Thanksgiving is four weeks out, and if there's one herb that belongs on the table, it's sage. The good news: if you've got a sage plant in the garden, now is the time to bring in a last harvest, dry it for the holidays, and set the plant up to come back strong in spring. The same goes for its perennial cousins, oregano, marjoram and mint.
Here's how to harvest, dry and store your herbs before a hard freeze, and how to help each one through the winter.
Light frost vs. hard freeze: how much time do you have?
Sage, oregano and mint shrug off a light frost. A few nights near 30°F won't hurt them, and the leaves stay usable well into November in many areas. A hard freeze (mid-20s or below) is what ends the fresh-picking season, browning the tender growth and sending the plants dormant.
Marjoram is the exception. It's a tender perennial, hardy only in about Zones 9–10, and most gardeners grow it as an annual. If yours is still alive, harvest it now or pot it up and bring it inside (more on that below).
How to take the last harvest
- Pick in the morning once the dew has dried. That's when the essential oils, and the flavor, are at their peak.
- Take no more than about a third of the plant. Woody perennials like sage and oregano need some foliage left to make it through winter.
- Don't cut sage back hard in fall. Snip individual stems and leaves instead. Fresh cuts encourage tender new growth that winter will kill, and bare woody stems often won't resprout. Save the real shaping for spring, once you see new leaves.
- Mint is different. It's tough and spreads by underground runners, so after a hard freeze you can cut it right down to an inch or two above the soil.
Drying: three easy methods
Air drying works best for sage, oregano and marjoram, which have fairly low moisture. Tie small bundles of 5–10 stems with string, hang them upside down somewhere warm, dark and airy (out of direct sun, which fades color and flavor), and give them one to two weeks. They're ready when the leaves crumble easily. A paper bag with a few holes punched in it, tied loosely around each bundle, keeps the dust off.
A dehydrator is faster and more reliable for mint, which holds more moisture and can mold if it hangs too long. Use the lowest herb setting, around 95–115°F, and check after a few hours.
The oven is a last resort. Use the lowest setting with the door propped open and watch closely. It's easy to cook off the flavor you're trying to keep.
Storing for the holidays and beyond
Strip the dried leaves from the stems but keep them whole. Crumble them only as you cook, since crushing releases the oils. Store them in airtight glass jars away from light and the stove, and label them with the date. Dried herbs keep their best flavor for about a year.
For something closer to fresh flavor, chop mint or oregano, pack it into an ice cube tray, cover it with olive oil or water, and freeze. Pop out a cube for sauces, soups or a pan of roasted vegetables all winter. Fresh sage leaves also freeze well flat in a zip-top bag, which is handy for browned-butter sage pasta.
Getting each herb through winter
Sage is hardy to about Zone 5. In most gardens the bigger threat is wet, not cold. Soggy winter soil rots its roots. Make sure it's in a well-drained spot, and once the ground freezes, add a loose layer of straw or shredded leaves around the base (not packed against the stems). If your plant has gone very woody after three or four years, consider starting fresh plants from our Sage seeds this spring. Young plants are more productive.
Oregano is hardy to roughly Zone 5 and, like sage, hates wet feet. Leave the stems standing over winter. They help trap snow and protect the crown. Then trim them back in early spring when new green shoots show at the base.
Marjoram won't survive a northern winter outdoors. To keep it going, dig a healthy clump before a hard freeze, pot it in fresh potting mix, and set it in your sunniest window. Water only when the top inch is dry. Or simply plan on a fresh start each year. Marjoram grows quickly from seed and is one of the best-tasting herbs you can grow for the money.
Mint is nearly indestructible (hardy to about Zone 4) and will come back on its own. If you grow it in a pot, move the container against a sheltered wall or sink it into the ground for winter so the roots don't freeze solid.
Planning next year's herb bed
Winter is a great time to fill gaps. Sage, oregano and marjoram are all started indoors about 6–10 weeks before your last spring frost. Oregano and marjoram seeds are tiny and need light to germinate, so press them onto the surface of moist seed-starting mix rather than burying them. Sage seed is larger and can be covered lightly, about 1/8 inch deep.
If you're filling out the bed, our Oregano seeds and Sweet Marjoram seeds pair naturally with sage. Add Spearmint seeds for tea and mint jelly, but give mint its own container so it doesn't take over the neighborhood.
A few minutes of harvesting this week means homegrown sage in the stuffing this Thanksgiving, and a healthy herb bed waiting for you in spring. Happy gardening!