Harvest, use & dry lemon balm

Lemon balm is easy to care for and a strong growing herb. It not only tastes great fresh, it can also be dried and processed.

Planting and caring for lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) are child's play and it usually spreads happily in the garden. In addition to tips on preservation, we have also prepared a few suggestions for using lemon balm in the kitchen.

Harvest lemon balm

the Lemon balm can be pruned back up to four times a year without hesitation in order to bring in an abundant harvest. Thanks to the pronounced joy of growth of lemon balm, it always sprouts again unimpressed. However, there are a few points to consider when harvesting lemon balm:

• Cut the shoots no deeper than about 10 cm above the surface of the earth.
• Individual leaves can also be harvested for fresh use.
• It is best to harvest before the lemon balm blooms, then the leaves are most aromatic.
• If you want to store the lemon balm in a dry place, you should cut back more courageously, as it can be simply tied into bouquets and dried.

tip: There is a possibility to extend the harvest period of the smell and taste intensive lemon balm. For this purpose, a complete crop pruning is made shortly before flowering, which delays the flowering.

Important: Shortly before the lemon balm dries up in autumn, no more radical crop pruning should be carried out. The dried out above-ground parts of the plant help lemon balm to overwinter by forming a protective insulating layer.

Proper nutrition of the plant plays an important role in ensuring that lemon balm has an intense taste. Regular supply of nutrients is essential for many herbs. Especially with them there is biological fertilization, for example with ours Plantura organic universal fertilizer, recommended. Our fertilizer is approved for organic farming and the lion's share consists of organic ingredients. The long-term fertilizer lasts a long time and provides the lemon balm with all the nutrients for healthy growth and aromatic leaves.

Storage: dry and freeze

Since the lemon balm is very vigorous, you usually get a generous harvest and you can't use everything. The lemon balm tastes best freshly harvested, but sometimes it also has to be stored - especially if the supplies are to be used to bridge the cold season. Here are some tips for storing lemon balm:

• It is best to use lemon balm freshly harvested, because then it is most aromatic.
• Wrapped in damp kitchen paper, it can be kept in the refrigerator for a few days. Alternatively, it can simply be placed in a vase and in a shady place in the kitchen.
• To make lemon balm last longer, it can be dried or frozen.

Tip: Whether you should dry or freeze the lemon balm depends entirely on the use. The aroma is better preserved frozen, but dried it can still be used as a medicinal herb, for example as a bath additive or infusion.

Dry lemon balm

Like many other herbs, lemon balm can be dried to extend its useful life. Unfortunately, it loses its aroma, but can still be consumed as a tea. The easiest way is to tie the cut shoots together into small bunches and hang them upside down. Do not wash the lemon balm, just shake the dirt or dust off the leaves. The place to dry should be dark, warm and dry. For example, drying rooms for laundry or a roofed garden shed in summer are perfect. The drying process is complete when the leaves rustle when you move them, ideally after about four days.
The leaves are then placed in airtight jars and stored in a dark and dry place. Dried lemon balm lasts for several months and is particularly suitable for use as a medicinal herb.

The drying process can also be accelerated by drying the coveted leaves in the oven, for example at a low temperature below 40 ° C. However, this procedure is less gentle and can lead to an even greater loss of flavor intensity.

Tip: For drying, the lemon balm harvest should definitely take place when the aroma is most intense. So it's best to harvest them just before flowering in a sunny week in the morning. Rain and darkness also affect the taste.

Freeze lemon balm

If there is still some space in the freezer, you can freeze the lemon balm without any problems. The individual leaves are spread out on a baking sheet or board and placed in the freezer for half an hour. They can then be filled into cans or bags to save space and frozen further. This way the sheets don't stick together and can be used individually. You can also chop the leaves into small pieces before freezing them and put them in ice cube molds with a little water. They are ideal for flavoring beverages. By the way, a clear advantage compared to drying lemon balm is the lower loss of flavor when freezing.

Use lemon balm

Lemon balm should not only be given attention as a medicinal herb. Melissa is also used in the kitchen and can add an interesting, subtle note. In addition to lemon balm tea, there are a few other lemon balm recipes. We give a few suggestions on how you can process the lemon balm:

• fish: Lemon balm goes well with fish. If it is cooked slowly in the oven, a bunch of lemon balm can be added to give off its aroma. The lemon balm tastes even more intense when cut into small pieces and given fresh over the dish.
• Summer salads and dressings: Many dressings and salads are spiced up with lemon. Alternatively, this aroma can also be covered by lemon balm. It also ensures fresh summer enjoyment.
• Jams and jellies: The lemon balm can be used as an additional flavor component in jams and jellies and gives the whole thing a fresh note. You can find a wide variety of recipes with currant, cherry-vanilla or orange-ginger.
• syrup: Lemon balm also brings a pleasantly fresh taste to syrup. You can find out how to make lemon balm syrup yourself in our recipe:
  • Mix 100 g of chopped lemon balm leaves with 4 tablespoons of sugar, leave to stand for 4 hours.
  • Boil 300 g sugar with 600 ml water.
  • Add the zest and juice of 2 organic lemons as well as the herbs and remove from the heat, let stand for 30 minutes.
  • First filter through a fine sieve, then again through a kitchen towel.
  • Bring the filtered syrup to the boil again until it has thickened and pour it into a bottle that has been rinsed with boiling water.

• Sweets and desserts: Lemon balm is also increasingly used in ice cream and sweet baked goods. A lemon balm ice cream, in which the herb plays the main role, can be an exciting dessert in summer.
• Pesto and marinades: Herbs are the main players in pestos and marinades and can be the focus here in terms of taste. Lemon balm is also ideal for this use.

Effect of lemon balm as a medicinal herb

Lemon balm has proven itself as a medicinal herb for centuries - and so successfully that it was named “Medicinal Plant of the Year 1988”. It contains, among other things, essential oils, tannins and flavonoids. These are responsible for the calming, but also anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects of lemon balm. You can also grind the lemon balm and apply it to the skin, but usually it is simply brewed as a tea. Lemon balm is also used as an infusion for inhalation. Either freshly harvested leaves or dried leaves can be used for this. Lemon balm tea has a beneficial effect and unfolds its positive effect on several types of complaints:

• Restlessness, nervousness and stress
• General complaints in the gastrointestinal tract
• Sore throat and cough
• Inflammation in the oral cavity
• Herpes (external use)

tip: Lemon balm can also help keep mosquitos away, because the small insects don't like the scent at all. When rubbed on the skin, the herb can keep pests at bay or help with stings afterwards.

Is lemon balm poisonous?

In principle, lemon balm is not poisonous, but contains substances that help against sleep disorders and digestive problems, among other things. However, you should avoid taking lemon balm in large quantities and over long periods of time. Also, not too much lemon balm should be boiled in too little water in order to avoid too strong an effect.

The herb is not a threat to pets. Lemon balm can also calm rabbits and is also not a problem for cats.

Tip: Melissa leaves are also excellent as a bath additive and unfold their aroma and calming effect.

So it is worthwhile for gourmets as well as for use as a beneficial medicinal herb Cultivation of lemon balm in your own garden.