Gently pat the leaves dry and place on a cloth or paper towel laid over a wire rack. Turn the leaves over a couple of times a day until they are completely dry— this will take a few days. The leaves must be completely dry before storing or they will mold. Store in an airtight container.
How do you preserve lemon verbena leaves?
Store them in an airtight container out of direct sunlight. You can also strip the fresh leaves from the stems and dry them on a screen, in the microwave, or oven. When the leaves are completely dry, store them in an airtight container out of sunlight. Be sure to label and date the container.
Can I freeze lemon verbena leaves?
See Recipes With Lemon Verbena
Fresh lemon verbena can be stored by placing it in clean ice cube trays, covered with water and put in the refrigerator to freeze. When ready to use, simply remove a few cubes and keep the rest in the freezer. Another way to store lemon verbena is by drying it.
How do you harvest lemon verbena leaves?
Lemon Verbena can be harvested as needed or harvested at all once in mid-summer when it is bushy and full of lush growth. Harvest the herb by snipping off branches in the morning when oils are most concentrated (versus removing individual leaves) like you would for thyme or rosemary.
How do you make lemon verbena for the winter?
Keep It Alive
- Frost tender at around 30 degrees Fahrenheit; to avoid death in cold winter areas, plant lemon verbena in a container that you can bring indoors during the winter.
- Plant in full sun or part sun in hotter regions.
- Grows to 6 feet with regular pruning (or this shrub can become leggy).
Does lemon verbena dry well?
And each year, I pick, pluck, and trim the stems several times throughout the summer to dry for herbal tea through the winter because I simply can’t get enough of the soothing, floral, lemony flavor. Drying lemon verbena is easy because the leaves are already pretty dry compared to other herbs like mint or basil.
Can I eat lemon verbena leaves?
Lemon Verbena is Edible, so its Useful as a lemon flavor or an tasty addition to salads. AND Its Medicinal – You can use the leaves & flowers internally in the form of a herbal tea & externally as a poultice, oil or wash.
What can I do with lemon verbena leaves?
This lemon-scented herb has a number of culinary uses ranging from rich roasts to sweet citrusy desserts and jams. Lemon verbena can be used to make flavorful olive oil-based salad dressings, subtle lemon ice cream, and lemon verbena jelly, as well as season poultry dishes, salsa verde, and soups.
How do you freeze fresh leaves?
Remove stems and loosely fill a Ziploc bag with the leaves. Tightly compress the leaves into the bottom of the bag, seal and roll the bag around the bundled herbs. Secure with rubber bands or twine and place in the freezer. Rolled herbs can then be sliced as needed for use in recipes.
How do you freeze lemon leaves?
Once the herbs are measured and portioned out in the ice cube tray, fill each cube halfway up with water. Make sure all of the leaves are submerged in the water and freeze the tray for at least one hour. Once the ice cubes are frozen, top off each tray with water. Place the tray back into the freezer to freeze solid.
Should you cut back lemon verbena?
The best time for cutting back lemon verbena is in spring, shortly after you see new growth. This is the main pruning of the year and will encourage new, bushy growth. Remove winter damage and dead stems down to ground level. Cut old, woody growth down to about 2 inches (5 cm.)
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.
How do you harvest lemon verbena without killing the plant?
Harvesting is one of the few changes lemon verbena loves. It’s always willing to share a few leaves. If you’ll need more than a few leaves, you can cut your plant back by up to half, quite safely. Try to cut from various parts of the plant to ensure that new growth comes back evenly.
Does lemon verbena come back each year?
A perennial herb in zones 9 and 10, lemon verbena can be grown as an annual in northern climates. It forms a shrubby plant that benefits from regular pruning to keep it from getting leggy. Fortunately, regular trimming also gives you plenty of citrusy leaves for use in beverages and dishes.
How do I prepare verbena for winter?
Verbena plants may also be trimmed lightly in the fall, but this is not recommended since it can make them less resistant to the effects of colder temperatures. It is a better idea to leave them alone during the fall and winter, as any extra foliage can protect them during their dormancy.
Can you take cuttings from lemon verbena?
You can take lemon verbena cuttings in two ways: softwood or semi-ripe. Many swear by semi-ripe cuttings – which are taken in summer from stems where the base of the cutting is hard but the end is still soft – but I have only ever taken softwood cuttings in spring from new soft growth.
Is lemon verbena tea good for you?
Health benefits of Lemon Verbena tea
The tea’s relaxant qualities mean that it can be drunk to sooth stomach cramps and period pain. Lemon Verbena is also calming for mind as well as body: it’s well-known for relieving stress and nervousness.
How long does it take to dry lemon verbena?
4. Place the verbena stalks on a cookie sheet and allow them to dry for several days on a counter top or table, out of direct sunlight. Turn occasionally to ensure that no moisture is hiding under the leaves, as this could cause molding.
Can lemon verbena be grown indoors?
Keeping Verbena Inside
Having it readily on hand, you can also enjoy it any time you want in a cup of tea, in desserts, and in savory dishes. Outdoors, lemon verbena can grow quite large, but growing verbena indoors in containers is very much doable.
Does lemon verbena make you sleep?
May improve sleep quality
One study in 100 people with insomnia demonstrated that taking 10 mL of a lemon verbena syrup before bedtime significantly improved their ability to fall asleep, total sleep time, sleep quality, and daytime sleepiness, compared with those in a placebo group ( 16 ).
What is lemon verbena health benefits?
Lemon verbena is used for digestive disorders including indigestion, gas, colic, diarrhea, and constipation. It is also used for agitation, joint pain, trouble sleeping (insomnia), asthma, colds, fever, hemorrhoids, varicose veins, skin conditions, and chills.