How to Freeze Sage | Simple Preservation
Preserve your fresh garden sage with this step-by-step guide! Learn how to freeze sage the easy way so you can enjoy homegrown herbs all year round. Frozen sage adds a pop of flavor to soups, sauces, and stuffing.
Sage is such a beautiful plant to have in the garden! The grey-green leaves and stunning tall flowers add so much beauty to an herb garden.
It’s also a delicious culinary herb! Sage adds an earthy, savory flavor to a wide variety of dishes.
I love using sage in the kitchen, but fresh sage is only coming out of the garden for half the year. That means I need to get creative with preserving garden sage to enjoy year-round!
Freezing sage is an easy long-term storage solution to preserve this beloved garden herb. Learn how to freeze sage quickly and easily so you have plenty stashed up for winter!
Why Freeze Sage?
- Preserve garden harvests: Freezing is a great way to preserve garden abundance for future use. I prefer freezing most of the time because it’s easy and maintains a lot of the color and flavor of herbs, fruits, and veggies.
- Save money: Fresh herbs from the grocery store can be so pricey! I never want to spend money on fresh herbs in winter when I have an abundance of them all summer long. Preserving your garden harvests is an excellent way to save money and avoid buying grocery store herbs!
- Fresh sage in the winter: Don’t get me wrong, dried sage is delicious too (you can even make your own dried sage!). But I love using fresh herbs in my cooking whenever I can. Freezing sage allows you to have almost fresh herbs even when it’s snowing outside!
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What You’ll Need
- Fresh sage leaves: You can preserve sage leaves from your herb garden, the farmer’s market, or even the grocery store!
- Ice cube trays: You can freeze sage leaves in a ziplock bag or in water in ice cube trays. If you choose the latter method, you’ll need ice cube trays. I recommend silicone ice cube trays.
- Freezer-safe containers: Any freezer-safe airtight container will work. I recommend a freezer bags or a glass jar.
How to Freeze Sage
There are a few different methods for freezing sage. You can freeze sage bare in a ziploc bag or freeze into cubes of water or cooking oil.
I have found that freezing in water preserves the sage leaves longer, but freezing them plain is easier. Personally, my preferred method is the ice cube method.
If you are unsure, freeze a little sage each different way to try them for yourself! Before beginning any of the methods, harvest your sage, remove the leaves from the stems, and give it a quick rinse under cool water.
In Water
Step 1. Remove the sage leaves from the stems and give them a quick rinse. Chop the sage leaves roughly with a sharp knife.
Step 2. Press the chopped sage into ice cube trays, compacting them as much as possible.
Step 3. Pour water into the ice cube tray, then press the sage leaves down under the water so they are fully submerged.
Step 4. Freeze until solid, then pop the herb cubes out of the trays. Immediately transfer to a freezer-safe container and return to the freezer.
Whole Sage Leaves
Step 1. Harvest sprigs of sage leaves and give them a rinse under cold water. Pat dry with a paper towel or clean kitchen towel or spin them in a salad spinner.
Step 2. Pack the leaves into a ziploc bag, then seal the bag, ensuring all the air is removed from the bag. Store in the freezer for up to a year.
In Oil
You can also freeze sage in cubes of oil, just like the above cubes of water. I don’t prefer freezing herbs in oil because I feel that it can add too much oil to a dish and gives less flexibility, but many home preservation enthusiasts love this method.
If you want to try freezing sage in oil, follow the instructions for freezing them in water, but replace the water with olive oil or avocado oil.
Helpful Tips
- If you’re freezing a lot of sage, you can use a food processor instead of a knife to chop the sage leaves.
- It’s a good idea to use up your stash of frozen sage within a year. While it’s still okay to eat past then, the flavor and color will start to degrade.
- Don’t forget to label your container of frozen sage so you know exactly what it is when sorting through the freezer.
- Be sure to squeeze as much air out of the bag as possible to prevent freezer burn.
How to Harvest Sage
Sage is best harvested in the late spring or early summer, before the sage plant flowers. This is when you’ll have the most tender leaves with the most flavor.
For best results, harvest your herbs in the early morning, once the dew has mostly dried but before the heat of the day.
To harvest sage, simply clip the end of a stem off, right above a node where offshoots are developing. Avoid the woody stems underneath. To better understand this concept, check out my post about how to harvest mint for a more thorough explanation!
By harvesting with this method, you’ll be able to take the freshest, more tender leaves and encourage the plant to grow more. You can shape the plant a bit as you harvest by carefully selecting which branches to harvest from. Never take more than one-third of the plant at a time.
How to Use Frozen Sage
Frozen sage can be added to any cooked dish you like sage in! Soups and stews, homemade stuffing, or pasta sauce are all excellent options. I like to use frozen sage in my roasted butternut squash bisque. You can also make sage butter for searing meats, tofu, and mushrooms.
Frozen sage does not need to be thawed before use; simply add the ice cube or frozen leaves to the pan. Keep in mind that the water in sage cubes will be added to your dish, so the cubes are best added to soups and other brothy dishes.
FAQs
Does frozen sage taste like fresh?
Yes, freezing herbs is an excellent way to preserve their flavor! Of course, fresh sage will always taste a little better than frozen.
How much frozen sage should I use instead of dried?
Dried sage is more concentrated, so you’ll need more fresh or frozen sage in place of dried. Use 1 tablespoon of fresh or frozen sage for every teaspoon of dried.
More Freezer Preservation Tutorials
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How to Freeze Sage
Equipment
- sharp knife
- Ice cube trays
- freezer-safe container a ziploc bag or glass jar
Ingredients
- fresh sage leaves
Instructions
In Water
- Remove the sage leaves from the stems and give them a quick rinse. Chop the sage leaves roughly with a sharp knife.
- Press the chopped sage into ice cube trays, compacting them as much as possible.
- Pour water into the ice cube tray, then press the sage leaves down under the water so they are fully submerged.
- Freeze until solid, then pop the herb cubes out of the trays. Immediately transfer to a freezer-safe container and return to the freezer.
Whole Sage Leaves
- Harvest sprigs of sage leaves and give them a rinse under cold water. Pat dry with a paper towel or clean kitchen towel, or spin them in a salad spinner.
- Pack the leaves into a Ziploc bag, then seal the bag, ensuring all the air is removed from the bag. Store in the freezer for up to a year.
Notes
- You can freeze sage in oil by using the same instructions for water cubes, but substitute the water for oil.
- If you’re freezing a lot of sage, you can use a food processor instead of a knife to chop the sage leaves.
- It’s a good idea to use up your stash of frozen sage within a year. While it’s still okay to eat past then, the flavor and color will start to degrade.
- Don’t forget to label your container of frozen sage so you know exactly what it is when sorting through the freezer.
- Be sure to squeeze as much air out of the bag as possible to prevent freezer burn.
