Help the development of the site, sharing the article with friends!

Lemon balm has many valuable ingredients that you can enjoy in the form of tea. Lemon balm tea does not have to be drunk warm. The herb can also be used to prepare a refreshing summer drink.

In a nutshell

  • choose the right harvest time for lemon balm
  • Teas can be prepared with both fresh and dried herbs
  • the tea can be drunk hot or cold

Harvest lemon balm

The taste of tea drinks with lemon balm is strongly influenced by the time of harvest. If harvested too early or too late in the day, the essential oil content is low. In addition, the herb should not bloom. In principle, lemon balm can be harvested all year round as long as there are no flowers. In this case, the herb is simply cut back to allow fresh leaves to grow back.
To collect the herb, do the following:

  • collect in the late morning
  • Herb must not be damp (no rain)
  • only cut off the top tips of the shoots
  • Check shoot tips for pests (e.g. aphids)

Tip: Regularly cut the shoot tips of the lemon balm to prevent the herb from flowering.

dry herb

You have the option of using fresh lemon balm for a tea or drying the shoot tips so that you can also use the lemon balm for teas in winter. For drying, the ideal harvest time plays a particularly important role, because the higher the content of ingredients, the longer the good taste is retained.
When drying, you should pay attention to the following points:

  • Distribute shoot tips loosely
  • dry in a place protected from light
  • Turn the shoot tips over and over again so that they dry evenly
  • Do not expose shoot tips to excessive heat

To dry, you can spread the herbs loosely in a cardboard box. If you want to go faster, you can also dry the shoot tips in the oven with the door slightly open.

Tip: If you dry herbs regularly, you should consider purchasing a dehydrator. This allows herbs such as lemon balm to be gently dried.

Valuable ingredients

Both dried and fresh lemon balm are rich in valuable ingredients that are good for the body.
This includes:

  • Essential Oils
  • flavonoids
  • glycosides
  • bitter substances
  • Vitamins (especially vitamin C)

Above all, the essential oils, which are responsible for the typical lemon-like scent, remain even after drying.

fresh herb preparation

You can put the fresh lemon balm in a pitcher for steeping immediately after harvesting.
Recipe for fresh cabbage preparation:

  • Collect 10 - 15 leaves or 3 - 4 shoot tips
  • Boil 500 ml of water
  • Let the leaves steep for a maximum of 10 minutes

The amount of leaves you choose for a fresh preparation depends on your personal preferences. If you want a more intense flavor, you can use more leaves.

cooled lemon balm tea is also very suitable as a refreshing drink

Tip: Let the tea cool down again and add a few ice cubes for a refreshing summer drink.

Prepare dried herb

If you would like to prepare lemon balm tea from dried herbs, add as many tea leaves to 500 ml of water as will fit between your fingertips. Let the herbs steep again for 10 minutes. So that no leaves are floating around later, you can, for example, fill the herbs in a tea egg.

frequently asked Questions

What is the best way to store dried lemon balm?

The dried herb should be kept in the dark. The taste lasts longer in an airtight jar.

How long do the dried leaves keep?

Depending on how they were stored, the leaves have lost a lot of their taste and quality after six to twelve months.

At what temperature is the lemon balm dried?

Herbs should be dried at a maximum of 40°C.

Help the development of the site, sharing the article with friends!

Category:

Vegetable garden