Sage

Sage (Garden, officinalis, common) (Salvia offincinalis) is a family of labiaceae, lambaceae.

Titles in other languages:

• English common sage,
• fr. sauge,
• German Echter Salbei.

The most common species is common sage (garden, officinalis). It can reach up to 80 cm in height.

• The stem is straight, its shape is from weakly pronounced tetrahedral to rounded, it is distinguished by strong branching and pubescence of the upper part.
• The leaves are gray-green in color, with whitish villi. They have an elongated shape from ovoid to lanceolate. The length can be up to 10 cm. The upper leaves are located on petioles, and the upper ones are without them.
• The flowers appear in early summer and are usually light purple in color. Flowering continues throughout the summer.
• Sage is cross-pollinated. Fruits - small dark and brown nuts about three millimeters, have four lobes. For seedlings, seeds are collected in August or September.
• Branched root, woody and huge.

Sage - the plant has many species, each of which has an individual aroma. Spicy vegetation is used as an addition of spices to various dishes.

There are more than 900 species of sage in the labial and mint family. Its name comes from the Latin "salvare - to help", which indicates its use for health purposes by our ancestors.Garden sage is a spicy plant whose origins are located in the Mediterranean region. There are many subspecies. In European countries, sage is a very popular plant.

Sage is a perennial sub-shrub, resistant to winter, so the leaves for spices are collected throughout the year. Various types are used for incense burners and tea.

In addition to the considered beech sage, there are:

(Salvia pratensis) has a much nicer flavor and is used as a spice for dishes. The taste of young leaves is astringent and camphor-like, while older leaves are bitter. For drying, young shoots are cut before flowering.

Every day, tea must be brewed repeatedly and drunk no more than one or two cups, since the content of thujone (essential oil) in large quantities makes the drink poisonous.

The plant tolerates heat well, losing bitterness. Can be added to a variety of dishes. Basically, spices are put in fish and veal, various meat dishes.

The fried leaves in butter are great as a side dish for tortellina and flat noodles.

Leaves that have been dried for a long time are also used, but in smaller quantities due to the resinous taste. In order to be used later, the leaves are frozen, and paper is placed between them to prevent a bitter taste.

(Salvia officinalis ssp. major) is great for spices and grows up to 1 meter tall. Due to its pleasant and delicate aroma, it is used in cooking, but due to the high content of toxic agents, it is used in small quantities.

(Salvia officinalis Tricolor) variegated leaves are its distinguishing feature. Characterized by a bitter taste, grows up to 0.4 meters. Seasoning is used for meat and fish.

(Salvia officinalis "Purpurancens") reaches half a meter, has purple and purple leaves, the oldest are green-gray and dark green leaves. This species is used in the same way as the garden species (sometimes as a garden decoration).

There are other types of sage.

For example, in Greece they prefer greek sage (Salvia triloba) - has a pleasant fresh aroma, but a bitter taste, so it is rarely used for cooking.

Thujon is not in Spanish sage (Salvia lavandulifolia), grows up to 0.6 m. Small leaves of a gray-greenish hue are used in various types of dishes without fear of the formation of harmful substances.

Spicy and highly aromatic clary sage (Salvia sclarea) - a plant whose height reaches one meter. Feature - flowering in a purple hue. The leaves are baked and used for various sweets with tea, and also add flavor to vermouth and wine.

Two more varieties have fruity aromas - fruit sage (Salvia dorisiana) and pineapple sage (Salvia rutilans). The first species lives in Honduras, the second - in Mexico. They are great for teas, sweet dishes and cocktails.

The predominantly medicinal plant grows in southern European countries such as Italy, France, Slovakia, Moldova, Ukraine, Russia (Krasnodar Territory) and Yugoslavia.

They plant it in their gardens for home use and on large plots of land for further industrial processing. Often lives in the most arid places, because the plant does not tolerate moisture.

Thanks to its amazing taste and aroma, sage is a popular Italian spice. Freshly blooming plants are used.The plant does not come off for each leaflet, but is cut off at a height of 10 centimeters with stems. Then the leaves are dried and crushed (if necessary).

If you fry this species, then the taste will change dramatically. They are added as a flavor to sandwiches, sandwiches and other fast foods.

Spices perfectly retain their taste and aroma in a dry place.

• Fragrant smell, persistent taste.
• The content of essential oils in large quantities.
• It has various chemical compounds and substances that positively affect human health.
• It is used in the form of spices to enhance taste, decorations or medicine.

For 100 grams of product you have:

The plant contains:

• Alkaloids.
• Oleanolic, formic and ursolic acids.
• Flavonoids.
• Tannins.
• bitterness.
• resins.
• Vitamins PP, C, P.
• 2.5% essential oil in leaves, which includes:
  • D-borneol.
  • D-camphor.
  • α- and β-thujone.
  • D-α-pinene.
  • Cineola.

The seeds of the plant contain:

• Up to 30% fatty oil, where 20% is protein, and the rest is glyceride amylinoleic acid.

• Positive effect on the body.
• They are used for inflammatory processes in the oral cavity, lungs, genitourinary system, helps with coughing, high fever.
• Helps in the treatment of infertility.
• May reduce the amount of sweating in people infected with tuberculosis.
• Improves memory.
• Carries out preventive actions for angina, stomatitis, gingivitis, eczema, vaginitis, vulvitis, hemorrhoids.

You can learn more about the benefits of sage from the TV show "Live Healthy".Sage is a "sacred herb" according to Hippocrates, which says a lot.

• Risk of miscarriage during pregnancy or induction of premature labor.
• The plant is contraindicated during lactation.
• Allergic reactions when applied externally.
• For certain kidney diseases: pyelonephritis, kidney failure, nephritis (consult your doctor).
• It is forbidden to use for polycystic, endometriosis, uterine fibroids and other diseases that disrupt the menstrual cycle.
• With neurological diseases.
• Decreases thyroid function.
• In case of an overdose - anxiety, insomnia, hallucinations, increased heart rate, convulsions and more.

The plant is not recommended to be consumed for more than three months. Break - 20 days.

• The plant is used as a spice to enhance the flavors of various dishes.
• It is used in canning and alcoholic beverage production.
• Flavored in tea, soft drinks, tobacco, cheese, game seasoning (most popular in North America and Europe).
• Strengthening the aromatic smell and taste of meat (sage can increase the shelf life of the cooked dish).
• Used in first courses (soups).
• Accurate dosing (bitter taste in excess).
• Add to meat products, eggs and omelettes.
• Some beers include sage.
• Added to hot drinks for health benefits.
• Used for sweet pastries.
• Combined with rosemary.
• Fragrant and tasty honey is produced.

• ?Using this plant, the dishes are best obtained from Italians. If you want to create a sauce for pasta - use butter, which warms up along with sage leaves.
• Saltimbocca is a dish where sage leaves are attached to a chop with a toothpick.
• Fried potatoes are not left out - some cooks prefer to add sage.
• Basically, only greenish-gray leaves of the plant “shrouded” in fluff are used in cooking. They have a great aroma at the drying stage and a pleasant bitter aftertaste.
• Unlike other types of plants that are actively used in cooking, sage retains its taste even when cooked on fire. Therefore, it can be added at the very beginning of cooking. The main feature of the plant is a clear dosage of seasoning.

For this we need the ingredients:

• 5 gr. fresh sage
• Lime - 25 grams.
• Pear juice - 100 milliliters.
• Carbonated water - 50 milliliters.
• Chipped ice.

Cooking instructions

We choose a large glass for lemonade, into which we cut into pieces 25 gr. lime. Add 5 gr. sage.

To convert the ice into small “fragments”, we use automatic kitchen equipment (combine) with a good mechanism or cover with a towel and beat several times with a chops hammer. Then pour some crushed ice into the glass.

Pour ice to the rim of the glass and carefully pour 100 ml. pear juice: you can use both juice in bags and freshly squeezed. Add a little sugar (for more freshly squeezed juice) and mix thoroughly with a spoon (both bar and regular). Add 50 ml. carbonated water.

The finished drink can be decorated with a slice of lemon or a leaf of a plant.

• 2 kg. pork
• 50 ml. olive oil.
• 2 pcs. fresh rosemary.
• 2 sage leaves.
• 2 pcs. juniper berries.
• 4 bay leaves.
• 1 clove of garlic.
• 1 tspsea ​​salt.
• 0.5 st. dry white wine.
• 750 ml. milk.
• 0.5 tsp ground pepper.

Prepared for 3 hours 15 minutes, for 8 servings.

Cooking instructions

Cut 2 kg of boneless meat in half and rub with salt and ground pepper. Pour 50 ml into a heavy-duty saucepan. olive oil and heat up.

At the moment of hissing, we throw in two finely chopped juniper berries and a couple of sprigs of plants (sage and rosemary). After 1 minute, add 1 clove of garlic and mix for 60 seconds.

When a golden crust forms, place the meat in a container and fry from various edges until the surface appears (about 10 minutes). 0.5 st. Pour white wine into a container with pork, bringing to a boil.

We wait until half of the poured wine has evaporated, and pour 750 ml. milk. After boiling, immediately turn off the stove. We move to the oven, where the temperature is 175 degrees.

The stewing is carried out for two and a half hours, the meat is periodically turned over and checked for readiness. If we see that the meat is no longer hard, put it on the kitchen table, cover with foil.

Sauce that has been stewed with meat can be used as a sauce. We pre-filter it through a fine sieve and pour it back into the container until a thick form is formed. The meat is cut into large slices and served on the table along with the prepared sauce.

The plant has the following medicinal properties:

• An effective natural remedy for inflammatory diseases of certain organs.
• Used for fluxes, gingivitis, tonsillitis, bleeding gums.
• Helps with coughs.
• It is an antipyretic.
• Restores the integrity of the skin in a short period of time.
• It is used in the form of lotions and compresses.
• Skin diseases, arthritis and festering wounds.
• It is used as a complex therapy for female infertility.
• Useful for people with diabetes, helps to lower blood sugar levels.
• The plant is useful for men, improves potency.
• A natural antibiotic that has an accelerated effect on recovery from certain infections.
• The herb is a tonic, relieves overwork and strengthens the immune system.
• Forms the most elastic vessels, prevents the formation of atherosclerosis. Improves brain activity.
• An excellent remedy for strengthening hair roots, slows down baldness and in some cases stops it.
• It is used in a bath for microbial eczema and as a douche for vulvitis and vaginitis.

• By brewing tea with sage, you can get rid of sore throats.
• Sage strengthens the immune system. The composition includes antioxidants that remove free radicals from the body. Therefore, sage can be called an excellent prevention against heart disease or the formation of a malignant tumor.
• The effects of high fever and restlessness are reduced by a sage tea compress. This tonic property, which allows it to penetrate the skin, will reduce fever and its manifestation.
• It is excellent during the menstrual cycle, especially with abdominal pain. Improves digestion in the stomach. Also, tea helps with the accumulation of gases in the stomach.
• It will bring you out of depression, improve your memory. It has been scientifically proven that people who drink sage tea have much better memory.
• Sage is a natural sedative that relaxes the brain. A person quickly copes with a stressful state.
• It reduces the level of perspiration.
• Has anti-inflammatory action.
• Reduces pain in the joints, throat, muscles.

To make tea with sage, you need to heat the water, add 1 tbsp. l. dried sage or fresh, finely chopped leaves. Fill with boiling water and let it brew. We cover the mug, after 4 minutes we filter the tea. To make it tastier, add a slice of lemon or a teaspoon of honey.

Attention! In addition to the beneficial effects of the prepared tea, there are a number of negative effects that should be considered. Allergic reactions are possible. The plant can actively interact with drugs. You need to consult with experts. Should not be used by pregnant and breastfeeding women. This option is more suitable when mothers want to wean their children from breastfeeding.

Sage extract is used in cosmetics in the form of:

• Balm.
• Cream.
• Shampoos.
• Skin care products.

In addition, sage-based products are used:

• In cosmetology in the form of an effective plant that can rejuvenate the skin.
• The plant allows you to tighten the skin, reducing damage and new scars.
• Infusions and decoctions for sage prevent hair loss and promote their accelerated growth.
• If the lips are chapped, sage-based hygienic lipstick helps well. Creates an anti-inflammatory film, protecting lips from the influence of external weather factors.

• Some types of plants are used for decorative purposes by landscape designers. They grow quite quickly and do not require special care. Combine with other plants quite successfully. Used in flower beds, misborders.
• Varieties of low growth can be seen in rock gardens.
• Blue sage flowers look great with poppy planting, rudbeckia, coreopsis, meadowsweet.
• Various types of sage are present both on the terraces and on the balcony. In the garden, this is a favorable atmosphere for butterflies and bees, which pollinate other types of crops.
• Sage goes well with other flowers planted in flower beds.

This plant loves dry, warm and bright places where the sun's rays break through other trees and plants. The required soil is humus with the exact amount of lime.

Sage should be watered sparingly, and is best on dry days. They do not need excessive moisture. Young shoots are watered more often. Be sure to loosen and weed. At the time of growth, you can feed with compost. Then caring for him, the sage is cut at the time of flowering.

In principle, in the form of culinary and medicinal plants - pruning is a great method to increase production, but for decorative purposes - not.

For propagation of shrubs, seedlings and seeds are used. The plant is divided and cuttings. It is sown, as a rule, in the spring. And it separates in early autumn or spring. And in June it is removed by cuttings. First, the cuttings are placed in a vessel with water. After the appearance of the roots, transplant to a permanent place. Unlike the variety, the interval should reach up to 40 centimeters. The stalk is regularly watered so that it is superbly strengthened.

• The soil is dug up to a depth of 30 centimeters.Weeds are cleared, after which the soil is loosened and harrowed.
• Width between rows - from 70 cm.
• You will see the first bores in three weeks. Remove the weeds again and loosen the soil.
• Sage is a plant that does not get sick and is extremely rarely affected by insects.
• As a rule, the first year - the plant is overgrown with shoots. If old shoots are cleaned in time, new ones will soon appear and larger leaves will grow. They are collected twice a year. First before flowering, and after - in early autumn. The leaves are plucked by hand. First, the leaves located below are collected. And in the fall - the rest.
• The drying method is carried out under a canopy in the air. The collected leaves should be laid out in a thin layer.
• Seeds are harvested during the drilling process in cups located below. Raw materials are stored in containers with maximum sealing. Shelf life - up to 1 year.