You either love or hate sage; there's hardly any middle ground. I love sage, and not just because of its beautiful textured leaves, from which I craft my sage leaf jewelry. I also really love sage tea - and I'll tell you why right here.

 

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Sage tea made from fresh leaves is a wonderful home remedy

Sage has wonderful ingredients that support us especially during autumn, but in truth, a cup of sage tea is suitable all year round and supports our health.

Sage has so many positive properties that I will only list a few of them here. Sage is antibacterial and antiviral - two properties that are very useful during flu season. In addition, sage is also anti-inflammatory and disinfectant - which can play a positive role in our oral health. Furthermore, sage promotes digestion and relieves cramps - a property that we can certainly use after too much good food.

Sage leaves are rich in essential oils and also contain many great bitter substances. Sage leaves can be processed into a variety of products. Starting with an essential oil that you might use for rubbing or for diffusers, or a gargle solution for sore throats. 

But of course, a great sage tea can also be made from this leaf. 

 

 

The essential oils cineol and camphene have germicidal and thus also disinfectant effects, making sage tea from fresh leaves the perfect remedy to combat mucus in coughs. Sage tea also works wonders for sore throats, and for particularly persistent pain, the tea can not only be drunk but also used for gargling.

If you are prone to bleeding gums and inflammation in your gums, sage can provide relief and stop this bleeding due to its astringent effect.

If you are prone to cold sores, you can dab them several times a day with some sage tea.

 

 

Preparing sage tea from fresh leaves

The classic reason why we like to drink sage tea is for sore throats or tonsillitis. If you feel the first signs of a cold and have a slight tickle in your throat, reach for sage tea, and with a bit of luck, you'll be completely fit again the next day.

 

 

Of course, you can buy your sage tea at a health food store or pharmacy, but it tastes much better freshly prepared. If you are lucky enough to have a sage bush in your garden or on your balcony, you can easily and quickly prepare your own sage tea.

You only need about 3 to 5 sage leaves, you vary the number depending on the size of the leaves.

 

 

Wash the leaves carefully and then tear them roughly into not too small pieces. Put these into a large cup, or if you want to prepare a larger quantity of sage tea, use a teapot.

Then pour hot water over the leaves and let the tea steep for 5 to 10 minutes. Sage leaves contain many tannins; the longer you let your tea steep, the more tannins you extract, and the more intense, meaning bitter, your sage tea will taste.  

After the brewing time, remove the leaves from your tea and you can now enjoy the sage tea sip by sip.

If sage tea is not to your taste, then try a sage leaf ring on your finger or a pair of sage earrings or a sage pendant, because then it can become a good companion and protect you from a cold.

Additionally, on my blog you will also find a recipe for sage butter, which is not as tart in taste as sage tea and goes perfectly with many different dishes and meals.