Use fresh sage or dry it?

11 years ago

I finally started a sage bush this year, but it doesn't seem to have much flavor fresh but has a good aroma. I tried some with olive oil rubbed on my baked pork chops and I couldn't really taste it. I added about 3 times as much as I usually use of dried sage.

I laid 3 leftover leaves to the side and let them dry. I just crumbled one and it had a lot of flavor and more aroma, stronger than store bought sage. Am I doing something wrong with the fresh? Is it better in something boiled instead or rubbed?

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sleevendog (5a NY 6aNYC NL CA)

11 years ago

You have a few choices. If you have the larger leaves, take a few and roll them up tight and chiffonade, (cut in thin strips), then saute with some garlic and a thin sliced shallot in oil/and or butter....i use a little of both. A nice garnish for pork, chicken or toss in and lightly sear cooked ravioli right in the sauce pan with it. That will bloom the flavor.

It freezes beautifully in packets of a couple dozen leaves in food saver bags straight from picking fresh.

Another good one is to dip in egg, then flour, (i use corn flour), then saute in butter till crisp. It is amazing. Like sage potato chips. A great garnish. _i usually just dip in egg and flour one side to keep the green color.

I dehydrate/dry some but i prefer using it as above fresh and it is one of the few that is not destroyed by freezing.

And yes, you will use more than dried. But try the above to get the flavor to speak up.

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Comments (8)

digdirt2
11 years ago
Dried will always have a much more intense flavor than fresh. That is true with any herb. So if that is flavor/aroma you prefer then drying is for you.

However like sleevendog said, if you have never experienced the subtle flavor of fresh sage when used in cooking then it is well worth trying but it will not taste like dried. But not fresh as a rub. Rubs are dry sage only.

Try fresh sage butter on toasted French or Italian bread or diced fresh sage in an egg and cheese omelette or sauted fresh sage and onions on pizza. But don't overdo it by using large amounts. It should be more of a light aftertaste than a full blown sage taste.

Dave
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SMC Zone 5
11 years ago
Well, the chef judges on Chopped (TV show) said that fresh sage should always be cooked for best flavor.
floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
11 years ago
That would very much depend on the dish. I am suspicious of instructions about food which say 'always' or 'you must' unless it's to do with safety.
balloonflower
11 years ago
With fresh sage, it's not a case of 'always' or 'must', but the simple fact that fresh sage needs heat to bring the flavor oils out. It's also such a tough leaf that isn't a great texture unless chopped finely or fried. As Digdirt says--fresh sage is a subtler flavor than what people are used to of dried.

I love fresh sage brown butter for a bread dip or on a heavy pasta like gnocchi.
Jennie Sims
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
I love the taste of fresh sage also. I make breakfast sausage for my husband, as all store bought brands have added sugar. The fresh sage gives it a much more subtle flavor, but the sage is definitely there. As Dave said, dried herbs have a much more intense flavor than fresh. I always triple the amount of fresh herbs for what is called for in dried in a recipe. And it freezes beautifully. I do dry some also at the end of the season for the stronger flavor for Thanksgiving dinner.
l pinkmountain
11 years ago
You can make sage pesto, which is not cooked. Oil is a solvent and probably the sage flavor compounds come out better in oil. You could probably also boil for tea. I agree that fresh sage does not have much flavor as it is a tough thick leaf and the volatile compounds are somewhat dispersed in the fresh leaves. Love the smell though. I like sage candles!
Anne Wolfley
11 years ago
I like fresh sage leaves fried until crispy and used as a garnish for butternut squash or pork chops.