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.
What parts of lemon balm are used?
leaves
Lemon balm supplements are made from the leaves of the plant. Essential oils made from lemon balm leaves contain plant chemicals called terpenes, which play at least some role in the herb’s relaxing and antiviral effects.
What do you do with lemon balm harvest?
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:
How do you use fresh lemon balm in the garden?
Lemon balm is wonderful when used to make hot or cold tea, and its flavor blends very well with black tea and other herbs such as apple mint, lemon verbena, anise, fennel, and fenugreek. The leaves and flowers make unique, flavorful jelly or herbed vinegar. They can also be added to creamy dressings, dips, and spreads.
How do you process fresh lemon balm?
Dry lemon balm in a dehydrator to quickly preserve it.
Spread the lemon balm in a single layer on dehydrator trays on put them in your machine. You can dehydrate sprigs of lemon balm or just the leaves. Set your machine between 95 and 115 °F (35 and 46 °C) for 1 to 4 hours.
Can I 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.
Can you drink lemon balm tea everyday?
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.
Should you dry lemon balm?
Drying lemon balm can preserve the quality and flavor of the plant for storage. An easy way to have it on hand all year long is to dry it at home. The process is simple and safe, and you will soon have lemon balm when you want to relax for a good night’s sleep!
Can I still use lemon balm after it flowers?
Keep plants well watered during dry spells in summer, and cut back after flowering to encourage a fresh flush of leaves. Lemon balm will self-seed readily, so if you don’t want more plants, remember to remove the faded flowers before they set seed.
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.
When should I harvest lemon balm?
lemon balm is ready to harvest once its leaves reach the desired size. Lemon balm is usually used fresh, as it loses a lot of its scent once it’s dried. Use snips to cut off portions of the lemon balm to use. Leaves can be harvested throughout the summer.
Can you put lemon balm leaves in the bath?
Lemon balm is so soothing on the skin which makes it ideal for use in the bath. There are two ways you in which you can use it for bathing: making a bath bag or also as a sunburn bath soak.
Can you freeze 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.
Is Lemon balm tea better fresh or dried?
Herbalists note that the medicinal properties of lemon balm may be stronger in an infusion made from dried lemon balm leaf, but using more fresh lemon balm and a longer steep time can help extract more of this fragrant herb’s compounds.
Can I air dry lemon balm?
Tender herbs like basil, mint, or lemon balm have high water content and will mold easily if the drying process takes too long. For these herbs, gather into bundles and place in a paper bag with holes. The holes allow proper air circulation. Close the top of Page 2 the bag with string or a rubber band and hang to dry.
How do you dry lemon balm in the oven?
Try to keep them in one layer.
- Turn your oven on to the lowest setting. My oven won’t go lower than 170 degrees F so that’s what I use.
- Dry the herbs in your oven for about an hour, making sure to leave the door ajar.
- The herbs will look shriveled and they will darken in color.
- Cool completely.
- Store in glass jars.
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.
Can you drink lemon balm?
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.
Is Lemon balm tea good for you?
Research has shown that when combined with herbs like valerian, lemon balm helps improve sleep. Also, drinking lemon balm tea can help with insomnia. Compounds in lemon balm may relieve gastrointestinal problems, such as bloating and indigestion.
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.
Is lemon balm antifungal?
Among these products, lemon balm (Melissa officinalis, Lamiaceae) is a medicinal plant and used for the treatment of headaches, gastrointestinal disorders, nervousness, and rheumatism. It is an antibacterial and antifungal agent.