Pineapple sage is an exotic plant with many benefits and a sweet aroma. Salvia rutilans is a versatile useful plant in the kitchen and proves to be a low-maintenance and floriferous plant if you give it the best growing conditions.
You can make a delicious aromatic tea from pineapple sage
container plant
The pineapple sage is not hardy and is therefore recommended for planting in tubs. Use a tall 10 liter container. Cover the bottom with gravel or potsherds and fill the jar with a substrate mixture of equal parts compost, clay and sand. Place the pot with the plant in a bright place where there is no blazing midday sun. Further fertilization is not required. Occasionally the pineapple sage needs to be watered.
seasoning
Leaves and flowers are ideal for fresh processing in sweet and salty dishes such as soups and salads or desserts. They can be added to herb and fruit spreads after they have been cooked. Finely chopped, the aromatic plant parts refine fruit salads and quark. If you want to preserve the leaves, you can dry them gently.
How to dry pineapple sage:
- Harvest the leaves just before flowering
- Spread out sheets on newspaper
- put in an airy and dry place for several days
tea
Pineapple sage is suitable for the preparation of teas because of the fruity aroma that is exuded in the air when the plant is lightly touched. A heaping tablespoon of the leaves is poured over with boiling water. After a brewing time of ten minutes you can enjoy the tea. The fine aroma comes into its own when you prepare a tea blend of pineapple sage, mint and lemon balm.
Use fresh
Since the leaves of the plant are rich in essential oils and vitamins, they should be used fresh. Vitamins are lost during cooking, while the essential oils escape through the drying process. Therefore, harvest the leaves just before preparing your food.
Vegetable soup recipe:
- Cut the flesh of a ripe avocado into chunks
- Finely chop the onion and squeeze the lime
- cut a cucumber into pieces
- Puree ingredients with yoghurt and vegetable bullion
- Decorate with pineapple sage blossoms