table of contents
- Harvest lemon balm
- Drying herb
- Valuable ingredients
- Fresh herb preparation
- Prepare the dried cabbage
- frequently asked Questions
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 make 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 warm or cold
Harvest lemon balm
The taste of tea drinks with lemon balm is strongly influenced by the time of harvest. If the harvest is done 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 so that fresh leaves can 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 topmost shoot tips
- Check shoot tips for pests (e. B. Aphids)
Tip: Cut the tips of the lemon balm shoots regularly to prevent the herb from blooming.
Drying herb
You have the option of using fresh lemon balm for tea or to dry the shoot tips so that you can use the balm for teas in winter too. When it comes to drying, the ideal harvest time plays a particularly important role, because the higher the content of ingredients, the longer the good taste will be retained.
When drying, you should pay attention to the following points:
- Loosely distribute the shoot tips
- Dry in a place protected from light
- Turn the shoot tips over and over again so that they dry evenly
- Do not expose the shoot tips to excessive heat
To dry, you can spread the herbs loosely in a cardboard box. If you want it to go faster, you can dry the shoots in the oven with the door slightly open.
Tip: If you dry herbs regularly, you should consider purchasing an automatic dehydrator. This can be used to make herbs like the Gently dry lemon balm.
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, are retained even after drying.
Fresh herb preparation
You can put the fresh lemon balm in a pot to brew immediately after harvesting.
Recipe for fresh herb preparation:
- Collect 10 - 15 leaves or 3 - 4 shoot tips
- Bring 500 ml of water to the boil
- Let the leaves steep for a maximum of 10 minutes
The amount of leaves you choose for fresh preparation depends on your personal preferences. If you want a more intense taste, you can also use more leaves.
Tip: Let the tea cool down again and add a few ice cubes, you have a refreshing summer drink.
Prepare the dried cabbage
If you want to make lemon balm tea from dried herb, take as many tea leaves for 500 ml of water that there is space between your fingertips. Let the herbs steep again for 10 minutes. To prevent leaves floating around later, you can, for example, put the herbs in a tea infuser.
frequently asked Questions
The dried herb should be kept in a dark place. The taste stays longer in an airtight glass.
Depending on how they were stored, the leaves have clearly lost their taste and thus their quality after six to twelve months.
Herbs should be dried at a maximum of 40 ° C.
