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How To Make Refreshing Lemon Balm Tea

I first discovered Lemon Balm when we bought our house several years ago.  It had been planted near the front door and looked like a weed to me. 


After doing some research, I found that Lemon Balm is in the mint family (so it's not so far from the "weed" category).  It spreads easily and grows quickly. 

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For several years, I've used it to garnish fruit platters and pitchers of ice water in the summer.   Because I have so much of it, I figured I would research what else I could do with the herb.  Come to find out - you can make a tea with it!

I read a few recipes and came up with my version of Lemon Balm Tea that my family really loves. 

First, pick a bouquet of lemon balm and wash it well.  Trim the leaves and put into a glass bowl.

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Add boiling water to cover the leaves and let it steep for 20 minutes or so. 

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Don't worry if the leaves turn a bit brown - that 's normal.

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Strain off the liquid, leaving the leaves behind. 

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You can add a bit of sweetener and fill the pitcher with water for a Lemon Balm Drink, or you can also add a few tea bags to make it a Lemon Balm Tea.  I added 1/4 cup sucanant for sweetener and 2 large decaf tea bags.  I also used the cold brew method for making iced tea.

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I'll have to start making a double batch because it's not lasting long around here.


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Comments

  1. AnonymousJune 1, 2012 at 9:18 AM

    Finally something to do with the plant in my windowsill! Is it easy to graft and plant outside? :) Love, Jessica (Bowers) Graham

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sheri OJune 2, 2012 at 11:03 PM

    Sounds wonderful! Does it actually taste lemony or is it minty? We drink lots of tea too. I'd love to try it. Is it an easy plant to grow? Have you seen seeds anywhere?

    Sheri O.

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  3. Tidy Brown WrenJune 3, 2012 at 3:25 PM

    Lemon Balm easily roots and can be transplanted outside. Actually, Jessica, I haven't had luck with it growing indoors! You might want to check to see if it grows well outside in beautiful Ireland. It might not be the right zone.

    Sheri, I'll bring you a division of mine so you can plant some in your garden. It tastes lemony, but not tart like lemons so there's no need to add sugar unless you like sweet tea.

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