HerbFresh or dried leaf
Lemon Balm
Melissa officinalis
A lemon-leaf plant for daytime tea and a jug of cold water.
Lemon balm smells like lemon candy and garden leaves at once. It is milder than peppermint and belongs in a sunny pot by the door. Cover the cup so the perfume does not leave.
Traditional uses
- A bright, caffeine-free afternoon tea
- Cold-infused water in summer
- Chopped fresh over fruit or into iced tea
How to prepare
- 1
Tea: 2 tsp dried (or a loose handful fresh) per cup, 90°C, cover 5–7 minutes.
- 2
Cold water: a few sprigs in a jug, two hours in the fridge.
- 3
Dried leaf is stronger than fresh — use less.
Kitchen & home
- It spreads. Harvest often or grow it in a pot.
- Dry on a screen in the shade, then jar.
- A strip of lemon peel in the cup is enough garnish.
Go gently
- Mild for most people. Stop if it does not sit well.
- Traditional kitchen use, not a medicine.
