Herbal Tea is the whole reason I began growing herbs back in the late 1980s. At that time herbal tea was not available in stores and if you wanted Green tea you had to go to an oriental restaurant. I was tired of single herb teas like chamomile and peppermint, so I began to grow my own herbs for tea.
Culinary herbs like rosemary, sage, lavender, thyme and lemon balm not only liven up a garden though scent and texture they can also add amazing flavor to herbal tea. Herb teas are refreshing and especially good in the summer months as ice tea. In addition to herbs you can add rose hips, leaves of fruit bushes, like raspberry, blackberry, strawberry and blueberry for a tasty treat. Flower petals, like hibiscus, add a tangy zip.
The other nice aspect of tea herbs is they have a variety of colors and textures and especially scents that lend themselves to any garden situation. Tea herbs work well in a mixed border or bed and if your space is limited you can grow most in pots and other containers.
Now for a theme bed of their own, tea herbs are...
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garden planning, gardening, herbal tea, herbs, lemon balm, mint, tea
Posted at: 08:20 AM | 0 Comments | Add Comment | Permalink
This is the classic Lemon Bar recipe with an herbal twist! I love to serve this with lemon hot or cold teas!
Lemon Bar Cookies -- Yield 48 squares - 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
- 1 ½ cups sifted flour
- 1 cup margarine, softened
- 3 eggs
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- ½ tsp lemon balm
- 3 Tbls. Fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tbls. Flour
- ¼ cup confectioners sugar
- ½ tsp finely crumbled lemon balm
Mix ½ cup confectioners sugar, 1 ½ cups flour, ½ tsp lemon balm and margarine in mixer bowl; mix well. Spread in 10 x 15 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until light brown. Blend eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and 1 Tbls flour in bowl. Pour over baked layer. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 350 degrees or until set. Sprinkle with ¼ cup confectioners sugar mixes with 1/2 tsp. finely crumbled lemon balm while warm. Cool, cut into squares.
Tags:
lemon, lemon balm, recipe
Posted at: 04:22 PM | 0 Comments | Add Comment | Permalink
I enjoy and love lemon herbs. In my research and experimentation I have located about 15 different lemon herb plants that I enjoy growing and using. I thought I would share a few tips and varieties of these favorites with you. The first is Lemon Balm (Melissa Officinalis) in the mint family it is easy to grow in Zone 5 to 9 requires an average soil and can grow in full sun to partial shade. It is vigorous, can grow from seed and is perfect for areas where other things won't grow. Unlike other mints it will grow more from seed than from root, so cutting the flower heads is important. Its uses are infinite. It is a great tea herb which I use extensively. Its mild lemon flavor shaded with mint is excellent in marinades for chicken and fish. The best flavor is fresh, although it can be dried and frozen. You do lose some flavor in the drying process, so for most people freezing is the best preservation method. Varieties to try are Melissa officinalis 'Aurea' a somewhat shorter species only 12 to 15 inches with golden leaves...
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Tags:
gardeining, herb, lemon, lemon balm, seeds
Posted at: 12:00 PM | 0 Comments | Add Comment | Permalink
