Lemon balm (also known as Melissa officinalis) is a perennial herbaceous member of the mint family, and it shows. It is difficult to kill and spreads quickly. If you give it free rein it’ll take off everywhere, so it’s best to keep in a raised bed or pot. Lemon balm likes afternoon shade, but isn’t fussy. I love having it in the garden because it is easy to grow and can be used in so many ways.
Peaches with lemon balm, lime, and cinnamon syrup
Get your hands on some fresh peaches. Slice and skin them. Set them aside in a bowl. In a sauce pan mix about a cup of water with a 3/4 cup of sugar over medium heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and the mix is a watery syrup. Turn off the heat and add a dash of cinnamon and the juice from a fresh lime. If you really like lime, add a little zest as well. Pour the mixture over the peaches and mix in lemon balm leaves or sprigs (keep some sprigs to garnish). Let sit for a few hours in a refrigerator and then enjoy!
Lemon balm with fresh fruit
Lemon balm is also great with cut watermelon and blueberries (and you can add feta if you like the sweet salty mix).
Lemon balm water
The easiest thing to do with lemon balm is to simply add it to water. If you are feeling extra fancy, add a few lemon slices and/or honey.
Lemon balm salve
Making this salve takes patience, but you can make a lot at once and it’s a wonderful gift. This recipe goes over the basics of making the salve. I chose to customize my salve. I added dried mugwort to the dried lemon balm when making the oil infusion. I used a mix of coconut and grape seed oil. During the final mix I added lavender essential oil. The salve I made was packaged with homemade eye pillows for relaxing/bedtime themed gifts. Consider adding essential oils you love such as tea tree oil or peppermint oil. I was able to purchase bulk beeswax from a local honey farm. I packaged the salve in thoroughly cleaned and dried Penzey’s spice jars.
