Lemon balm is a mint, and I've got tons of it in my backyard. It makes a wonderful calming tea much like chamomile tea. I like to use the fresh leaves because they retain the lemony smell and taste. I take a handful from the garden, wash them, pour hot water over them in a mug, and let them steep for about two minutes. I remove the leaves and usually add a tiny bit of sugar to bring up the lemon. It tastes wonderful!See Lemon Balm Tea Benefits
Lemon balm also tastes good in cold tea, salads, and in any recipe where you want a subtle lemony taste. Fresh lemon balm should be added at the end of the cooking process, otherwise they turn black and taste bitter.
I mentioned my mint garden last year, Totally Divine Mint . Much of the other kinds of mint I mentioned in this post never returned after our drought. The lemon balm appears to be the hardier mint in my garden. It can be invasive in some climates. My garden is on the hot dry side, so it's contained to the shade. It does sneak onto the lawn, but smells wonderful when we mow; it's a natural insect repellent as well.
Lemon Balm in Autoimmune Diseases
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6 comments:
I have this in the front yard- you're right it IS hardy! I thought nothing could crowd out regular mint, but this little beauty did.
I'll have to try steeping it- that sounds yummy! Have you tried Blue Yonder's mint ice cream? It's AMAZING, and I mean to try it with the lemon balm this summer. Wonder what else we can do with it? :)
We have some of this growing out back in the wild bit of the garden ~ I shall try it! Thanks :¬)
Mrs.P xx
H.m.m.m.m! I may have to try and grow some of this...I wonder if Lowe's or Home Depot would have this...
Elizabeth
I made tea with some today. It was a little weak for me, but nice!
It's not black tea, that's for sure. I read that it tastes good paired with peppermint tea. I drank it with chamomile the other night, but it tastes best to me plain. I use quite a few leaves, so get a strong flavor.
Myrnie, that Blue Yonder ice cream sounds wonderful! I'll have to see if we have this in my area.
Mrs. P and Elizabeth thanks for your comments. :) I'm sure you can find it at Home Depot, or even Walmart.
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