Does anyone else have problems finding fresh sage this time of year?

[Vinca]

Thought I would have learned my lesson last year. I tried to remember to plant some sage earlier this year but got busy and didn’t get around to it. So again I am on the hunt for fresh sage. Stopping by TJs tonight and if I don’t have any luck there I will start visiting the Lowes and Home Depot type stores to see if the they still have herb plants. Keeping my fingers crossed but I am telling you it doesn’t look good.

[heavy hedonist]

i never see it around this time of year either. and it is featured in so many seasonal recipes.... sigh. But, you can always sub a few pinches of good rubbed sage for flavor and some flat leaf parsley or a few bay leaves for the look.

[BucknellAlum]

I can almost always find it in my grocery store and certainly in Wegman's if you're near one of those.

I always make an apple-sage stuffing on Thanksgiving and I never have trouble. Does your grocery store carry fresh herbs?

[heavy hedonist]

[QUOTE=BucknellAlum;1635130]I can almost always find it in my grocery store and certainly in Wegman's if you're near one of those.

QUOTE]

Wegmans.... I have two in reasonable driving distance-- wahoo!

[BucknellAlum]

[QUOTE=BucknellAlum;1635130]I can almost always find it in my grocery store and certainly in Wegman's if you're near one of those.

QUOTE]

Wegmans.... I have two in reasonable driving distance-- wahoo!

I totally understand your enthusiasm! Going to Wegman's Thanksgiving week is like going to a ski resort in February or going to the beach on 4th of July - the perfect place to be!

However, I just noticed the OP lives on the west coast, I think, so no Wegmans :(

[Vinca]

Thank you for the suggestion but the recipe I hope to make this weekend calls for fresh sage leaves to be fried. Don't think the powdered sage will work for the application called for in the recipe.

If I find the fresh sage I might have another butternut squash recipe to add to the ongoing thread. :)

[Vinca]

Goodness, thank you for all the replies.
No Wegmans in these parts. Cilantro is the popular herb here. If I am lucky I can find some decent basil or thyme but not always.

Off to TJs.....wish me luck!!!

[charley]

Walmart carries fresh sage.

[Canice]

Really? I see it everywhere!
TJ's doesn't have a huge selection of herbs, but one thing they have right now that I love are their potted mixed herbs. I meant to pick one up on Sunday but in my haste to get the heck out of there, forgot.

[Vinca]

No Luck! The TJ’s I went to had a variety of small packaged herbs but no sage. :(

Charley, the Walmart near me only carries a small amount of produce. I haven’t seen herbs of any type there yet. Thanks for the suggestion though.

Canice, really everywhere? Where have you see it? Are they chain type stores? I haven’t tried Safeway yet.

[Cafe Latte]

Is there a Whole Foods near you? I would think they would carry it.

[ljt2r]

I remember having trouble too, before I was a home owner. Now, though, sage is one of those easy herbs that lives practically through the winter (and of course comes back in the spring) so the answer is no. ;)

But yes I have a vague memory of being really frustrated at some point in the past around this time of year.

[RiverFarm]

I've noticed that those herb plants aren't available anymore now that the weather has turned colder. I have a big plant in my garden, but that doesn't help you.

[Canice]

Canice, really everywhere? Where have you see it? Are they chain type stores? I haven’t tried Safeway yet.

Whole Foods, independent grocers, farmers' market.
I would definitely try Safeway, too. TJ's never has a great selection of herbs and their prices are the same as other stores, a lot higher than ethnic groceries.

[Vinca]

Café Latte, unfortunately there is no Wholefoods on my side of the bay.

Laura, your experience is just reinforcing that I need to have sage growing in my container garden. The winters here are fairly mild compared to other parts of the country. If the weather gets close to freezing I can always bring the pot of sage indoors.

Canice, thank you for all the suggestions. Somewhere there has got be some sage!

This (http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/main-dish/recipe-pasta-with-butternut-squash-sage-and-pine-nuts-064966) is the recipe I hope to make. I have all the ingredients on hand except for the stupid sage. If after all this effort locating sage and this recipes bombs I will be a little miffed. :rolleyes:


The search for sage continues….

[RiverFarm]

Vinca, sage doesn't need to be brought in, even around here, although in the depths of winter there's not much left to harvest from it. You'd be fine there.

[Vinca]

Thank you I appreciate the gardening tip. Gardening in snow country must be SO different.

[RiverFarm]

Yes, it is. I just read Novella Carpenter's book about urban gardening in Oakland CA, and her seasons were amazing!

[VictoriaL]

My sage plant is 3 years old and overgrown, I'll have to cut it back severely in the spring. I love the flavor/ aroma of sage.

I wish I found this post a few days ago, I would send you some leaves. What can it take, 4-5 days for a first class letter to make its was cross country? I've sent fresh sage, wrapped in plastic, via mail and although it isn't the most fresh ever when it arrives, it is certainly better than using the powdered stuff.

Good luck...

[cookinator]

Vinca, are you near Berkeley Bowl? I know they have sage. Or Berkeley Hort for a sage plant. Maybe the farmers market? The Ferry Building farmers market might have some.

[Canice]

If the weather gets close to freezing I can always bring the pot of sage indoors.

Does it even get "close to freezing" around here? I used to grow sage in beds in then-DBF's garden: it was huge and healthy 12 months of the year. The rosemary seemed to thrive in winter - but then, what do you expect from a plant that likes crappy soil and drought? :p



I just read Novella Carpenter's book about urban gardening in Oakland CA, and her seasons were amazing!

I loved that book, and her spirit!

[Cafe Latte]

How about subbing dried sage? I do it with basil in pasta recipes (during the winter) and really it isn't bad.

ETA - from foodsubs.com

sage
Equivalents: 1 tablespoon fresh = 1 teaspoon dried. Notes: Sage is often combined with other strong herbs to flavor meat dishes and poultry stuffings. Use it sparingly; a little goes a long way. Dried sage is an excellent substitute for fresh. Substitutes: poultry seasoning OR rosemary OR thyme

[DanaSD]

Sams Club sells a Thanksgiving herb garden (live plants) that includes sage. It comes in a copper colored pot and its pretty inexpensive.

[Lee Ann K.]

Vinca, I live in the Bay area, and although I grow sage in my garden, lately it's been looking pretty sad and I've had no problem getting fresh sage from Safeway and Nob Hill. It's usually packaged, like the fresh thyme, oregano and other herbs, not loose like parsely or basil. I'm really surprised to hear you've had problems finding it - I can even find it in the Truckee Safeway, when I go to my sister's house for the holidays.

[Canice]

Canice, thank you for all the suggestions. Somewhere there has got be some sage!

Yea, it's got to be there; I was in four stores today (TJ's, WF, Safeway, and an independent produce store) and all had plenty of sage.


Vinca, are you near Berkeley Bowl? I know they have sage. Or Berkeley Hort for a sage plant. Maybe the farmers market? The Ferry Building farmers market might have some.
Even better than Berkeley Bowl (scandalous, I know) is Monterey Market. I cannot believe how many zillions of type of fresh herb they have, and how cheap. But it sounds like you're farther east than that. I would def check out a farmers' market tomorrow if you can.


How about subbing dried sage? I do it with basil in pasta recipes (during the winter) and really it isn't bad.

The dish calls for fried sage leaves, so no real alternative.

[ljt2r]

My local Kroger's has it. Organic too, actually. On the one hand I am in a small college town in a somewhat rural corner of Ohio. On the other hand, we did finally upgrade to a really nice Krogers--before I am sure we would not have had it.

[Vinca]

I wish I found this post a few days ago, I would send you some leaves. What can it take, 4-5 days for a first class letter to make its was cross country? I've sent fresh sage, wrapped in plastic, via mail and although it isn't the most fresh ever when it arrives, it is certainly better than using the powdered stuff.

How very nice of you to think of me and thank you for the kind gesture. You are very sweet. This sage thing is just not working out for me. I will be leaving town in a few days for the holiday. I might need to put this project on the back burner for a while so I can prepare for Thanksgiving.


Vinca, are you near Berkeley Bowl? I know they have sage. Or Berkeley Hort for a sage plant. Maybe the farmers market? The Ferry Building farmers market might have some.

Getting to Berkeley is a drive for me but not impossible. I would need to find a few more reasons for the drive to justify the journey though.


Does it even get "close to freezing"

I live south of you and near the bay. We get several nights during the winter where the night temps can dip to the low 30's. Some mornings it looks as if it snowed over night because the frost is so thick.


Yea, it's got to be there; I was in four stores today (TJ's, WF, Safeway, and an independent produce store) and all had plenty of sage.

I will be shopping at several different markets on Monday so I will be able to check a few more stores that I haven’t visited yet. Could be my timing has just been off.

Thanks again for ALL your help.

[Canice]

Ah, for some reason I always thought you were in the far East Bay :confused:.
Well, Jacob's Farm (who produce those ubiquitous organic herbs) is in Pescadero - maybe you could go poaching one night :p

[Vinca]

Interesting….the idea of poaching never crossed my mind. :p Jail was not in my holiday plans. :eek:

Bet there is no sage there either LOL ;)

[Vinca]

FOUND IT!!!!

I went to a TJ’s yesterday that I don’t normally visit to pick up a few things that I needed for my holiday cooking and they had a big display in the produce section of packaged fresh herbs. Stacks and stacks of sage!

I wanted to report back to let you know the good news.

I will be hitting the road in a little bit to start my holiday. Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving and all of your cooking efforts are successful.

(this post was made pre-coffee) :)