve is a healing and soothing ointment. The word salve also has another meaning – to save from peril. Sage or salvia has been revered for it's healing powers for thousands of years by many cultures - Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Persian, Native American and Chinese, to name a few.

Sage has an ancient reputation for helping to dispense with evil spirits or negative energy. It is dried, tied into a bundle, trimmed, and then lit and blown out, in much the same way as incense. The sage smoke is then wafted throughout the area of concern. This practise is still widely used today. It also has a practical purpose. As sage is a natural fumigator, it will help to dispense with musty air, bad smells in old buildings, along with mites and other household pests.

VARIETIES

Common sage salvia officinalis, Red or Purple sage salvia officinalis 'Purpurea', Variegated sage salvia officinalis 'Icterina' or 'Tricolour', Clary sage salvia scalaria,Pineapple sage salvia elgins. There are many other decorative varieties of sage. Salvia is definitely up there in my top ten favourite plant list.

CULTIVATION

Situation
Sage is an evergreen shrub, and a native of Southern Europe and the Mediterranean. It is frost hardy and prefers a sunny, sheltered position and well-drained soil.

Propagation
Sage is easy to grow from seed and doesn't take too long to produce a plant that can be harvested. Sow seed in spring, pot on and plant out during midsummer. It is also easily grown from cuttings. Cuttings can be taken at practically any time of year. The easiest are hardwood cuttings, taken from late autumn to early spring. Trim the cutting below a leaf joint, remove the leaves from the bottom third of the cutting and stick it into the ground under the shade of the 'mother' plant. Cuttings can also be started off in pots, using a mix of compost and sharp, horticultural sand.

Plant Care
Sage benefits from regular cutting of the growing tip of the plant. This will encourage the plant to bush out and produce new growth. Never cut into old wood – ie. make sure there is some new growth visible below the cutting point. Sage can sometimes be susceptible to leaf distortion, which is caused by the leaf roller or webber caterpillar. The moth lays it's eggs on the underside of the leaf, rolls the leaf and ties it with silk. Generally, regular cutting of the plant will solve the problem.
There is also an effective biological control available, called bacillus thuringiensis. This is available from Fruit Hill Farm. www.fruithillfarm.com

Container Growing

Sage can be successfully grown in containers. It needs rich, well-drained compost. Use a good organic compost as a base and add some sharp horticultural sand or grit. Container grown plants should be potted on into a slightly larger pot each spring, using fresh compost. Keep the plants well watered in warm, dry weather. Generally there is no need to water in winter.

HARVESTING AND PRESERVING

Harvest sage as needed by cutting a growing tip of the plant. Refer to plant care above. As sage is an evergreen, there is no need to preserve the leaves. Dried sage is quite musty in flavour and far inferior to fresh. If you do wish to preserve it, freezing is the best option. It can also be used to make flavoured oil or vinegar.

CULINARY USES

As sage is very strongly flavoured, it needs to be used sparingly. It is usually finely chopped and added at the start of cooking, so that its flavour will mellow and combine with the other ingredients. Sage is probably most commonly used to make sage and onion stuffing. Personally, I like to add some fresher herbs to the mix – ie. parsley, chives or chervil. My favourite stuffing for meat or poultry is the 'Scarborough Fair' mix! I use roughly equal quantities of sage, rosemary and thyme, and double of parsley. Sage has many other culinary uses. Here are a few more ideas.

Finely chop one leaf per person to add to pasta dishes – particularly good with meat, cheese or cream based sauces.
Great with pork and lamb – refer to the slow roast pork recipe in my article on bay.
Combine some finely chopped sage with softened butter, a squeeze of lemon juice and some crushed garlic. Roll into a cylinder shape in tinfoil, freeze and slice as needed to serve with grilled or fried pork, lamb, beef or venison.
Add sage to pates and terrines.
Sage works really well with fatty foods and poultry – it is good with duck, goose and oily fish.
Saltimbocca traditionally consists of thin slices of veal, layered with Parma ham and whole sage leaves. Roll them up and cook in butter, then finish with a Marsala or white wine sauce. This recipe works equally well with pork or chicken fillets.

RECIPES

Fillet of Pork with Sage and Apple Stuffing
Slit open the fillet of pork. Finely chop a medium sized onion and a cooking apple. Heat some butter or oil in a pan and lightly sauté the onion and apple. Turn off the heat. Add fresh breadcrumbs and some very finely chopped sage leaves. A few thyme leaves would also be good. Stir to combine. If the mixture looks too dry, add a drop of water or stock to moisten. Pile onto the fillet, fold over and secure with butcher's string or cocktail sticks. Wrap with some rashers or Parma ham, if you wish. Add a ladleful of water or stock to the cooking tin and roast in a moderate oven for about an hour.
Variations
As an alternative to breadcrumbs, use mashed potatoes as a base for the stuffing.

Vegetarian Sage and Onion Gravy
I have some friends who are now vegetarian but sometimes yearn for the flavours of their carnivorous days. This gravy would fool the most committed carnivore – no meat juices or stock involved!
Melt some butter in a heavy based saucepan or cast iron pan. Add roughly chopped or sliced onions (one per person), finely chopped sage leaves and crushed garlic to taste (optional). Cover and cook gently for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove lid, raise heat and cook, stirring until the onions are dark brown and caramelised. Stir in some flour and gradually add some vegetable stock or water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes and season to taste.

MEDICINAL USES

Sage has anti-bacterial, antiseptic and anti-fungal properties. Purple sage is the variety that is most commonly used for medicinal purposes. An infusion can be used as a mouthwash and as a gargle to treat sore throats, mouth ulcers and gum conditions. I have successfully used purple sage to treat a tooth abscess. It can also be used to treat discomfort caused by fillings and other dental procedures.

Sage tea has a reputation for treating excessive sweating, particularly during menopause. It should not be taken internally for more than a week or two at a time.
It is extremely important to consult a professional before attempting to treat serious conditions. As with all herbal medicine, sage infusions should never be taken internally if one is pregnant or on other medication, without first obtaining professional advice.

NUTRITIONAL VALUES

Sage is rich in vitamins A and C. It aids the digestion of fatty foods, especially meat, cheese and cream based dishes.

HOUSEHOLD USES

Sage is a natural fumigator and helps to deter household pests.

Denise Dunne runs The Herb Garden, a Certified Organic plant and seed nursery in Naul, Co. Dublin. For more detailed information on all herb related topics, visit her website at www.theherbgarden.ie

Photo credits: Denise Dunne