Can You Freeze Sage?
Sage is an essential herb that does more to your body than the mere function of flavoring ingredients. It has some potential health benefits, and hence, you must know how to freeze sage and use it for days.
Sage is often regarded as garden sage and is similar to herbs like mint and thyme. It has a distinct smell and is used in multiple cuisines across the world. What makes this herb a useful herb is its ability to participate in some essential body functions.
Sage has amazing skin healing properties and is packed with antioxidants that promote cell growth and regeneration. It helps in soothing menopause symptoms and high blood sugar levels as well. This herb also supports immune development and the physical development of the body.
Daily consumption of sage provides a variety of micronutrients to the body that helps in daily life. Check on the methods used to freeze sage.
How can you Freeze Sage without losing its texture?
Whenever you opt for freezing any food item, you will have a question popping into your mind. What if your stored content goes bad? What if, it destroys the other contents in your freezer? There is a minimal chance of such conditions if you follow the exact steps for freezing.
Here are two easy methods that you can use to freeze sage effectively for days to months without worrying about it going bad.
Freeze Sage Directly in Bags
As you might have guessed already, yes you have to directly freeze sage by dropping those leaves in ziplock or freezer-safe bags. That pretty much sums up the first method. There is no need to wash, clean, dry, or trim sage leaves. You can simply pluck them from the stem and then drop them in a clean airtight bag. There is no need to flash-freeze sage leaves. You can directly toss the bag into the freezer and use these leaves for two to three weeks.
Sage Ice Cubes
To prepare sage ice cubes, follow the steps mentioned below:
1. Clean the Leaves: Start by plucking healthy green leaves from the stem. Discard any leaf that is about to wilt or die and wash the others with clean water. Now, dry the leaves using a clean cloth so that maximum moisture is removed from the leaves.
2. Trim the Leaves: Take your clean sage leaves and stack them in two or three layers. Roll the leaves in a cylindrical shape and cut them horizontally. This will give you long slender pieces of leaves for an aesthetically lovely look.
3. Prepare Sage Ice Cubes: Now, take a clean ice tray and start filling empty spaces with chopped sage leaves. Leave some space for water/oil/butter. If your recipe demands sage leaves dipped in oil or butter, avoid freezing sage in water ice cubes. Instead, add unsalted butter or olive oil for freezing. Freeze the cubes for a couple of hours till ice cubes are prepared.
4. Store the Sage Ice Cubes: Remove the ice cubes from the tray and store them in freezer bags or ziplock bags. Add labels to these bags and drop them in the freezer for future use. Ice cube method of storing herbs like sage is the most effective way of storing them.
Tips for Freezing Sage
Sage is best served as a stuffing with ingredients like onions and cheese. Different recipes demand sage in different proportions. So, here are some tips that you can use while freezing sage.
1. If you are preparing sage ice cubes with butter then you can try an amazing recipe as well. In a bowl, combine some whisked butter and chopped sage leaves. Store the butter in a nice airtight container and freezer for later use!
2. Ice cubes are the ultimate way to store sage leaves. Therefore, if you have laid hands on extra bunches of sage then ice cubes are going to save your day. Also, storing ice cubes is less messy and easy.
3. Herbs mixture of sage, thyme, basil, and mint leaves can be stored in the form of ice cubes. Thus, don’t restrict yourselves to the basic sage ice cubes instead you can prepare intriguing flavors with different herbs.
How long you should Freeze Sage?
Freezing sage is preferable for a duration of six to eight months. You can freeze them further but the flavors will slowly start to evaporate. Therefore, it is better to use frozen sage ice cubes within six months period.
However, if you are directly freezing sage leaves in zip-lock bags then you must use them within a month. Freezing leaves further will impact their texture and flavor. Therefore, if you have a large amount of sage to store then follow the ice cube method for freezing sage leaves.
Is it okay to defrost and refreeze Sage?
Most of the recipe demand use of sage for an additional flavor and aroma. Therefore, if you are adding it to gravies or soups then you can directly pop your frozen sage ice cubes into the dish. Thus, it isn’t necessary to defrost sage ice cubes and you can use them now in your recipe.
However, if you have prepared sage ice cubes using water and wish to drop them in oil directly then you should melt the ice cubes first. Take your ice cubes in a strainer and pour warm water over them. The ice cube will melt sooner and you can use the frozen leaves for further use.
Unlike, other herbs there is a high probability of refreezing sage. However, that isn’t something we would recommend firmly. Sage has a nice earthy flavor and if you wish to protect its flavor then you should avoid refreezing it. What good will it be if your sage doesn’t develop the flavors you crave?
How long can fresh Sage stay in the fridge?
If you are thinking of directly popping sage leaves in the fridge without any proper storage, then the leaves can stay fresh for 8 days maximum. After which they will start to wilt and lose their texture and flavor. Therefore, if you are storing your leaves directly in the fridge then be sure to use them within a week.
Can You Freeze Sage Dressings or Stuffings?
Sage stuffing with onions and cheese is a perfect side dish with different culinary. If you are wondering how to freeze sage stuffings then here is your answer. You can either prepare cooked stuffing and freeze it or freeze it uncooked.
Prepare your sage stuffing or follow our recipe. Start by folding in egg yolks, breadcrumbs, and sage leaves. Keep the batter aside and start cooking chopped onions in oil or butter in a separate pan. Then mix the onions with the prepared batter and roll the stuffing into small balls. You can either cook these balls at this stage or freeze them uncooked.
Line an airtight container with some oil or butter and place the balls in the container. Cover them with a clean cling film and close the lid. Freeze them in the freezer and use them directly while cooking. Similarly, if you freeze uncooked sage stuffing, do not thaw them.
Conclusion
Sage is an aromatic herb with different uses. It elevates the taste of different dishes and is perfect for use as stuffings. Follow these steps to freeze your sage leaves for longer run.