Sage, whether fresh, as a tea or in the medicine cabinet, is always an enrichment for the household and has been inspiring for centuries with its characteristic aroma. The herb is harvested over several months and can then be used in a variety of ways. If you do not want to use up the sage leaves immediately after harvesting, you can preserve them to improve their shelf life. Freezing the leaves is an effective and simple method.
Why freeze?
Frozen sage not only keeps for a long time, but is also a real treat. Due to the cold, the essential oils responsible for the aroma are preserved in the leaves and do not lose their intensity, which can often happen during drying. Frozen sage is also extremely good for cooking, as it can be taken straight from the freezer to the pan or pot. Another benefit of this preservation method is protection from moisture-induced rotting of the leaves. So you don't have to worry about your harvest being ruined.
How to freeze
When freezing the sage leaves, the following points are important:
- preparation
- methods
Only if these two points are observed can you get the most out of your sage harvest and enjoy the herb in winter and the following spring. Since Salvia cannot simply be placed in a freezer bag in the freezer, as this would cause the individual shoots or leaves to stick together due to the moisture, there are a few things to consider before and during freezing.
preparation
This process is important to prepare the herb for the freezing process. On the one hand, dirt is removed from the sage, but diseased or already dead shoots that would be inedible are also disposed of.
To prepare the sage leaves, do the following:
- Harvest time for sage is from May to the end of August. If you want extra aroma, you should harvest just before flowering in June. This is where the mint family produces most of the essential oils and thus these leaves are the tastiest, making them particularly desirable.
- It is harvested in the morning, since Salvia has the highest concentration of oils in the leaves at this time. The afternoon before you should gently shower the plant.
- The herbaceous shoot tips are harvested. Separate the leaves from the shoots.
- If the sage leaves are still a bit dirty, you should wash them under cold water and then carefully dry them in a salad spinner. So you won't get a "crunchy" surprise when you use the sage. Now the individual leaves are prepared and you can start freezing.
Tip: The leaves in particular are frozen here, but you don’t just have to dispose of the shoots themselves. Brew a fresh tea with these or dry the sprouts and you'll always have some more of your harvest.
methods
There are several options available to you for this type of preservation, some of which are of a culinary nature and can be used immediately in the kitchen. So the leaves are not just frozen as is, but also in oil, which makes them even longer lasting and tastier. The different methods do not require much effort and depending on the variant, the sage can be stored for several weeks to over a year after freezing. These methods are:
- freeze in the freezer bag
- rolled up and preserved in oil
- deep frozen in oil in ice cube tray
- as butter
Notice: With all these methods, the leaves of the sage then become highly aromatic and the taste intensifies considerably.
freeze bag
As mentioned above, the variant using the freezer bag is not easy to do quickly. You must never put the fresh Salvia directly into the freezer bags and then store them in the freezer. Due to the moisture in the leaves, they would stick together, which has a negative effect on the dosage. If you want to use the sage from the freezer after a while, you will be holding a clump of the herb in your hand instead of individual leaves and you will have to cut or break it off. That's not ideal. This preservation works as follows:
- prepare a metal tray or plate that will fit in your freezer
- place the sage on this so that the individual leaves do not touch
- do not cover the tray
- place it in the freezer for 90 to 120 minutes
- then you can put the leaves in a freezer bag, alternatively a container for freezing
- seal and put back in the freezer
- now you can store and use the herb for up to six months
Roll in oil
When preserving with oil, the individual leaves are treated in a special way beforehand in order to better preserve the moisture and thus the aroma. After applications with oil, the sage lasts longer than a year, sometimes up to two years. Proceed as follows:
- prepare wax paper or cling film
- be sure to use a width that fits in your freezer
- unlike width, length depends on the amount of sage you freeze
- spread the sage leaves on the paper or foil
- brush them with a high-quality olive oil, alternatively you can do this without oil
- roll up the foil
- keep the roll in the freezer
You can now simply take the roll out of the freezer, roll it up and remove the exact amount of leaves you need for cooking. This method doesn't work as well for sage tea unless you omit the oil.
oil and ice cube trays
Another variant is the preservation of the sage as ice cubes. Simply chop the fresh salvia as small as possible, preferably with a chopping knife, and fill 75 percent of it into the individual compartments of the ice cube tray. Then add your favorite cooking oil and cover with foil. After the cubes have frozen, they are transferred to a lockable deep-freeze container and labeled with the preservation date. The shelf life is about four weeks and offers an incomparable taste experience despite the short shelf life.
butter
You can also make your own butter that will keep in the fridge for up to three months and in the freezer for up to six months. To do this, take 500 grams of butter and 100 grams of fresh sage leaves, chop them up and heat them together over medium heat for five to ten minutes. Then allow to cool, portion and fill into sealable containers, which are also labeled with the preservation date. The butter is a real treat for sage connoisseurs.