Fresh Sage Lasts Longer With The Help Of One Pantry Staple

Whether you're smudging your new apartment or seasoning your favorite roasted butternut squash soup, sage is a powerfully aromatic herb where a little goes a long way. But unless you have your own sage plant growing in your herb garden, you usually have to buy a bunch and decide what to do with it after you've used what you needed. Luckily, unlike delicate parsley and easily bruised basil, sage leaves are firm and sturdy. That means you can store them for four or five days in the refrigerator just by wrapping the leaves in paper towels and placing them inside a zip-close bag. But what should you do if you still won't use up a bundle of sage in less than a week?

The secret lies in one pantry staple you most certainly have on hand: olive oil. By coating your sage leaves in olive oil, you can store them in a covered dish in the fridge for up to three weeks. Not only will this preserve your precious herb, but you'll be creating an infused olive oil as a byproduct.

If you'd like to develop a robustly sage-infused olive oil with more intentionality, the process is simple. All you need to do is wash and completely dry your sage leaves, then rub them a little bit between your fingers to start releasing their oils. Place the leaves in an airtight jar, then cover them with extra-virgin olive oil. For an infused oil reserved for special recipes and occasions, it's best to buy a high-quality olive oil. Store the jar in your cool, dark pantry for at least a week. The longer you leave it, the stronger the flavor, though you shouldn't let it sit for more than a couple weeks. You'll not only have perfectly preserved sage leaves to use one at a time when cooking, but you'll have a delicious olive oil with more depth of flavor to elevate your other recipes.

If you have a recipe perfectly suited for sage-infused oil but you're short on time, you can speed up the process by sautéing sage leaves with olive oil over low heat. This method will flavor your food with a strong sage top note, though the subtle depth of flavor from a long-infused oil won't be there.

Sage leaves saturated in olive oil can be used throughout your cooking. When chopped up, EVOO-soaked sage is a delicious ingredient in a compound butter. That sage butter is perfect when mixed into mashed potato recipes, when dabbed on top of sweet potato preparations, or when spread on top of dinner rolls.

Sage leaves coated in oil are also super easy to crisp up in a frying pan. The crispy, frizzled sage leaves, after being cooled, are a tasty pasta dish topping. Or try giving them a chop and adding them to toasted breadcrumbs for a fall spin that's perfect for your favorite oven-baked macaroni and cheese recipe or your next kale Caesar salad.

Sage-infused olive oil is, of course, delicious on its own so it's perfect for dipping bread as an antipasti. You can also use it anywhere you'd use regular olive oil: in salad dressing, drizzled over roasted veggies, or as a sautéing oil for other ingredients.