Herb Profile: Lemon Balm

Herb Profile: Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) 

Description:
Lemon Balm is known for its namesake lemon scent, which is enough to charm anyone who brushes past it on a hot summer day. A perennial in the mint family, lemon balm offers true cut-and-come-again gifts that keep on giving. When in bloom, the pollenators are all over it! 

Nutrition:
Lemon balm has a rich cultural history with ancient Greek and Romans, but is especially revered by Arabian herbalists for heart disorders and depression. Indeed, Western herbalists consider it a valuable and tasty nervine which helps to soothe anxiousness and stress when drunk as a tea. The plant has also been shown to inhibit bacteria and virus proliferation when used topically. It's considered cooling, and perfect to drink iced on a hot day! 

​Storage:
Lemon balm likes to be stored like it likes its growing environment: dry and cool. Either place it in a water-proof, air-tight container in the fridge and use within 5 days, or simply hang to dry in a cool low-light low-humidity area. I also like to make infused vinegar and tincture with the fresh herb for use in the winter. Make sure to take it down when crisp, and in a paper bag, rub the leaves off the stems with your fingers and jar or bag them up for later use.

Use:
Lemon balms unique and distinctive lemony flavor lend itself well to salads and fruit salads, punch, marinades for fish or vegetables, corn, lamb, broccoli, asparagus, and anything you could use a little lemon flavor with! 

Fresh: 
Simply remove the leaves of lemon blam by sliding your thumb and pointer finger down the stem over a bowl. Only do so just before cooking with them, as they will keep better when left on the stem.

Dried:
Lemon balm can be easily dried by hanging in a low-light, low- humidity place with good air circulation on the stem. You can also use a dehydrator. We do not recommend drying in an oven, as heat will destroy flavor and color of the herb. 

Sources:
​The Gift of Healing Herbs by Robin Rose Bennett
The Rodale Encyclopida of Herbs
Asparagus to Zucchini by Fairshare Coalition
Produce: A fruit and vegetable lover's guide by Bruce Beck
Our own experience!

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