12+ Things to Do With Lemon Balm:
- Make a sleepy time herbal syrup:
- Make a lemon balm bug spray:
- Chop fresh leaves and sprinkle on salads or in baked goods:
- Make a lip balm for cold sores:
- Make a glycerite:
- Make a relaxing, tummy soothing tea:
- Make lemon balm soap:
- Make a simple remedy for bug bites & acne:
What can lemon balm plant be used for?
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), a member of the mint family, is considered a calming herb. It was used as far back as the Middle Ages to reduce stress and anxiety, promote sleep, improve appetite, and ease pain and discomfort from indigestion (including gas and bloating, as well as colic).
What can you do with fresh lemon balm?
It is also a common ingredient in herbal teas. A handful of fresh lemon balm and mint makes an excellent hot or iced tea, especially with honey. You can also use the herb to bake a batch of lemon balm cookies or lemon balm bread, whisk up a quick lemon balm vinaigrette, or top your pasta with lemon balm pesto.
Can you drink lemon balm leaves?
Summary. Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is an herb in the mint family. It can be consumed as tea, taken as a supplement or extract, or rubbed on the skin in balms and lotions.
Can you eat raw lemon balm leaves?
The whole plant is edible, though its the tender leaves you are after. Lemon balm has a long history of a wide array herbal medicine uses, in particular for soothing, calming and raising the spirit – just one smell of the crushed leaves does all of these for me.
Is lemon balm plant edible?
Culinary use
Lemon Balm can be used both in hot and iced teas and in combination with other herbs such as spearmint. The plant is also often used as a flavoring in ice cream and its also suitable for spicing up chicken and fish dishes. Early fresh leaves can be chopped and added to salads.
Can I smoke lemon balm?
If you were just looking to know if lemon balm is smokable, the simple answer is yes, but if you were looking at a therapeutic herb then you should know by now that no study suggests that lemon balm can provide any benefit to your body or mind when smoked.
How do you harvest and use lemon balm?
You can harvest small amounts of lemon balm for use throughout its growing season by snapping off a few leaves at a time. For a bigger harvest, use shears to snip leaves from the center stem, in between side shoots, to continue encouraging bushy, full growth.
Is Lemon balm tea safe?
While more studies are needed to determine how lemon balm tea may help individuals, it does appear that the tea is safe for most people to consume. A person should consult their doctor if they have an underlying condition, such as a thyroid issue, before regularly consuming lemon balm tea.
Can you freeze fresh lemon balm?
Some herbs maintain their flavor better when frozen instead of dried. Freezing works well for herbs like parsley, dill, basil, chives lemon balm, mint or tarragon.
What does lemon balm do to the brain?
Lemon balm significantly reduces excitatory transmission in the brain by inhibiting an enzyme called GABA-T that breaks down GABA, thus increasing the amount of GABA available in the brain.
Can lemon balm tea help you lose weight?
Does lemon balm work for weight loss? Because it has anti-inflammatory effects, can help you cope with stress, improves digestion and supports metabolic health, it may be useful for maintaining a healthy weight. It’s a not a magic bullet, but help with weight loss might be a potential secondary effect.
Does lemon balm help you sleep?
4. It can help ease insomnia and other sleep disorders. Combining lemon balm with valerian may help relieve restlessness and sleep disorders such as insomnia. Researchers in one 2006 study found that children who took a combined dose experienced a 70 to 80 percent improvement in symptoms.
Does lemon balm lower blood pressure?
In this study in people with essential hypertension, supplementation with lemon balm extract led to a reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressure. This Study Summary was published on January 4, 2022.
How do you use lemon balm for anxiety?
TEA. The easiest ways to have your daily dose of lemon balm is to make it into a tea! The ratio is easy to remember:1 tablespoon of dried or chopped fresh lemon balm per eight fluid ounces. Allow the tea to steep for at least eight minutes for best results.
How do you preserve fresh lemon balm?
To store your lemon balm, keep the leaves and stems in big pieces to retain as much flavor as possible. Store your herbs in paper bags or glass jars (avoid plastic bags as they may lead to condensation).
Can you use the flowers of lemon balm?
The flowers are also edible and can be candied or used to garnish fruit salads, beverages, or desserts. My favorite way to use lemon balm is in iced tea. I absolutely love it mixed with fresh raspberry leaf and nettle. It is also delicious blended with black or green tea.
Does lemon balm come back every year?
Container Growing Lemon Balm
Winter growing: Cut back lemon balm in fall leaving just 2 inches of stem. The plant may freeze back to the ground in winter but will re-grow from underground roots and renew itself in spring.
How do you dry lemon balm?
Lemon balm leaves are delicate and dry quickly. You can do it on a tray in the sunshine, in a dehydrator, the oven, or my favorite, in the microwave. Once dry they can be packed in an airtight jar and kept in a dark dry place (like your cupboard) for up to a year.
How long does dried lemon balm last?
Store dried lemon balm for up to 1 year at room temperature.
Pop the dried leaves into a glass storage container with a sealable lid. Then, store the lemon balm in a dry location away from light and heat. Label your lemon balm and use it within 1 year of drying the leaves.
Does lemon balm tea have caffeine?
Examples of popular herbal teas that are 100% caffeine free include: Chamomile. Mint (including peppermint and spearmint) Lemon balm.