What to Do with Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
The first time I tried growing lemon balm from seed, nothing happened. When I finally managed to get some seeds to sprout, the plant grew incredibly slowly. It was so tiny and fragile that I worried it wouldn’t survive—and I think it may even have died in the end.
But this spring, I decided to try again. I was so grateful when at least one little plant made it! It grew painfully slowly and stayed tiny for what felt like forever. Once it was big enough, I planted it outside. It continued to grow very slowly, but it looked healthy and strong.
I planted it in partial shade because I needed a plant that would thrive in a part of the garden that didn’t receive full sun. During the hot summer days, I didn’t have to worry about it not getting direct sunlight all day long. Later, I got hold of some horse manure from our neighbor and spread it around the lemon balm.
And wouldn’t you know it—after a while and a generous helping of manure, the plant absolutely took off! Now I have the opposite problem: I’m worried it might take over and crowd out the other plants growing beside it.
But since we now have an abundance of lemon balm and autumn has arrived, it’s the perfect time to harvest it and put it to good use. After doing a little research and giving it some thought, I’ve come up with seven different ways our family can use it. The children have also helped prepare one of them.
Because we homeschool, taking part in—and learning about—harvesting, growing food, and cooking is simply part of life in our family. Lemon balm really is the perfect plant for that!
It’s also interesting and enjoyable to learn about the benefits of lemon balm for us as humans. According to the European Medicines Agency (EMA), lemon balm is associated with the following therapeutic areas:
- Sleep disorders and temporary insomnia
- Mental stress and mood disorders
- Gastrointestinal disorders
At the time of the HMPC assessment, no side effects had been reported with these medicines.
7 Ways to Use Lemon Balm You Never Thought Of
You’ve got lemon balm taking over your garden. These seven uses turn that leafy takeover into teas, herbal popsicles, and recipes worth growing more for.
The uses of lemon balm are many. Here are seven different ways to use this versatile plant and benefit from its medicinal properties.
Lemon Balm Compound Butter
Ingredients
- 3 heaped tablespoons of butter
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
- 100 ml lemon balm leaves
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
Finely chop the lemon balm leaves, then mix them with the butter, lemon juice, and a little flaky sea salt.
Serve with crispbread or soft bread. If you like, top with slices of tomato and finish with a sprinkle of herb salt.
This recipe turned out really well. I thought it was absolutely delicious—dangerously delicious, in fact! I used vegan butter, but I’m sure other types of butter would work just as well. A little extra salt sprinkled on top added the perfect finishing touch!
Lemon Balm Smoothie
The children loved this recipe!
- 250 g frozen strawberries
- 700 ml plant-based milk
- 1 handful of fresh lemon balm leaves
Instructions
Blend everything in a blender until smooth. Serve in pretty glasses and garnish each smoothie with one or two lemon balm leaves.
A smoothie like this is always a hit! It’s simple, tastes delicious, and looks wonderfully inviting thanks to its lovely soft red color. The lemon balm gets completely blended in, so you can’t see it, and its flavor isn’t very noticeable in this recipe either. Still, it’s an easy way to use some of the plant while giving the children some extra nutrients at the same time.
Lemon Balm Tea
Ingredients
- 3–6 lemon balm leaves
- Boiling water
Instructions
Place the lemon balm leaves in a cup and pour hot water over them. Leave to steep for 10 minutes, then remove the leaves and enjoy. Lemon balm is a member of the mint family, but it has a fresh flavor with a hint of lemon.
I love drinking hot tea in the morning while I have my quiet time and read my Bible. Making tea is one of my favorite ways to use lemon balm. There is something so comforting about enjoying a warm, refreshing drink while spending a peaceful moment with God and gathering your thoughts during the quiet, almost magical hours of the morning.
Other fresh herbs from the herb garden that you can use include sage and calendula. These are just a few of the herbal teas you can make!
If you also enjoy reading the Bible in the early morning hours, you can find the perfect Bible reading plan in this blog post: 52-week Bible Reading Plan for Busy Moms.
The Bible is full of the hope and encouragement that we mothers need. And what could be better than beginning the day by spending time with our loving and caring Father? It gives us a chance to quiet our hearts, gather our thoughts, and fill our minds with positive, life-giving truths before we step into the day and begin caring for everyone else’s needs at home. Those peaceful moments with God can give us the strength, wisdom, and patience we need for everything that lies ahead.
Lemon Balm Ice Pops
There are two options for the base: either mix water with a little sugar, or use your favorite fruit cordial.
Pour the mixture into ice-pop molds, add a few lemon balm leaves, and insert the sticks.
Freeze for 4–6 hours, and then they’re ready to enjoy!
This recipe was another hit with the children. They helped prepare and pour the cordial into the molds and put the sticks in place. Of course, they loved the ice pops! Personally, though, I found the frozen lemon balm leaves a little tough to eat.
Lemon Balm Ice Cubes
Fill an ice cube tray with water and lemon balm leaves. Unfortunately, we didn’t have a proper ice cube tray, so we used muffin molds instead—and they worked perfectly!
Place them in the freezer for at least 4–6 hours. Take them out whenever you need ice cubes for a pitcher of cordial or a glass of water. They add a lovely decorative touch and a little extra flavor.
This is such a simple way to use lemon balm, and the leaves look so pretty frozen inside the ice cubes. I would love to use molds shaped like hearts, stars, or something similar. They would look even more eye-catching and make the ice cubes extra fun and exciting for the children—and children do love ice cubes!
Blueberry and Lemon Balm Smoothie
Ingredients
- 200 ml frozen blueberries
- 1 banana
- 200 ml vanilla soy milk
- 100 ml water
- 1 handful of fresh lemon balm
Instructions
Blend everything until smooth and pour into pretty glasses. Top with chia seeds and chopped nuts, such as almonds or walnuts. I used hazelnuts. Serve chilled.
The children enjoyed this smoothie, although they weren’t keen on the hazelnuts. I personally love having something crunchy on top, but the hazelnuts didn’t work quite as well as I had hoped. I think chopped walnuts, almonds, or cashews would be a better choice.
Fruit Salad with Lemon Balm
The children LOVED this recipe!
Ingredients
- 2 apples
- 1 pear
- 1 kiwi
- ½ a peach
- 1 banana
- 1 handful of fresh lemon balm
- A little lemon juice
- Vanilla yogurt or vanilla quark
- Honey
- Finely chopped nuts, optional
Instructions
Chop the apples, pear, kiwi, peach, and banana into small pieces and place them in a pretty serving bowl. Finely chop the lemon balm and mix it into the fruit.
Drizzle a little lemon juice over the salad to help keep the fruit fresh and prevent it from turning brown. Serve with vanilla yogurt or vanilla quark, drizzle with honey, and top with finely chopped nuts if you like.
Fruit salads are always a favorite. They’re colorful, inviting, and make a wonderful dessert when you have guests. For an extra-special treat, serve the fruit salad with ice cream.
Lemon Balm Uses That Go Beyond Tea
Most people dry it for tea and stop there. These uses unlock its calming oil, bright flavor, and medicinal punch in ways you’ll actually use daily.
Of course, you can use your lemon balm only for tea. But now that you know there is so much more you can do with it, why not experiment and discover what you like best?
For moms, a recipe needs to benefit either them or their families—otherwise, it simply feels like a waste of time. Time is precious, so focus on what works for you. Perhaps it’s herbal ice pops that the children can grab from the freezer themselves. Or maybe it’s lemon balm iced tea that adds a little extra joy to your day. Perhaps you’re all about dried leaves and find them easy to use. The good news is that whichever recipe or method you choose for your lemon balm plants, you’ll be taking advantage of some of the plants’ benefits.
Enjoy the moment and try a few lemon balm recipes to discover what you like and what works for your family. And when the children start asking for more, you’ll know you’ve found a winner! That’s the fun part, isn’t it?
As a mom, it’s also wonderful to know that your children are enjoying the benefits of lemon balm while you’re making good use of the harvest you put so much effort into growing.
