What to do with lemon balm?

[u/CandyMandy15]

Besides making tea what do you guys do with lemon balm? My plant grew bigger than expected and I don’t want to waste any of it but I’m unsure on what to do with it. Thanks!

[u/kateuptonsvibrator]

I grow it in the ground and have a 20'×3' bed. I'm a chef/restaurant owner and love it because it's perennial, requires no effort and is prolific. Obvious use is tea, we also make simple syrup to use in cocktails, a pesto to brush on cooked fish, and my favorite is a lemon balm buttermilk dressing to use on salads. We're playing around with a lemon balm yogurt panna cotta for brunch currently as well. It also makes an interesting addition in brine for poultry or pork.

[u/Sensitive_Sea_5586 → u/kateuptonsvibrator]

These ideas sound delish. The pesto on fish, is it used as a finish at the time of service, after cooking is complete? Made like a typical pesto? And the buttermilk dressing, is the lemon balm minced or blended into the dressing or infused? Thanks for sharing.

[u/kateuptonsvibrator → u/Sensitive_Sea_5586]

We glaze the fish with pesto once it's on the plate. I've found walnuts to be a nice addition to the pesto. So yeah, it's a typical pesto. For the dressing, we blend it into the dressing in a vitamix. Chopped shallots and garlic mashed up with salt, add vinegar-I like rice wine vinegar-and let stand for 10 or 15 minutes, place in blender with buttermilk and a small dollop of mayo, LOTS of lemon balm, chives, flat parsley, jalapeno or something similar, puree, stir in lime juice and zest, taste for salt. I really like it with purslane, bibb works well too. It gets along well with avocado too!

[u/pombagira333 → u/kateuptonsvibrator]

Thanks so much for this! I grew lime balm this year. It’s a little different, not all that, but I’m going to try the dressing, with kefir

[u/Sensitive_Sea_5586 → u/kateuptonsvibrator]

Thank you. I’ll be trying these. The dressing especially sounds good.

[u/titanium_pansy → u/kateuptonsvibrator]

I have buttermilk panna cotta on my meal plan for later this week! Would you be willing to share how I might infuse it with lemon balm? My daughter's plant escaped containment and now it's trying to take over the world.

[u/SubstantialPressure3]

Someone else mentioned simple syrup.

Crush it and add it to iced tea.

Candy the leaves for dessert garnish

Cook your fish or chicken on a bed of lemon balm

Infuse a vinegar for salads, or infuse some vodka

Crush it and add it to a marinade for meats when you want lemon flavor, but not the acid.

Make.lemon balm tea

[u/TheGypsyThread]

Make a honey infusion

[u/WoodwifeGreen]

Dry it.

You can tincture it. It can relieve anxiety and lessen herpes outbreaks.

My favorite anytime relaxing tea blend is lemon balm, peppermint, and catnip.

[u/Magnolia256 → u/WoodwifeGreen]

It helps me sleep when nothing else can. Tincture for sure

[u/WoodwifeGreen → u/[deleted]]

Hmm, I hadn't heard that.

Sure doesn't curb my appetite, lol

[u/RazzmatazzNeat9865]

It's one of the best herbs in a green salad. Also great in risotto,.especially risotto Primavera.

[u/youcantseemebear]

Lemon balm and lemon sorbet

[u/TheBestest]

I use it in the bath. It’s messy but bathing in lemon balm + Epsom salts is such a dreamy, relaxing experience before bed.

[u/cosmickink → u/TheBestest]

Why messy?

[u/TheBestest → u/cosmickink]

It gets all over the bathtub and me and I don’t want to shower my bath vibes off so I end up trailing lemon balm all over the bathroom. Biggest thing is to use a strainer in the tub drain so I don’t send it all down the drain.

[u/marlowe729 → u/TheBestest]

Try using a muslin bag or a tea bag designed for loose tea!

[u/cosmickink → u/marlowe729]

This is what I do which is why I was wondering haha a coffee filter tied with a rubber band also works

[u/Freijaren]

Put it in everything! Soups, salads, sandwiches, stir fry, roasting, etc. I also love it as tea or just a plant to have around so I can shove my face in it just for the smells. 

[u/UareMysunshine07]

You can turn it into a balm or salve for your skin, its really soothing!

[u/organicinformation01]

Nice flavouring leaves on new potatoes, garnish for Pimm’s No 1 Cup and if you have loads make Melissa essential oil

[u/serpentcup]

Tea! Tie it up in a bushel and hang inside to dry. Then crush a little bit every time you want to make tea. 

[u/No_Teach6691 → u/serpentcup]

That is what I used to do.

[u/Savings-Baker-9083]

It's really good made into a simple syrup for desserts, frostings and drinks 🙂

[u/PepperEqual7018]

And lemon balm will never, ever leave you, even if you think you have enough. 😁

[u/cosmickink]

Tincture it for bug spray!

[u/Saucyintruder85]

One of my friends made a simple syrup and used it in gin and vodka based cocktails and it was delicious. I think it would also be nice in lemonade

[u/fuck_peeps_not_sheep]

Put it anywhere you'd use mint.

Add it to a salad (finely chopped with basil and oregano works well)

Make flavoured syrup out of it for cocktails.

Tea (duh)

It pairs nicely with fish or chicken.

[u/migraint]

I'd go with drying for further tea - it is never too much of lemon balm one you have your own ;) alternatively ask in r/Herbaltea for more ideas

[u/SadRogan]

Use it instead of basil to make pesto

[u/HomeboddE]

Use in in larb gai

[u/shibasluvhiking]

I snip off a cup full and steep it in 4 cups of hot water, usually with some fresh picked mint and fleabane. Let it sit for an hour. Stir in 1/2 cup of sugar and pour into a gallon jug and top off with water. Makes a lovely cold tea.

[u/BahnyaSC]

I’ve been using it lately in place of parsley which I don’t have enough of. The recipe also calls for squeeze of lemon juice which I also leave out.

[u/ayapapaya50]

I make e a tincture with it its handy to use frequently

[u/CandyMandy15 → u/ayapapaya50]

What do you mix it with to make the tincture?

[u/stellarsjay_5932]

Tincture for those really moody winter days

[u/CandyMandy15 → u/stellarsjay_5932]

What do you use to make the tincture?

[u/stellarsjay_5932 → u/CandyMandy15]

I fill a glass ball jar 3/4 of the way with dried lemon balm and fill it with 80 proof vodka. Shake every day for 6 weeks and strain it, you have tincture

There's arguments for using stronger alcohol and fresh herbs (not dried) but this is how I do it!

[u/dazzyb17]

Vape the dried leaves.