Sage is a magical herb. I have a personal practice that involves burning white sage every Sunday after I clean the entire house, allowing the smoke to waft into every nook and cranny of my space. It's easy to forget, however, that enjoying culinary sage in your home cooking practice can be equally nourishing.

Creating an herbal salt on your own, from harvest to table, is quite a rewarding experience. I foraged my mint in Virginia and bundled it, watching as the leaves hardened and curled and shriveled up to half their original size. I was gifted the sage from my friend’s home garden in Maryland. I bundled it once again, watching it dry to a crisp in a week or so. I sat on my front porch, removing the leaves from the stems of each herb as the sun rose one morning. I purchased chunky Celtic salt from my local food co-op, scooping it out of a large barrel, pulsing it in my blender until it was fine. I wanted this process to be involved. I wanted to work on the Great Mother’s timeline.

This sage and mint herb salt is smoky, deep, and refreshing at the same time. This salt should be used sparingly, mostly to finish or accent meals. Use this salt on gently cooked fish (a swirl of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon or lime, and a sprinkle of herb salt would be lovely), on home cooked popcorn, in stews and soups, in salad dressings, and in grain salads. Alternately, a few generous scoops of this salt would work well for a relaxing herbal bath!

Sage and Mint Herb Salt

Ingredients and supplies:

1 cup grey, pink, or black sea salt (I used a grey Celtic salt)
1 cup dried sage leaves (any culinary sage variety will do)
½ cup dried mint leaves (any mint variety will do)
Blender, food processor, or a large mortar and pestle

Directions:

1. Secure a large handful of fresh culinary sage and mint at the stems with a rubber band or string.

2. Hang your herb bundles by the stems, leaves facing down, in a cool area out of direct sunlight until herbs are devoid of all moisture.

3. When your herbs are dry, remove the rubber band and separate the leaves from the stems. Feel free to compost the stems or add them to a bath.

Store your herbs in a lidded glass jar in a cool, dry place. For your next batch, feel free to substitute mint for other interesting herbs such as rosemary, thyme, tarragon, oregano, or parsley.