Sage

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Preparation, uses, and tips

Best known for the quintessential flavour it provides to roast turkeys, sage need not be reserved for this use alone. It works well in dishes featuring pork, cheese, beans, and poultry and is a flavoursome addition to herbed biscuits, lima beans, peas, courgettes, and cream soups. Chopped fresh, sage is mild enough to add to salads.

Sautéed fresh sage leaves provide an excellent crisp accent for baked squash and other winter vegetables.

Be sure to not overuse sage—just a touch enlivens a dish, whereas too much can give a bitter effect. Its bold flavour and scent become more powerful when dried.

Dried sage goes well with other assertive herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves.

Buying and storing tips

Choose sage that is strongly scented. Refrigerate it, wrapped in a paper towel in a sealable plastic bag, for up to four days.

Dried sage should be stored in a cool, dark place for no more than six months.

Varieties

Sage is available as fresh or dried leaves. Dried sage is either “rubbed” or ground; rubbed sage has gone through a minimum grinding to become a fluffy, velvety powder, while ground sage is more finely milled.

There’s also a variety called pineapple sage, which has a vibrant sweet pineapple scent.

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Nutrition Highlights

Sage, ground, 1 Tbsp (5g)
Calories: 6.3
Protein: 0.2g
Carbohydrate: 1.0g
Total Fat: 0.25g
Fiber: 0.8g

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