Culinary Uses While lemon verbena is often used as a seasoning for fruits and desserts, lemon balm is more often used for flavoring meats, fish and poultry or added to vegetable dishes. Both are used as garnishes for cold drinks and can be used interchangeably in recipes.
Is lemon balm the same as lemon verbena?
Lemon verbena is from the Verbenaceae family and is a South American herb, while lemon balm is a European herb in the mint family.
What can you substitute for lemon verbena?
Lemon Verbena Substitute
- Mint Family. Two plants that have lemon-flavored leaves are in the mint family.
- Lemongrass. Lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus) is a tropical perennial grass, and it’s often treated as an annual in Northern gardens.
- Lemon Basil.
- Other Lemony Herbs.
What herb is similar to lemon balm?
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- Lemon balm.
- Chervil.
- Chives.
- Borage.
What is the difference between verbena and lemon verbena?
Are Verbena and Lemon Verbena Different? In short, lemon verbena is one of many plants that could be called a verbena. Around 1,200 species are in the Verbenaceae, or verbena plant family. The ones most commonly called verbenas are the roughly 250 species in the genus Verbena.
What is lemon balm tea good 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 I do with fresh lemon balm?
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:
Can I substitute lemon thyme for lemon verbena?
If you need a substitute for lemon thyme, then your best options are regular thyme combined with lemon zest, dried lemon thyme, lemon verbena, or lemon balm. If you’re in a pinch, you could also consider using lemongrass or sage.
Is lemon verbena the same as lemon thyme?
Lemon verbena has a bright, slightly sweet, herbaceous flavor with a distinct hint of lemon. Despite its strong lemon scent, this citrusy herb has a far less aggressive lemon flavor than lemon balm, lemon thyme, lemon mint, and lemongrass.
Can I substitute lemon balm for lemongrass?
Lemon Balm
Lemon balm belongs to the mint family and has a mild, sweet flavor as well as a pleasant citrusy aroma. It’s a great substitute for both fresh and dried lemongrass in any recipe, but it’s especially good in tea and desserts.
How can you tell lemon balm?
Most mints look similar and they all have square stems, which makes them pretty easy to identify, and if it smells like lemons then it’s most likely lemon balm. It’s such an awesome plant that you definitely will want to start growing and foraging for lemon balm as soon as you can.
Does lemon balm taste sour?
Culinary Uses of Lemon Balm
Lemon balm leaves have a sour and aromatic minty flavor. Like citrus, lemon balm comfortably saddles up to sweet and savory dishes alike.
What does lemon balm plant smell like?
The green leaves of lemon balm have the scent of lemon with a hint of mint, with leaves that look like oversized mint — no surprise, since lemon balm is part of the mint family.
Can you eat lemon balm?
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 invasive?
Lemon balm is part of the mint family, and spreads just like mint and become very invasive.
Does lemon balm work for anxiety?
As an herb that has an affinity for the nervous system, lemon balm is a go-to herb for anxiety and depression. Not only does it bring your stress response back into balance in the moment, it is known for its ability to support a healthy fight-or-flight response long-term.
What are the side effects of drinking lemon balm tea?
When taken by mouth: Lemon balm is likely safe when consumed in amounts found in foods. Lemon balm supplements are possibly safe when used at a dose of up to 500 mg daily for up to 6 months. Side effects are generally mild and might include increased appetite, nausea, dizziness, and wheezing.
Is lemon balm anti inflammatory?
The use of herbs to relieve pain has a long history in the world of medicine. The fact that the essential oil of lemon balm has anti-inflammatory properties supports the traditional use of this herb in the treatment of numerous diseases associated with inflammation or pain (Bounihi et al., 2013).
How much lemon balm tea can you drink?
To make a lemon balm tea, brew 1.5 to 4.5 grams of leaves in 150 milliliters of hot water. This can be taken several times a day. The leaves can also be eaten, up to 10 grams a day. Check supplement formulations with your doctor to make sure the dosages are suitable for you.
What does lemon balm taste like?
As part of the mint plant family, lemon balm leaves have a lemony scent and taste pleasantly mild, with subtle citrus notes.
Can lemon balm hypothyroidism?
Thyroid disease: Don’t use lemon balm. There is a concern that lemon balm may change thyroid function, reduce thyroid hormone levels, and interfere with thyroid hormone-replacement therapy.