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Hi everyone i need your help and wisdom....i have some Lemon Balm growing nicely in my lottie but what can i use it for?  Have i heard you can use it for lemon tea..if so how do i make it?

I love this site...thanks all for your help.

yep, either use it fresh, chopped up, pour hot water on, leave to draw for a couple of minutes, strain and drink..or dry it, crumble and use it like tea..get it to your taste  :)

Thanks...i'm going to try tomorrow...anyone know anything else to use it for?

no, if you find anything, let me know..I suppose pot pourri but I've heard the lemony flavour goes a bit when dried.. :)

Just been searching on the internet, apparently it can be added to salads..sounds nice.

I grew it for the first time last year. I added freshly picked leaves to salads. It made a really nice salad, and you can adjust the amount of lemon flavour according to taste. I love it so added loads.

I made lemon balm wine last year. It was a pretty yellow colour, but didnt have much lemony taste.It was a very nice light wine though.  If I made it again, I think I would double the amount of lemon balm.

I have never tried making tea though. My plants are coming along lovely again this year, so I will give it a go. What is the best way to dry the leaves for tea?

cj :)

I just pick a bunch, tie together, hang it upside down in the kitchen 'til it's dried, like mint or sage etc, crumble and put it in a jar in the dark..don't know if it's right though, it's just how I do it  ;D

Thanks, I will try that this year.

cj :)

self seeds very well  - once established you have got it for life - the tea is lovely

My OH once made Mint sauce out of Lemon Balm - it was horrible!  :)

That reminds me, I must plant some mint for him!

I tried lemon tea and nearly threw up!  What did i do wrong.  I put a handful of lemon balm in a bowl with a cup of water for a few minutes then strained it and drank...it looked and tasted like dish water.  Should i have added milk and sugar maybe?

I looked at this because the lemon balm is one of the few herbs that seems to like me! Now I haven't tried making tea but I know that to make a super mint tea, you use a spoonful of GREEN tea and mix the herb leaves into that, then add boiling water, infuse for 2-3 minutes, then add sugar or honey, preferably to the pot. That is delicious and I expect that you might want to do the same for lemon balm tea. Other wise you could try mixtures? Like lemon balm and verveine, or a little thyme? Make sure that you crush and bruise the leaves before infusing too, or the flavour won't come out.
I also wondered if you could make a strong infusion and use that to flavour other things such as jams or jellies?

Kippers a nice cuppa lemonbalm tea is delicious .    And also try posing... under the hot shower... one arm raised above head like a Roman Goddess ...with bunch of Lemon balm in hand ..for a truely aromatheraputic  moment or ten ....aaah  !    ;)  Rohaise