The
days are still hot here but getting shorter and shorter. I always find
myself holding onto August, not wanting summer to be over just yet, but
it feels like this year and this summer have flown by. The best part of
late August is the bounty! It feels like everything in my family's
gardens is overflowing! I tried a new nectarine jam recipes this weekend
and have started preserving our herbs to enjoy in the fall and winter
in a cup of tea. Yesterday, I cut some lemon balm and tied it up to dry.
Lemon balm is such a special herb! Not only does it grow very easily, it's a part of the mint family so if you're familiar with how mint grows then you know it's doesn't hold back, but it also has a lot of wonderful properties that we could all benefit from during this time! In April, I attended a virtual course with one of my favorite herbalist, Steph Zabel of Flowerfolk Herbs that focused on herbs for navigating uncertain times. One of the herbs she highlighted was lemon balm! Some of the wonderful properties of lemon balm she mentioned were:
- It calms + relaxes - soothes social nerves
- It's a gentle sedative - this makes it great for a bedtime tea
- Its lifts spirits - traditional herbalist says that it brings joy
- It's kid safe - it's a part of the mint family so it's gentle enough for anyone to consume
- It has anti-viral properties
If you want to learn more about it's history, Steph wrote up an interesting blog post here or keep scrolling to find some yummy lemon balm tea recipes!
Lemon balm can be enjoyed fresh or dried as a single herb tea or as a blend.
Lemon Balm Tea
1 heaping tbsp dried leaves or 2 heaping tbsp fresh leaves (with fresh leaves I like to muddle or chop them to get the yummy bright essential oils to release)
1 cup of boil water
Steep leaves for 10 mins or more. The longer you brew the more properties of healing herbs will be available, unlike black or green tea that have shorter brew times.
Anxiety Releasing Tea recipe by Steph Zabel
2 tbsp oat straw
1.5 tbsp skullcap
1.5 tbsp lemon balm (double if using fresh)
2 tsp rose petals
Steep tea for 10 mins or more and enjoy!
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Have you tried lemon balm before? What herbs are growing in your garden?
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