| I can feel Fall in the air, so I’ve been trimming | | | | vinegar splashed onto cooked leafy greens increases |
| back the herbs and harvesting their goodness before | | | | the amount of bio-available calcium from the greens |
| they die back for the winter. The last couple of days | | | | by one-third. Herbs are chock full of additional |
| I’ve been working on the sage. I have tons of it. | | | | minerals that also become readily available to your |
| I don’t want any of it to go to waste, so here | | | | body when they are infused in vinegar. |
| are some ways I am preserving it. | | | | To make sage vinegar, start with fresh sage and a |
| Sage Honey | | | | glass container. Pull off the unblemished leaves, tear |
| Preserving sage in honey is a delicious and healthful | | | | them into smaller pieces, and fill your container. Pour |
| way to enjoy the sage all winter long. When I say it | | | | regular apple cider vinegar over (I buy a gallon at a |
| is delicious, I mean so delicious you just might want | | | | time from the grocery store) and stir to remove air, |
| to sit down with a spoon and an open jar and eat | | | | then pour more to completely cover the herb and fill |
| the whole thing! (Don’t really do that… way | | | | the container to the very top. Cap tightly with a |
| too much sweet for one sitting!) | | | | non-metal top, and put a label with the name of the |
| Honey itself is highly anti-bacterial and tends to draw | | | | herb and the date on it. Vinegar eats metal! Do not |
| moisture to itself. When you combine honey with | | | | use a metal top. If all you have is metal, put a plastic |
| Sage, the honey will draw out the water soluble | | | | baggie over the top of the jar before screwing on |
| vitamins of the herb (due to it’s water drawing | | | | the lid. The vinegar is ready to use after six weeks. |
| properties), and also the strongly fragrant and | | | | You can strain out the herb and put it in a nice bottle |
| anti-infective volatile oils in the plant. The result is a | | | | with a sprig of fresh herb, or you can just keep it in |
| sweet and delicious medicinal. | | | | the “brewing” jar. |
| To make sage honey start with fresh sage and a | | | | Dried Sage Tea |
| small glass container (I used a pint size canning jar, | | | | A spoonful of dried sage leaves and boiling water will |
| but you can also use recycled jelly jars, etc). Pull off | | | | make a lovely tea anytime you want a warm drink. |
| only the unblemished sage leaves from the stem and | | | | Different wise women dry herbs in different ways. |
| tear these into smaller pieces and fill your container. | | | | One way that I like is to pluck off the unblemished |
| Press it down and really fill it — this takes quite a | | | | leaves and put them in a small brown bag (lunch size). |
| bit of herb to do, so if you only have a little sage, | | | | I roll the sides of the bag down to make a little open |
| use a smaller container such as a baby food jar. | | | | pouch, label the bag with the name of the herb, and |
| When it is full, pour raw honey over the herb to | | | | then put the herb in. Every day or two I reach in and |
| cover, and then use a chop stick or other utensil to | | | | stir the leaves around to circulate air and promote |
| poke around to get the honey all around and under | | | | even drying. |
| the herb. You will then probably have to pour on | | | | I like this method because it prevents having a lot of |
| more honey to cover the herb again. Fill the container | | | | different herb bundles hanging all around the kitchen |
| all the way to the top with honey, then cap tightly, | | | | dropping leaves and debris all over the place. I |
| put on a label with the name of the herb and the | | | | don’t mind a few herb bundles, but I have limited |
| date, and then sit it on a shelf to “brew.” | | | | space, so I would soon have to resort to hanging |
| The honey can be used within the next day or two, | | | | them from eye hooks in the ceiling if I used that |
| but the medicinal properties will increase the longer it | | | | method exclusively! The brown paper sack pouches |
| sits. Many wise women let their honeys sit for at | | | | can be sat anywhere I have room for them, so they |
| least six weeks before consuming. You do not need | | | | make it much easier to live with a lot of drying herbs |
| to remove the herb before using. To enjoy, just | | | | in the house. |
| take out a spoonful of honey and herb, put it in a | | | | ****************************************** |
| cup and pour boiling water over it for tea, or take a | | | | You can make honeys, vinegars, and teas out of |
| spoon full at a time like a cough syrup for a sore | | | | many different herbs in just the same way as you |
| throat. You can also spread it on toast, or any other | | | | would sage. I plan to also make some of these with |
| way you might use regular honey. | | | | my Rosemary and Tarragon. You can experiment |
| *Note: Do not give honey to children under 1 year. | | | | freely with just about any culinary herb. |
| They cannot digest honey well enough to kill | | | | If you haven’t yet grown any sage in your own |
| potentially harmful spores that are found in all honey. | | | | garden, but want to experiment with it, you can |
| Older children and adults do not have this problem.* | | | | usually buy fresh sage in the produce section of any |
| Sage Vinegar | | | | grocery store. For best results, look for organic. |
| I started making herbal vinegars last year. I have | | | | Apple cider vinegar is available from any grocery |
| found my vinegars to be wonderful for seasoning | | | | store. For honey, I recommend finding a quality |
| dark leafy greens and other vegetables, and as a | | | | source for raw honey, as the heat processing of |
| primary ingredient, along with olive oil, in salad | | | | most commercial brands destroys many of its |
| dressings. | | | | healthy benefits. Health food stores usually carry |
| Consuming herbal vinegars is really good for your | | | | honey in bulk, and there are also several good online |
| bone health, too. According to herbalist Susan Weed, | | | | sources. |