Lemon balm is an easy and versatile plant to grow that will provide an abundant harvest throughout the growing season. It’s also a perennial herb so will return year after year.
Take cuttings frequently to keep your plants productive. Each time lemon balm is harvested, the plant will bounce back with even more vigorous growth.
As its name certainly suggests, this herb has a mildly lemon flavor and fragrance. For a subtle hint of citrus, toss in a few leaves when preparing soups and sauces, salads and vinaigrettes. Add it to meat marinades, cookie dough, smoothies, herbal butters, jams, and homemade breads. You can even chew on the leaves for an instant breath freshener!
Read on to discover the many ways you can use lemon balm in the kitchen and beyond…
1. Lemon Balm Tea
Calming and aromatic, lemon balm tea is easy to make with either fresh or dried lemon balm leaves.
You’ll need:
- 1 cup of water
- 10 fresh lemon balm leaves or 1 rounded tablespoon of dried lemon balm. (Here’s how to dry lemon balm at home)
- 2 teaspoons of honey
Using a teapot or infuser, pour 1 cup of boiling water and add lemon balm. Allow the blend to steep for 10 to 20 minutes. Strain and add honey. Stir well and enjoy.
You can elevate this basic recipe by adding in cloves, lavender, orange zest, mint, or other herbs and spices during the steeping process.
2. Lemon Balm Iced Tea
An excellent pick me up on a hot summer day, lemon balm iced tea is a wonderfully refreshing bevvie.
You’ll need:
- 8 cups of water
- 1 cup of lemon balm leaves, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons of honey
Place chopped lemon balm into a large bowl and add boiling water and honey. Cover and let it steep for at least two hours. Using a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth, carefully pour into a pitcher to remove plant bits.
Stir well and store in the refrigerator. Serve over ice with a slice of lemon or lime to garnish.
3. Lemon Balm Lemonade
For a stronger, zestier, lip puckering refreshment, this lemonade recipe is both tart and sweet.
You need:
- 8 cups of water
- 3 cups of fresh lemon balm
- 6 lemons, for zest and juice
- ¾ cup of honey
With a large pot on the stovetop, add water, lemon balm, and zest of 6 lemons. Bring to a boil and turn off heat. Add honey and lemon juice, stirring well. Allow mixture to steep until the liquid has cooled. Strain and transfer to a pitcher. Chill lemonade in the fridge or add ice and serve right away.
4. Fruity Lemon Balm Shrub
Drinking shrubs are concentrated syrups made from fruit, sugar, and vinegar.
Allowed to steep for days to weeks, they impart bold, deep flavors when mixed with plain water or seltzer. Since any type of fruit (or combination of fruits) will do, it’s a fantastic way to use up your bumper crops.
You can also collect fruit scraps (apple cores, orange peels, peach pits, and the like) for a zero waste brew.
To make, you will need:
- Quart sized canning jars (like these)
- 2 cups of fruit, chopped
- ½ cup of lemon balm, chopped
- 2 cups of apple cider vinegar
- 1 to 2 cups of sugar
- Cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer
Add fruit, lemon balm, and sugar to the jar. Mash it up with a wooden spoon to release juices and screw on the lid. Place in the fridge for 24 hours. Add vinegar and stir well. Replace lid and store in a cool, dark place for up to one month – the longer you leave it, the more intense the flavors will be.
Using cheesecloth and another clean jar, strain the mixture until all fruit bits have been removed and the liquid is clear and unclouded. Screw on the lid tightly and store in the fridge. Drinking shrubs will last for six months.
To serve, dilute shrubs to taste. Start with a glass of flat or fizzy water and add 1 tablespoon of shrub and stir well.
5. Blueberry + Lemon Balm Kombucha
A flavorful, functional, and fermented beverage, this kombucha recipe is rife with probiotics and antioxidants, thanks to the blueberries and green tea. A teaspoon of fresh lemon balm leaves gives this brew a lovely citrusy note.
Get the recipe from Kombucha Hunter.
6. Lemon Balm Mead
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