Lemon Mint

Jun
26

Post by community member:

p1

I harvested the lemon mint last week! I did not cut it all, I left a few stalks to go to seed so I can sell it this fall in the seed store.

It makes great tea and spice for cooking! I especially like lemon with chicken.

p2

I rinsed it and laid it out on a screen for drying. I might hang some herbs to dry this year too. I do have the wire strung under the porch roof just for that purpose but this is drying on a screen. I will turn it a few times every day.

p3

I collect large screens whenever I find them at garage sales and so forth. They are a great way to dry herbs, flowers and seeds!

Sheryl – Runningtrails blogs at Providence Acres Farm.

Do you have a recipe post or kitchen-related story to share on the Farm Bell blog?
See Farm Bell Blog Submissions for information, the latest blog contributor giveaway, and to submit a post.

Want to subscribe to the Farm Bell blog? Go here.

Check out the latest blog contributor giveaway!




Comments

  1. kellyb says:

    Sheryl-RunningTrails,

    What a gorgeous bunch of mint. I’m curious, this looks like what I would call lemon balm. Is it the same thing or is this a specific flavored mint?

    I’ve dried 4 batches in my Excal dehydrator so far this year. It’s been too rainy here to air dry anything. I love opening a jar to that wonderful smell.

  2. threadtales says:

    I just started harvesting my catnip and mints! Isn’t it a glorious smell? I too use a drier, and the first load should be done this evening….

  3. Sheryl - Runningtrails says:

    I believe that it is the same thing, yes. I call it lemon mint because that was the label in the pot when I bought it and I wasn’t sure it was the same thing until recently. I moved it to the upstairs hall to dry when it started to rain here. It’s drying quite well up there now. I wasn’t sure that would be a good place for it as the two cats frequent that area but so far they have left it alone.

  4. Linda Goble says:

    Once you have that lemon mint you will always have it. I can’t get rid of it. I had it in a bed that was for herbs and now is flowers and I am always pulling it up. I too love the smell of it. I think I will dry some when I pull it up. I have put it in tea an it is so good.

  5. bonita says:

    In school I hated biology, all those fussy Latin names to learn. (I’d had 3 years of Latin, but it was all about Gaul and its three parts!) I turned to physics, where everything was expressed in simple equations, d=st and such. Years later, when I began to garden, I realized the Latin names existed for a reason. They’re especially useful for pinning down exactly which plant is being considered. So, at the risk of being annoying:
    Lemon mint (Monarda citriodora). Monarda is a genus consisting of roughly 16 species of plants in the family Lamiaceae.

    Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), not to be confused with bee balm, Monarda species, (bee balm, horsemint, oswego tea, or bergamot). Melissa is a genus of five species of perennial herbs also members of the family Lamiaceae. Clue here: the stems are square.
    Oh, Linda, I had the same problem with my Monarda…Experts say the plants need to be enclosed with (metal) boarders at least 12 inches deep!

  6. Sheryl - Runningtrails says:

    I guess that settles it! Mine has square stems. Good to know and thanks for the info! I got it from another gardener who didn’t have a label to go by.

    So I have lemon balm? That’s good! I have heard good things about it and wanted some. lol!

    It is dry on the screen now and ready to crumble and jar. I plann to harvest and dry a lot of herbs this week , if it ever quits raining and dries up…

  7. Sheryl - Runningtrails says:

    I said earlier that I call it lemon mint because that’s the label in the bought when I bought it, but remembered since posting it that I didn’t buy this one. I do apologize for the confusion! I’ve had it a few years and my memory is not what it used to be.

    I do wish we could edit our posts…

  8. kellyb says:

    My lemon balm, that’s how it was labled from the nursery also has square stems. Seems that we have a mystery!

  9. lavenderblue says:

    Both beebalm and lemonbalm grow in my garden. What
    Sheryl has looks like my lemonbalm. It has tiny inconspicuous cream or yellow flowers tucked close up to the stem at each leaf section. The monarda has purple-y spider-y looking blossoms. They both have square stems, as far as I can tell.

    The lemon balm has taken over my garden, also. Along with the spearmint I’d planted in the same garden. It was a really cute garden, once. Now it just smells and tastes good.

  10. Liz Pike says:

    My in-laws had lemon balm take over their greenhouses after a few plants fell behind shelving and were never retrieved. We are constantly pulling it up. I never wanted to cook with it, reminded me too much of lemon Pledge.

  11. lavenderblue says:

    Liz, I have read somewhere that in Colonial America housewives used to use handfuls of lemonbalm for just that purpose. Lemon-y smell, shine-y furniture and an added bonus of keeping the fleas and flies away. If I could ever get the kids stuff cleaned off my table tops, I’d try it! lol

Add Your Thoughts



Search Farm Bell Recipes

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Filter by Categories
All Recipes
Appetizers & Snacks
Bagels
Bean Soups
Beans
Beans, Grains & Rice
Beef
Beverages
Biscuits
Blog
Boiling Water Bath
Bread Machine
Breads
Breakfast
Brownies
Budget
BWB Condiments
BWB Fruits
BWB Jams, Jellies, Butters & Preserves
BWB Marmalades & Conserves
BWB Other
BWB Pickles & Pickled Stuff
BWB Salsas
BWB Sauces
BWB Tomatoes & Combos
BWB Vegetables
Cakes
Candy
Canning
Casserole
Casserole
Casserole
Cereals
Cheese
Cheesecakes
Chilis
Chowders
Cobblers
Coffee Cake
Cold Remedies
Condiments
Cookery 101
Cookies & Bars
Cream Soups
Crisps
Crock Pot
Crowd-Size
Crusts
Cupcakes
Cure & Smoke
Dairy
Dehydrating
Desserts
Diabetic
Dips
Doughnuts
Dressings
Egg Dishes
Eggs
Entertaining
Fat-Free
Featured
Fermenting
Fillings
Fish
Food Photography
Freezing
Frostings & Icings
Frozen
Fruit Breads
Fruit Cakes
Fruit Salads
Fruits
Gift Basket Goodies
Giveaways
Gluten-Free
Goat Cheeses
Gourmet
Gravies
Griddles
Grill-Outdoor Cooking
Hard Cheeses
Herbs & Spices
Holiday
Homemade Cheese
How To
Ice Creams
Ingredients
Ingredients & Mixes
Jell-O
Jell-O Salads
Kid-Friendly
Kitchen Gadgets
Kosher
Lactose-Free
Lamb
Leftovers
Lettuce & Greens
Low-Carb
Low-Fat
Low-Sodium
Main Dish
Marinades
Meat Salads
Meet the Cook
Muffins
Non-Dairy
Old-Fashioned
One Dish Meal
Other Breads
Other Breakfast
Other Condiments
Other Dairy
Other Desserts
Other Main Dish
Other Salads
Other Side Dishes
Other Soups & Stews
Other Special Diets
Pasta
Pasta
Pasta Salads
Pastries
PC Beef
PC Chicken
PC Meats
PC Other
PC Poultry
PC Soups & Stews
PC Veggies
Pets
Pickling
Pies
Pizza
Pizza Crusts
Pork
Potato Salads
Potatoes
Potluck
Poultry
Presentation
Preserving
Pressure Canning
Pressure Cooker
Puddings & Custards
Recipe Requests
Relishes & Chutneys
Rolls
Rubs
Salads
Salads
Salsas
Sandwiches
Sauces
Scones
Seafood
Side Dishes
Soft Cheeses
Soups & Stews
Sourdough
Special Diets
Special Occasions
Steam Juicer
Stocks
Stuffings
Substitutions
Syrups
Tarts
Tips & Tricks
Tortillas & Pitas
Using FBR
Vegan
Vegetable Breads
Vegetable Salads
Vegetables
Vegetarian
Wild Game
Yeast Breads


If you would like to help support the overhead costs of this website, you may donate. Thank you!





Thanks for being part of our community!