Season: Spring and summer. The healing, warming properties of sage have long been recognized, and one traditional way to imbibe them is by means of a liqueur, such as this one. The velvety, gray-green leaves are steeped in eau-de-vie and the resulting elixir should, I’m told, be drunk each day to ensure good health and a long life. I take just a capful (not a cupful) myself each morning and find it very restorative. Of course, this is not the only way to use this soothing herb liqueur–a glassful can be enjoyed as a comforting digestif, or a capful can be diluted with tonic water for an aromatic pick-me-up. Gather the sage on a warm, dry day. As an evergreen, this herb can be picked throughout the year, but it’s at its best during the spring and summer months.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 cups

　　2 to 2 1/2 ounces sage leaves

　　About 2 cups eau-de-vie

　　1 cup granulated sugar

　　

Step 1

Shake the sage leaves well to remove any wildlife (those that don’t escape at this stage will become sublimely intoxicated). Pack the leaves into a large, wide-necked 2 1/2- to 3-cup jar. Fill the jar to the very top with eau-de-vie and seal with an airtight lid (if any leaves are uncovered, they will oxidize and the color of the liqueur will become dull brown). Give it a good shake and then place on a sunny windowsill to steep for about 1 month, remembering to give it a shake every now and then.

　　

Step 2

When you’re ready to complete the elixir, make a sugar syrup by gently heating the sugar with 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of water until the sugar has dissolved. Allow this to cool.

　　

Step 3

Strain the sage liquor through a sieve into a bowl. Stir in the sugar syrup. Decant into sterilized bottles (see p. 125), placing 2 or 3 of the soaked sage leaves in each bottle. Cork or cap with screw-caps. The elixir is ready to use immediately. Use within 1 year.

　　The River Cottage Preserves Handbook by Pam Corbin.Pam Corbin has been making preserves for as long as she can remember, and for more than twenty years her passion has been her business. Pam and her husband, Hugh, moved to Devon where they bought an old pig farm and converted it into a small jam factory. Using only wholesome, seasonal ingredients, their products soon became firm favorites with jam-lovers the world over. Pam has now hung up her professional wooden spoon but continues to "jam" at home. She also works closely with the River Cottage team, making seasonal goodies using fruit, vegetables, herbs, and flowers from her own garden, and from the fields and hedgerows.