Lemon Balm: An Herb Society of America Guide

Uses

Culinary Uses

Lemon balm is a surprisingly versatile culinary herb which can be used to flavor many different types of dishes, from beverages, to appetizers, main courses and desserts. It can be added to salads, sandwiches, soups, stews, butters, cheeses, fish, stuffings for poultry, pork and veal, egg dishes, vegetables, fruit cups, jams, jellies, sauces, marinades, dressings, herb vinegar, wine, punch, cakes, custards, tarts, sorbets, ice cream, cookies, crepes, pies and cheesecakes (5, 67, 92).

Lemon balm complements many fruits, including honeydew, cantaloupe, pineapple, apples and pears (5). For fruit salads, try mixing fresh lemon balm with pineapple sage (81). For vinaigrettes or salad mixes, lemon balm combines well with parsley or basil. It can also be included in fines herbes mixtures with dill, tarragon, parsley, chervil and chives. In springtime, combine lemon balm with fennel and thyme (5).

For desserts, Susan Belsinger recommends mixing lemon balm with sweet woodruff, and for scones she likes the combination of lemon balm and ginger (5). For dessert recipes, leaves can be steeped in hot cream or milk (26). Susan Belsinger also likes to infuse leaves in milk for 5 minutes, strain out leaves and add 1 tsp maple syrup. This is a delicious, relaxing bedtime drink (5). As a main course, Deni Bown cooks leaves inside whole trout for "the perfect combination" (12). A quick and easy recipe that Susan likes is lemon balm oatmeal. Simply add a handful of leaves to the boiling water that will be used to make oatmeal, and strain out leaves after steeping (5).

For culinary purposes, fresh leaves are most flavorful (67). Chopped, fresh leaves can be added to baked goods but whole leaves can be used in many other types of dishes (5). Madalene Hill and Gwen Barclay prefer to use lemon balm leaves in cold foods because they have found that heat will reduce lemon balm's flavor (45). If you will be adding to cooked foods, Madalene Hill and Gwen Barclay, along with Susan Belsinger, recommend adding leaves near the end of cooking (6).

One of the most popular ways to use lemon balm is in tea. Leaves can be combined with Earl Grey, green or black tea (58) and a handful can be added to a pitcher of iced tea (6). Fresh leaves are best for tea, but dried leaves can also be used. Lemon balm leaves can also be mixed with rose petals and orange blossoms (13) or raspberry leaves, strawberry leaves, rose hips, alfalfa, red clover or scented basils for tea (63). Rex Talbert prefers cold lemon balm tea to hot because he's observed that the hot tea can have a bitter taste. For cold tea he likes to mix lemon balm with China tea and spearmint (94).

Lemon balm is also wonderful in other summer drinks (88). Leaves can be combined with cold fruit juice (63), carbonated soda, fruit punch and wine (84). A few tablespoons of lemon balm distillate can add refreshing flavor to ice water or iced tea (51). Susan Belsinger describes lemon balm as "a wonderful summertime herb...the essence of summer..." (5).

Susan Belsinger makes lemon balm syrups which she stores in the freezer in Mason jars; the syrup retains a true lemon balm flavor and can be used to make soda, tea, muffins, scones and a variety of other treats (5). Lemon balm leaves can also be used to flavor sugar by mixing chopped leaves with sugar and storing for at least 6 weeks. Lemon balm sugar can be added to baked goods or tea (13).

Lemon balm flowers also have culinary use. They can be candied (92) or used to garnish fruit salad, beverages or rice (5). Also try adding them to whipping cream with sugar and fresh peaches or strawberries (5).

In the commercial food industry, lemon balm oil and extract are used to flavor alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages, candy, baked goods, gelatin, pudding and frozen dairy desserts (66, 92). Lemon balm is an ingredient in liqueurs like Benedictine and Chartreuse (11, 87, 92).

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