Sage-My Kitchen Herb of the Week

Sage
There are several kinds of sage-- garden sage, white sage, and desert sage.
Native Americans usually use white or desert sage, but I find garden or
culinary sage works fine for me. Burn it as a smudge (you can get smudge
sticks of it) for cleansing objects, places and people. Eat the leaves (of
the garden variety) for wisdom and long life. Superstition says that your
sage plants reflect your prosperity-- so tend them carefully.
Simple cleansing tea for wisdom seekers Blend together half spoonfuls of
rosemary and sage; add a chunk of dried lemon peel. Brew until it becomes a
green tea; sweeten with honey. Drink meditatively.
Note: sage oil contains an essential oil that may be harmful; use the oil
sparingly, if at all, and never smudge pregnant women!

Sage
(Salvia officinalis)

Sage is a decorative evergreen shrub with downy foliage that varies
in color from gray to gray-green, with one variety producing deep
purple leaves. The camphor scented, purple-blue flowers, which appear
in mid-summer are exceptionally attractive. Plants can reach a height
of 2 feet with a spread of 18 inches.

Cultivation

Sage prefers a sunny location with alkaline soil. It grows best in a
warm climate. Propagate from summer cuttings taken with a heel or by
layering established branches in spring and fall. Seed is unreliable
and slow to flower. Keep the plant well pruned to encourage young
shoots with a strong flavor. Pruning also keeps the plants from
becoming leggy and twiggy.

Culinary Uses

Use in sauces and stuffings for fatty meats such as goose, duck, pork
and sausage.

In Italy, the fresh leaves are lightly fried with liver, and rolled
up with ham and veal in saltimbocca.

In Germany and Belgium, the leaves are added to eel and other oily
fish dishes.

In Middle Eastern countries the leaves are used liberally in salads.

Cosmetic Uses

Leaves can be strewn in bathwater and in rinsewater to enhance dark
hair.

Medicinal Uses

Because of its anticeptic qualities, sage tea is used as a gargle for
a sore throat. There's also compelling new research indicating that
sage may be of value to people with diabetes. Laboratory studies
indicate that sage may boost insulin's action. Sage was among 24
herbs tested that were found to boost insulin activity two- to
fivefold or more in patients with Type II (non-insulin dependent)
diabetes. For people who have diabetes, this means that drinking sage
tea in conjunction with their insulin treatments is worth a try.

To make a tea, pour a cup of boiling water over one to two teaspoons
of dried leaves and steep for ten minutes. If you have diabetes, it
would be a good idea to discuss using sage with your doctor. For sore
throat, allow the tea to cool till warm, then gargle as needed.

Other Uses

Dark sage leaves are an attractive addition to potpourri.
from Garden Guides



SAGE

*Warnings: Do not use if pregnant, Do not use internally in high doses, Not
intended for long-term use as it can case symptoms of poisoning.  
*Latin Name: Salvia Officinalis
*Folk Names: Garden Sage, Red Sage, Sawge, Sage spice, Garden meadow, Greek
sage
*Parts Used: leaves, whole herb
*Gender: Masculine
*Planet: Jupiter and Venus        Element: Air
*Description: sage is a decorative evergreen shrub with downy foliage that
varies in color from gray to gray-green, with one variety producing deep
purple leaves.  A strongly branched root system produces square, finely hairy
stems which are woody at the base and bear opposite, downy, oblong leaves
which may entire or finely crenate.  The camphor scented, purple-blue
flowers, which appear in mid-summer (June to July) are exceptionally
attractive.  Plants can reach a height of 2 feet with a spread of 18 inches.
 It grows wild in southern Europe and the Mediterranean countries and it is
commonly cultivated elsewhere as a kitchen spice.  
*Cultivation: sage prefers a sunny location with alkaline soil.  It grows
best in a warm climate.  Propagate from summer cuttings taken with a heel or
by layering established branches in spring and fall.  Seed is unreliable and
slow to flower.  Keep the plant well pruned to encourage young shoots with a
strong flavor.  Pruning also keeps the plants from becoming leggy and twiggy.
*Powers: Immortality, Longevity, Wisdom, Protection, Wishes, Health,
Purification
*Magical Uses: Sage has been utilized to ensure a long life - sometimes even
immortality.  This is done by eating some of the plant every day, or at least
in May, for:
      "He who would live for aye
      Must eat Sage in May."
      Sage is carried to promote wisdom, and the leaves are used in countless
healing and money spells.  To guard yourself against contracting the dreaded
evil eye wear a small horn filled with sage.
      There are a few curious gardening tips concerning sage: first, it is
bad luck to plant sage in your own garden; a stranger should be found to do
the work.  Second, a full bed of sage brings ill luck, so ensure that some
other plant shares the plot.  Incidentally, toads love sage.
      If you desire to make a wish come true, write it on a sage leaf and
hide it beneath your pillow.  For three nights sleep upon it.  If once you
dream of what you desire your wish will be materialized; if not, bury the
sage in the ground so that you do not come to harm.
      Sage is used for fertility, longevity, wishes, wisdom, protection,
money attraction, purification, healing, and health magick.  Sage that is
being gathered for magickal use should not be cut with a metal knife or
athame.  It is said that if you eat Sage you will become more wise and also
immortal.  Sage is often an herb used at handfastings since it will help
bring about a long life and domestic virtue for the happy couple.  Sage can
be added to almost any healing spell.  A good healing amulet may be made by
putting a clove of garlic, a bit of eucalyptus and cinnamon, 2 pinches of
sage and 1 pinch of saffron into a small blue bag.  This bag can then be worn
or carried to promote healing.  Sage can also be placed in with tarot cards
or runes to protect them and keep them 'clean'.  Sage can be used for
attracting money and for wish manifestations.  One of the most common
magickal uses of sage is as a purifier of sacred spaces, living areas, and
magickal tools.  Sage is often used as a main ingredient in "smudge sticks"
and "herb bundles".  If you can gather and dry your own wild sage for
smudging, do so.  Native Americans believe that sage should never be bought
or sold, as this ruins the spirituality of the herb.  To purify a house of
unwanted spirits or energy, just light a spring of dried sage and carry from
room to room, visualizing any negativity being replaced by the purifying
fragrance of the sage.  Another way to do this is to burn sage in an incense
bowl and then brush the smoke around the room by using a feather as a fan.
      Sage is used in sachets and amulets for all healing wishes and also
burned or placed near a personal object of thep erson for whom the healing
wish is made.  It is burned and the smoke is walked to the four corners of
the room to repel and rid negative energies and influences. It is especially
good when moving into a new home.  It can also be used to help meditation.
*Herbal and Culinary Uses:  Sage is used as a spice in many recipes (often in
Thanksgiving turkey stuffing) as well as sauces.  In Italy, the fresh leaves
are fried with liver and rolled up with ham and veal in saltimbocca.  In
Germany and Belgium the leaves are added to eel and other oily fish dishes.
 The Middle Eastern countries the leaves are used liberally in salads.  Sage
can be used as a tea to aid in digestion, and to relieve the discomfort of
measles, dizziness, colds, fever, and headaches.  An infusion can be made
with sage and honey and used as a mouthwash to help cure mouth sores and sore
throats.  A strong wash will help in cases of skin ulcers, rashes and
dandruff.  It acts as a stimulating tonic to the digestive tract or nervous
system.  Rub fresh sage leaves on the teeth to whiten and clean them.  Leaves
can be strewn in bathwater and in rinsewater to enhance dark hair.  Sage is
also used as an insect repellent, sending away flies and, in the garden,
cabbage moths and carrot flies.  It attracts bees, and the result is a very
aromatic honey.
*Medicinal Uses:  antihydrotic, antispasmodic, astringent.  The genus name
for sage, Salvia, comes from the Latin word meaning "to heal".  Sage's best
known effect is the reduction or perspiration, which usually begins about 2
hours after taking sage tea or tincture and may last for several days.  This
property makes it useful for night sweats, such as those common with
tuberculosis.  A nursing mother whose child has been weaned can take sage tea
for a few days to help stop the flow of milk.  The tea has also been
prescribed for nervous conditions, trembling, depression, and menorrhea, and
amenorrhea.  As an atringent, it can be used for diarrhea, gastritis, and
enteritis.  As a gargle, the tea is good for sore throat, laryngitis, and
tonsillitis.  It also helps to eliminate mucous congestion in the respiratory
passages and the stomach.  There is also compelling new research indicating
that sage may be of value to people with diabetes.  Laboratory studies
indicate that sage may boost insulin's action.  Sage was among 24 herbs
tested that were found to boost insulin activity two- to fivefold or more in
patients with Type II (non-insulin dependent) diabetes.  For people who have
diabetes, this means that drinking sage tea in conjunction with their insulin
treatments is worth a try.  If you have diabetes, it is best to discuss using
sage with your doctor before doing so.  Finally, crushed fresh sage leaves
can be used as a first aid for insect bites.
*Brief Healing History:  The ancient Greeks and Romans first used sage as a
meat preservative.  They also believed that like another powerful
preservative, rosemary, it could enhance memory.  The Roman naturalist Pliny
prescribed it for snakebite, epilepsy, intestinal worms, chest ailments, and
mestruation problems.  The Greek physician Dioscorides considered it a
diuretic and menstruation promoter and recommended sage leaves as bandages
for wounds.
      Around the 10th century, Arab physicians believed that sage extended
life to the point of immortality.  Around the year 1000, an Icelandic herbal
recommended sage for bladder infections and kidney stones.  During the 16th
century, the Dutch explorers introduced sage to the Chinese, who prized the
herb so highly that they gladly traded 3 pounds of their own tea for each
pound of the new European healer.  Chinese physicians used sage to treat
insomnia, depression, gastrointestinal distress, mental illness, menstrual
complaints, and nipple inflammation (mastitis) in nursing mothers.  India's
ayurvedic doctors prescribed it for those conditions and others, including
hemorrhoids, gonorrhea, vaginitis, and eye disorders.  

Sage The King of the Kitchen

by Leslie Coons

Sage carries a history as rich as the flavor it brings to food.

Botanically known as salvia, sage has been treasured since ancient
times for its medicinal properties. Today, it's a traditional
addition to poultry and game stuffing, pork and cheese and is thought
by many to contain properties that aid in the digestion of fatty
foods.

Roman historian Pliny the Elder first used the name "salvia" in his
Natural History of the vegetable kingdom. The term derives from
salvare (meaning to heal or save) and refers to the plant's believed
medicinal values. In the 16th century, noted English herbalist John
Gerard wrote that sage "is singularly good for the head and brain; it
quickeneth the senses of memory."

The International Herb Association chose sage as its Herb of the Year
for 2001 because of its culinary, medicinal and ornamental properties.

With its two-lipped flowers, square stems and opposite leaves, sage
is considered a member of the mint family. There are more than 900
species of salvia and hundreds more cultivated and natural hybrids,
according to Betsy Clebsch, author of A Book of Salvias: Sages for
Every Garden (Timber Press, 1997.)

Not all salvias are appropriate for culinary use, and quite a few are
not hardy enough to survive cold winters.

Most common among the culinary sages is garden sage, known
botanically as Salvia officinalis. Hardy enough to grow in most of
North America as a perennial, the subshrub has woody, wiry, square
stems and pebble-grained grayish leaves. It's the sage most often
found in dried poultry mixes.

Other varieties of S. officinalis worth trying in the kitchen include
Berggarten sage, with broad, round blue-green leaves and Purpurea, or
purple sage, with reddish-purple leaves.

Given full sun, good air circulation and well-drained soil, S.
officinalis is generally an easy plant to grow. It also comes in gold
(Aurea), green and yellow (Icterina) and white, purple and green
(Tricolor) forms. All three, while attractive, are often not hardy in
colder regions and draw mixed reviews as to their culinary
usefulness.

Another type of sage, Salvia elegans, has special value on the
dessert table. Varieties include pineapple sage, a three-foot-tall
plant with sweet, pineapple-scented leaves and scarlet flowers, and
dwarf, or honeydew melon sage, which is believed to be a smaller
version of pineapple. A recent introduction, tangerine sage, has
leaves with a citrus overtone and deeper red flowers.

Leaves of S. elegans can be used in teas and other beverages, or
finely chopped into salads and dessert batters. The flowers work
nicely as a garnish and add color to cookie and cake batters.

S. elegans is generally not hardy enough to survive cold winters, and
gardeners must either grow cuttings inside over the winter, or buy
new plants each spring.

Although the flavor of sage is most intense when fresh, nearly all
varieties of S. elegans and especially, S. officinalis, keep their
scent well when dried. Stored in an airtight container in a dry, cool
location, the dried herbs will help sage-hungry cooks survive until
the next growing season.
*****************************
SAGE FOLKLORE

Sage has been held sacred to many cultures for many years.
Used to clear negative influences and purify sacred spaces,
Sage is an important herb for many reasons.

Some of the medicinal uses of Sage include teas for coughs,
colds, diarrhea, irregular menstruation, and menopausal
symptoms. An infusion of Sage may be used as a gargle for
mouth ulcers and sore throat and as a mouthwash to whiten
teeth. A Sage bath can help to inhibit profuse or excessive
perspiration and Sage wine has been used as a purifying overall
tonic. Experimentation with Sage in treating diabetic individuals
has shown promising evidence that it helps to lower blood
sugar. New mothers and those with weaning babies may want
to try Sage tea to speed the drying up of unwanted breastmilk.

One of the best practical uses of herbs is to burn Sage incense
to chase away flies and other insects. Place sachets of dried
Sage leaves in closets to discourage unwanted inhabitants.
Sage aids in the digestion of fatty foods and is a welcome
addition in a pot of heavier meats.

Home-made cosmetics benefit from the addition of astringent,
antifugal Sage oil. It also adds a lovely fragrance to soaps and
candles. Many varieties of Sage add interest to wreaths and
garlands as well.

Properties include: wisdom, healing, longevity, protection,
sacred space, cleasing and purifying.
-The name sage comes from the Latin salvare meaning to heal. It was
attributed many healing powers.
-An old saying goes, "Why should a man die who has sage in his
garden?"
-It was used in 4 thieves vinegar to stave off the plague.(probably
because of it's antimicrobial properties)
-One of the most common tales about sage says that sage only prospers
in the gardens of the wise and wherever the wife ruled the household.
(Goddess forbid!)
-If a young woman went into the garden at midnight on All Saints Day
(Samhain, Halloween, Oct. 31st) and picked nine sage leaves without
breaking the branch just as the clock was striking, she would see the
face of her future husband, or the image of a coffin if she was
destined not to marry.
-Sage was thought to ease grief, and was a plant commonly planted on
graves as a sign of remembrance. The 17th Century diarist Samuel
Pepys wrote of "a little churchyard, where the graves are accustomed
to be all sowed with sage."
-Hanging a sprig of sage in a window when a loved one goes on a
journey will let you know how they are doing, if it stays fresh, the
absent person is well.
-Nicholas Culpeper said women wishing to conceive should take, "the
juice of sage with salt, 4 days before they company with their
husbands, it will help them to conceive."
-A posy made of chamomile lowers surrounding a sprig of sage
signified wisdom and the serenity of years, and was carried by
elderly ladies.
-The Chinese prized sage tea so much that they traded the Dutch three
chests of tea leaves for each chest of sage leaves.
-Sage is said to be ruled by Jupiter, is the birthday flower for
January 19th, and in the ancient floral vocabulary it symbolizes
esteem and in the language of flowers it signifies domestic virtue.
-Sage is used in any healing or money spells.
-According to Cunningham's Encyclopedia Of Magical Herbs, if you
desire to make a wish come true, write it on a sage leaf and hide it
beneath your pillow. For three nights sleep upon it. If once you
dream of what you desire your wish will be materialized. If not, bury
the sage in the ground so that you do not come to harm.