Sage is probably the most useful of all the culinary herbs. In addition to being a very beautiful, silvery color, it has many medicinal uses. It is one of the longevity herbs, known to improve memory. Back in the day women used it to control hot flashes as well as to dry up their milk flow after nursing. It is an antioxidant and an anti-inflammatory used in such things as throat gargles to cure mouth ulcers, sore throats, gingivitis, and rheumatoid arthritis. It can also be made into a paste and used as an anti-perspirant because it prevents sweating.
It blooms very pretty spikes of pink flowers in the spring that are much loved by bees. Books will tell you not to let sage bloom because it makes the sage leaves have a bitter flavor. But when it is that early in the year I let everything bloom because the pickings are so slim for the insect population that I love so dearly.
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