Lemon balm.

Newsgroups: alt.folklore.herbs
Subject: Lemon Balm?
From: phuyett-cctr.umkc.edu (Donna Beach)
Date: 1 Jul 95 19:29:33 CST

My garden is overrun with lemon balm. What can I do with besides make tea?

From: Gary Poyssick <Courseware-interramp.com>

Dry it and use as an insecticide. Mix with hot peppers and dawn dishwashing detergent. Also good for sachets. (Not really - it won't keep its scent for more than about 6 months. -Henriette)

From: moreta-prostar.com (Moreta)

What I have done in the past, with both my balm and other plants is thin them and send them to friends for their gardens

From: baker.325-osu.edu (gwen baker)

They are great for Cambodian or in general Southeast Asian cooking, also stews. It dries and keeps well if you don't crush it up first (the flavor is released when it is crushed. when all else fails send it to me dried and I will make some beads from it.

From: af600-FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Lesley E. Cluff)

Donna Beach (phuyett-cctr.umkc.edu) writes:
> My garden is overrun with lemon balm. What can I do with besides make tea?

Donna:
You have a gold mine in your garden!

Lemon Balm has many healing properties and helps flavour less tasty medicinal herbs in tisanes and teas.

Lemon balm has been credited with many good things. It helps with colds, feeling poorly, and as I recall, generally anything will feel better with a cup of Lemon Balm tea. Apparently this is why the name 'balm'. Its an all round, all-purpose good herb.

I suggest you pick off the good leaves, dry them (I use my microwave, I hate natural drying because theyget dusty and the risk is there of lthe presence of mold spores if not growing mold and some people, like me, are allergic to molds) Then store them in a ceramic jar with a tight fitting lid. It should be a solid not a clear glass jar. And add anytime, freely (you have enough) to all teas, when you feel good and when you are sick too.

And it is great crumbled in a oil and vinegrette dressing. The fersh leaves are nice chopped up in a salad or cole slaw. Put fresh or large dried leaves in soda water to flavour it and leave in fridge for awhile before drinking. Crushed dried leaves give off a pleasant aroma of lemon.

Check some herb books at the library for other details. And enjoy!

From: phuyett-axp2.umkc.edu (Donna Beach)

My garden is still overrun with lemon balm. In fact, it's now blooming.

I also have lemon thyme blooming (tiny pruple flowers) and a healthy lemon verbena plant.

Here's my question--can these herbs be combined either for medicinal or culinary purposes?

From: vonbrundz-aol.com (VON BRUNDZ)

yes, dry them -mix-great for colds ect. I use this combo quite frequently myself.