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Sage
Salvia officinalis
The name ‘salvia’ comes from ‘salvere’, to be in good health, to cure, to
save. The Sage plant has been highly regarded throughout history as being
responsible for long, healthy lives. It is a powerful healing plant which
also is a strong culinary herb. It is valuable as an aid to digesting fatty
foods, both savory and sweet.
Sage is also a beautiful aromatic shrub, very useful for honeybees, and
often used as a garden plant.
It likes to live in full sun, in light, well-drained, dry, alkaline soil.
The branches should be cut back after flowering, and woody plants should be
replaced every 4 to 6 years. In temperate zones it is hardy, the life
going back into the roots for the winter, though the leaves do not
completely die nor fall off, and can be used for their aromatic and healing
qualities throughout the winter. Some varieties, such as the new ‘Bergarten’,
grow well indoors on a very sunny windowsill. To harvest the leaves, pick
just about anytime. The leaves should be dried slowly to preserve the best
flavor.
USES
Decorative
Leaf - Attractive in wreaths, nosegays and tussie mussies.
Culinary
Flower - Sprinkle on salads.
Leaf - Mix with onion for poultry stuffing. Cook with rich, fatty meats;
pork, duck, sausage. Combine with other strong flavors, blend into cheeses.
Dip and fry whole leaves in batter. Make sage butter and
sage vinegar.
Household
Leaf - Place dried leaves among linens to discourage insects. Burn on
charcoal or boil in water to disinfect a room. Sage smoke deodorizes animal
and cooking smells.
Essential Oil - Mixed with water, can be used to spray any room to disinfect
and deodorize.
Cosmetic
Leaf - Use in facial steams and astringent cleansing lotion, and as a rinse
to condition and darken gray hair. Rub on teeth to whiten, and use in
mouthwash.
Medicinal
Leaf - Aids digestion, is antiseptic, antifungal and contains estrogen.
Helps alleviate diarrhea. Sage tea after a meal aids digestion. Sage tea and
sage wine are nerve and blood tonics. Tea reduces sweating,
reduces coughs and colds and can be used to treat irregular menstruation and
menopause.
CAUTION: Sage should not be taken in large doses for a long
period.
(some information obtained from "The Complete Book of Herbs“,
by Leslie Bremness)
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