I make my Vegetarian Soup Stock from October through to summer food (June), so big sprigs of fresh sage are always just plain necessary. Unfortunately, even if I am able to find sage in my not so reliable supermarket, it's not always the freshest, probably not organic, and it's expensive. Early spring pruning is considered ideal for sage plants, as pruning in fall is hazardous to the perennial herb itself, leaving the tender shoots open to the harm or kill of winter cold. Solution? I try to trim lightly, leaving a lot of shrub for winter to bruise so that a deep trim in early spring can still reveal healthy stems. And oh well, if I lose an occasional sage plant, the garden centers are overflowing with replacements in the spring. So, I choose to harvest.
This batch was a gift at an October family afternoon gathering, when my brother Matthew's dear wife, Jacqui, snipped her entire shrub and sent me home with it. 🙏🏻❤️
The rest? Just meticulous washing, drying, trimming, bagging up, sucking out all the air, and freezing flat. Photos:
There will be soup! And sage bechemel! And sage everything!!!