When and How to Harvest Sage for Drying, Cooking, and More

2024-07-27
When and How to Harvest Sage for Drying, Cooking, and More

If you’re growing culinary sage, chances are you want to use it in the kitchen. To do so, you’ll have to harvest it first, but snipping pieces off a plant you’ve nurtured can be intimidating. Here's how to harvest sage including a few helpful tips to guide you.

Selecting Culinary Sage

While many members of the genus Salvia are popular in the garden, it’s usually the common or garden sage (Salvia officinalis) and sometimes pineapple sage (Salvia elegans) that are used in the kitchen. Garden sage is a staple herb for many fall dishes, such as roast turkey with citrus and sage, pumpkin-sage white cheddar biscuits, or pumpkin, barley, and sage soup.

Many sage plants, like Russian sage, are intended to be ornamental. The harvesting methods here work equally well for all types of culinary sage. 

Harvesting Sage Leaves

Harvesting sage can be as simple as trimming a few leaves to chop and toss in a soup. In autumn, larger harvests can be preserved to bring the flavor of the herb garden to dishes all winter. When harvesting sage, use scissors–or a sharp thumbnail and forefinger–and take one leaf at a time. Snipping directly into a small basket makes gathering larger amounts easy. When harvesting an entire stem, cut it off just above a node.

Young leaves can be left on the stem, even when used in the kitchen. However, older leaves benefit from removing the stem, which can start to get tough. Harvest only a third or less of the plant at a time to keep sage healthy. The exception is if you’re doing the last harvest of autumn (trimming the plant back for winter) or plan on replacing the plant due to age. 

Timing the Harvest

Since you’re harvesting only the leaves, not a fruit like an apple or a tomato, there is no specific window when sage is ready or ripe. The time to harvest is when the leaves are full-sized and healthy. Young plants should be allowed to grow a bit before harvesting. Older plants can and should be harvested frequently to keep them producing new, soft, healthy vegetation. 

Like many herbs, sage is best harvested in the morning after the dew has dried for peak flavor. The oils that give sage its wonderful aroma and flavor are at their highest in the late morning.

Sage can be harvested whenever there are enough leaves on the plant. Fresh new growth is the tastiest and most aromatic, and frequent harvests keep the plant in vegetative mode and delay or prevent flowering. While the flowers of culinary sage types are lovely, they can soften or dilute the flavor of the leaves. If you use sage often, which you might after experiencing fresh garden-grown herbs, keep two or three sage plants in a container and rotate your harvests. 

Preserving Harvested Sage

While a few leaves nipped here and there are easy to use, larger autumn harvests or bountiful summer clippings from many plants can be preserved for later use. Not only is this one of the best-smelling tasks you've ever done, it's easy. While sage is usually dried, it can also be frozen. Whichever method you choose, store the herbs in an airtight container out of the light for the best flavor and longest life.

Drying Sage

Drying sage is easy no matter which method you choose. Sage is properly dried when the leaves are brittle and easy to crumble. A few methods to get you started include:

  • Using a food dehydrator: Lay the sage leaves on the dehydrator tray, and it does the rest. They’re usually dry in 8-12 hours.
  • Hang-drying: This method adds to the decor. Harvest the sage with the stems still attached, like cut flowers. Tie them in small bundles (large bundles don’t dry well) with a piece of twine and hang them upside down with a string in a dry, dark, airy spot. They’ll be dry in a week to 10 days.
  • In the oven: Lay the herbs flat in a single layer on a wire rack or a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, and set the oven to 180℉. If it has a fan, turn that on as well. It takes about 2-4 hours.

Don’t hang herbs to dry near your stove. The rising grease-laden air will coat the herbs, creating a sticky mess.

Freezing Sage

Fresh herbs—including sage—can be frozen. It’s super simple and yields amazing results. Rinse the herbs and pat them dry. Lay them in a thin layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (so they don’t freeze to the tray) and pop them in the freezer for an hour. Pull them out, put them in an airtight bag, and squeeze all the air out gently with a rolling pin. You’ll have a flat, easy-to-store bag of sage ready for later use. It keeps well in the freezer for a couple of months.

Related Article

How to Plant and Grow Rose of Jericho

How to Plant and Grow Rose of Jericho

Rose of Jericho is a unique houseplant that can survive with minimal water, making it a great option for travelers and forgetful gardeners.
21 Adorably Petite Plants for Fairy Gardens

21 Adorably Petite Plants for Fairy Gardens

Color is always nice, but scale is everything when choosing miniature garden plants. Peruse our favorite picks for fairy gardens and terrariums.
13 Colorful Nectar Plants for Pollinators

13 Colorful Nectar Plants for Pollinators

Create a gorgeous, pollinator-friendly garden by including these nectar-rich plants.
Is Coleus a Perennial or Annual? Here's How to Grow It Both Ways

Is Coleus a Perennial or Annual? Here's How to Grow It Both Ways

Is coleus a perennial that comes back every year? That depends on where you live and how you care for it. Use these tips to enjoy coleus as a colorful perennial or annual plant.
How to Plant and Grow Ranunculus

How to Plant and Grow Ranunculus

Ranunculus are favorite flowers for weddings, arrangements, and gardens. Here's how to plant and grow ranunculus.
How to Plant and Grow Glossy Abelia

How to Plant and Grow Glossy Abelia

This guide on how to grow glossy abelia includes essential planting and care tips such watering, fertilizing, and pruning needs. You'll also find popular types of abelia to grow and pretty companion plants for this flowering shrub.
Hydrangeas Not Blooming? 7 Reasons Why and How to Fix the Problem

Hydrangeas Not Blooming? 7 Reasons Why and How to Fix the Problem

Hydrangeas not blooming can be a frustrating problem for gardeners. These straightforward tips will promote tons of long-lasting flowers.
10 Best Sweet Potato Companion Plants for Larger Harvests

10 Best Sweet Potato Companion Plants for Larger Harvests

Mix and match these sweet potato companion plants in your vegetable beds for pest-free crops and easier gardening.
How to Harvest Mint, Dry Mint, and Store Mint

How to Harvest Mint, Dry Mint, and Store Mint

Learn how to harvest mint to keep plants more manageable and gather fresh mint leaves for cooking, drying, and storing!
How and When to Harvest Radishes at Their Peak

How and When to Harvest Radishes at Their Peak

These easy-to-follow tips will help you figure out how and when to harvest radishes for the best flavor and size. Plus, get troubleshooting advice if your radish roots aren't developing properly.
How and When to Start Tomato Seeds Indoors

How and When to Start Tomato Seeds Indoors

Find out exactly how and when to start tomato seeds indoors so they'll be ready to transplant into your garden in spring.
Tillers vs. Cultivators: How to Choose the Right One for Your Gardening Tasks

Tillers vs. Cultivators: How to Choose the Right One for Your Gardening Tasks

Learn the differences between tillers and cultivators and the tasks they're best suited for.
Here’s What Not to Put in Compost to Avoid a Contaminated Bin

Here’s What Not to Put in Compost to Avoid a Contaminated Bin

Composting is a simple way to turn your kitchen and yard waste into food for your garden. But some of these items should never be in compost.
Easy Lawn Repair for Patchy Grass Using Seed or Sod

Easy Lawn Repair for Patchy Grass Using Seed or Sod

With a bit of grass seed or sod, lawn repair is easy, and you’ll soon have a lush green carpet again.
What Are the Tiny White Bugs on Your Plants? 4 Common Pests They Could Be

What Are the Tiny White Bugs on Your Plants? 4 Common Pests They Could Be

Tiny white bugs on plants in your home or outdoors can be a big problem. Learn how to identify and get rid of them with this guide.
How to Spot 5 Common Plant Diseases and Keep Your Garden Healthy

How to Spot 5 Common Plant Diseases and Keep Your Garden Healthy

Protect your plants from the most common diseases. Learn to recognize the symptoms and how to prevent these diseases in the first place.
How to Landscape with Rocks and Stones in Your Yard

How to Landscape with Rocks and Stones in Your Yard

Decorative rocks and stones add another element of nature to your yard, whether you grow hydrangeas, tulips, or cacti.
Landscape Planning Tips From Start to Finish for a Perfect Yard

Landscape Planning Tips From Start to Finish for a Perfect Yard

Even if you're a beginner, these simple landscape planning tips will take the mystery out of designing your yard's ideal layout.
10 Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants Growing in Your Garden

10 Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants Growing in Your Garden

Use native plants in your garden instead of popular invasive landscape plants: See a list of common invasive plants, plus native alternatives to plant instead.
Your Seasonal Lawn-Care Schedule for the Midwest

Your Seasonal Lawn-Care Schedule for the Midwest

Use our lawn-care schedule to help you maintain a beautiful yard all year long. You'll learn exactly when to mow, aerate, fertilize, and overseed.