Fresh sage leaves should have a good color and aroma. Leaves should be pale green, soft, and perky with no wilting or brown patches.  You want to avoid fresh sage that looks limp or floppy.  Dried sage should crumble easily and package in bags or jars, so it does not disintegrate when handled.  Both dried and fresh sage should have an extremely fragrant scent.  If there is no scent the sage will not have much flavor.  No scent or a very light scent is a sign the herb is old.

Fresh:  If the sage still has an intact stalk cut the stems diagonally as if you were cutting flower stems. Place the sage in a jar, vase, or tall glass with one to two inches of water. Cover the sage with a plastic bag, leaving space for air to circulate.  Place in the refrigerator, change the water daily, the sage will be good for about five days.  Sage leaves or sprigs can be wrapped in paper towels and put in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.  Be sure to use the leaves within three to four days. 

 Dried:  Make sure there is no moisture in your sage before you store the dried sage in a glass container. Dark or opaque glass jars are best for storing any herb in.  Once sage is dried, crumble, place in dark glass containers, label with the name and date. Store it in a cool dry place away from heat or direct sunlight. The dried sage you purchase should always be stored in a cool dry place away from heat or direct sunlight.  Over the stove or in a cabinet beside the stove is not a good storage place to store any herb because the oil in the herb will evaporate. 

Freeze:  Wash, drain, and pat leaves dry with paper towels. Wrap a few sprigs or leaves in freezer wrap and place in a freezer bag. Put whole leaves or chopped herb in an ice tray, cover with water, and freeze. Once frozen place the cubes in a freezer bag or freezer container. Make sure to label the freezer bag with the name of the herb and the date.  

How to dry sage?  Three quick steps to drying sage or most herbs: bundle, hang and dry.  Bundle:  Gather herbs by the stems and bundle. Tie together about halfway up the stem, making sure the herbs aren’t squished too tightly.  Hang:  Suspend herbs upside down in a sunny window (tie to a curtain rod) or any dry, well-lit place (pot racks are just right for this). Tip: Place a dish towel below your bunches of drying herbs to catch any fallen leaves.  Dry:  After a week or so, crumble a few leaves to test that the herbs are fully dried. Remember: Moisture leads to mold. Store herbs only after they are 100 percent dry. If your herbs have gone moldy, it’s best to just start over with a fresh batch, making sure the conditions aren’t too humid.

To prepare sage for cooking, remove the leaves from the stems, rinse with cold water, and dry well.  Sage leaves can be prepared several different ways depending on if they are used fresh or dried. Fresh leaves can be used whole, chopped, minced or chiffonade (shredded or finely cut), just follow recipe instructions.  Dried sage comes rubbed or powdered so it is measured out, added to the recipe, or rubbed on the product.

Sage is an herb that can be incorporated into dishes in many ways to add lots of flavor or beauty.  Just keep in mind a little goes a long way. (You can always add more herbs, but you cannot take any out of the finished product).  Keep in mind dried herbs are two to three times stronger than fresh herbs so if your recipe calls for fresh herbs and you use dried herbs adapt your recipe to using dried herbs. (EXAMPLE: 3 tablespoons fresh herb use 1 teaspoon dried herb.) When substituting dried sage for fresh substitute 1 teaspoon dried sage for every 7 fresh leaves or 1 teaspoon dried for 2 teaspoons minced fresh sage.  Sage is used in omelets, yeast breads and rolls, soups, fritters, sausages, meat pies, marinades, and teas.  It is used to complement or accent artichokes, asparagus, brussels sprouts, cabbage, tomatoes, winter squash, potatoes, parsnips, sweet potatoes pumpkin, oranges, lemons, cheese, lentils and shell beans, pasta and pasta sauces, risottos, gnocchi, fillings for ravioli, garlic dishes, beef, pork, veal, fish, lamb, poultry, and duck.  Sage can be quickly heated in butter and used as a garnish/sauce for risotto, pasta, pumpkin dishes or for dipping bread in.  Sage can be finely chopped to make sage butter or combined with nuts and cheese to blend into a pesto.  Whole sage leaves can be added to meats and vegetables while roasting or grilling to add flavor.  Whole leaves are also battered and deep or pan fried for garnishes.  Pair or Complement:  Herbs and spices that complement or pair well with sage are rosemary, oregano, basil, parsley, mint, thyme, garlic, marjoram, mustard, paprika and parsley.  Sage is a popular herb in bouquet garni along with flat-leaf parsley, summer savory, bay leaf, and sweet basil. 

Ingredients:

4 chicken cutlets, or 2 boneless chicken breasts, sliced in half horizontally

kosher salt and black pepper

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons salted butter

12 fresh sage leaves

1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons capers drained

4 cups mixed mushrooms, roughly torn or sliced

1 clove garlic, minced or grated

2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

1/3 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup fresh grated Manchego cheese (can substitute Pecorino Romano, asiago or mozzarella cheese)

3 to 4 cups pinched noodles

Noodle Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon salt

salt for boiling