Lemon Balm Tea with Honey Roasted Blueberries and Lavender Garnish

 Lemon Balm Tea with Honey Roasted Blueberries and Lavender Garnish!

I love Lemon Balm! A few years ago I added lemon balm to my tea garden after learning about the health benefits of this delicious herb. Upon harvesting my first crop and simmering up some tea, I instantly became a fan of this sweet lemony herb. I immediately noticed that I did feel calmer, relaxed, less stressed after sipping a cup of that first batch. 

Over the past couple of years I have experimented with various ways to use lemon balm; cooking, tea, garnishing, my own spice mixture, etc. My favorite treat is an ice cold glass of tea on a hot summer day (although it is pretty good hot on a cold winter day too!). 

Here are a couple of ways I'm enjoying my own grown and steeped Lemon Balm Tea this summer:

It is best to harvest the balm mid morning after the dew has dried.

Bring 2 gallons of water to a boil. Remove pot of water from heat and add 2 cups packed lemon balm. Let steep 20-40 minutes according to desired taste preference. 

Remove leaves and pour into glass container, cover and let come to room temperature then refrigerate. When chilled, enjoy plain or with the below alternatives.

For the Roasted Honey Blueberries I used I cup of Wild Maine Blueberries (in season now) and 1 Tbsp of honey from my friend Deb's local family hive that she gifted me. I drizzled the honey over the berries and baked in 350* oven until bubbly (about 10 minutes) then removed pan and stirred with back of spoon, returned  pan back to oven about 5 minutes longer until jelly like consistency. 

I added 1 Tbsp to a glass of the tea, stirred, and enjoyed. I store the leftover berry sauce in an air tight container in the refrigerator and use as needed.

For the Lavender Garnished Tea I harvested lavender from my garden, trimmed as desired and placed in ice cube tray, added water (but could use tea instead of water), then froze.

 I was inspired to make this Lavender Garnished Tea by my daughter, Jessica, who suggested I make lavender-lemon tea as a way to use up all the lavender I grow. I hope she finds my spin on the idea as delightful I as I do!

There are many health benefits in Lemon Balm, Blueberries, and Lavender. Below are a few links for details on the health benefits of each.

http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/lemon-balm

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/287710.php

http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/lavender

Please feel free to share your ideas, recipes, and favorite way to use Lemon Balm! Be sure to post a comment!