Everything You Need to Know About Sage

With its absolutely gorgeous, herbal aroma and warm, earthy flavor, it's no wonder sage is so common in fall and winter cooking, baking, and drinking. But beyond the cozy comforts of the season, sage has wide culinary applications that shine in savory in sweet ways alike.

This nuanced herb has had quite the ride from ancient medicine to the stuffing in your Thanksgiving turkey, the syrup in your old-fashioned, or the sachet of your herbal tea. Here's everything you need to know about this herb that has stood the test of time.

What Is Sage?

Sage is an evergreen shrub within the mint family, accounting for refreshing notes in the herb's aroma and flavor. The leaves are oval-shaped and tapered, with a slightly fuzzy look and feel, reminiscent of soft velvet. The signature grey-green hue is so iconic, that a whole color is named after it.

Sage has a cottony, spongy texture when raw, so though it's safe to eat it this way, it's more pleasant when cooked. It has long been used in medicinal, culinary, and ceremonial applications.

Get the recipe: Gnocchi with Sage-Butter Sauce

What Does Sage Taste Like?

A few words to describe the taste of sage would be: woodsy, earthy, piney, slightly peppery, yet fresh, with notes of eucalyptus and citrusy mint.

The flavor of sage is so unique, that you know immediately when it's in something. It brings a warmth and complexity that's hard to replicate with anything else. Being so nuanced, there are a million ways to describe the taste and aroma.

Sage plays nicely with other herbs and lends itself to both sweet and savory applications, though savory is the most common. Deciding when to use it in something sweet takes a little more finesse. For example, you certainly wouldn't make a sage cheesecake, but you'd make a sage caramel to go on top of a plain one.

Fresh vs. Ground Sage

You can use fresh, dried, or ground/powdered sage. The dried version obviously won't be as bright in flavor, and being more concentrated, it may even take on a bitter quality. Put it in a stuffing, don't dust it on top of something. Be sure to add it toward the beginning of the recipe, so the flavor can mellow, whereas fresh sage would be better used toward the end.

How to Cook With Sage

To use sage, remove the leaves from the stems, wash them with cold water, and dry them well. Recipes may call for it to be sliced chiffonade, chopped, or minced. Sometimes the leaves, left whole, will be pan fried in a bit of oil, taming the flavor a bit and transforming it into a thin, crispy chip – a tasty garnish on something like brown butter sage ravioli or risotto. It's a beautiful way to showcase the sage and add texture to a dish.

Any dish you use sage in needs to be able to stand up to it. It's an assertive herb, with a bit of a mind of its own. Any meat, especially veal, pork chops, and chicken work well, or go the extra mile and grind it into a breakfast sausage or add it to a sausage gravy for an extra punch of flavor.

Get the recipe: Momma's Cornbread Dressing

Sage can be used in seafood dishes if the sauce or sides are sturdy enough. All sorts of pasta dishes, especially those utilizing fall and winter produce, pair perfectly with sage. Butternut squash pasta, or something with a cream sauce, for example, would be perfect.

Add sage to stuffing or dressing, a vegetable side dish like roasted sage broccoli or beans, or throw some in a fun holiday appetizer like mini pumpkin sage balls.

Sage is great for pancakes and scones or baking breads and pastries. Toss it in a slow-simmered soup or stew, make a bouquet garni with it as the French do, or whip up a cozy polenta, or a seasonal cocktail.

How to Store Sage

Sage is best kept in the original container it's sold in. It'll last roughly a week or so in the crisper drawer. If you're not going to use it all in one or two dishes, freeze the sage for long-term storage.

Dried sage needs to be in an airtight container away from heat and moisture. It should be of good quality for up to a year.

How to Freeze Sage

To freeze sage, lay the leaves individually and spread out on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze. Once completely frozen, transfer to a zip-top bag, remove as much air as possible, seal, and store in the freezer.

Alternatively, chop fresh sage leaves and pack them into the molds of an ice cube tray. Fill the rest of the way with oil and freeze for a handy sage oil.

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