How to Dry Lemon Balm
Lemon balm is a delicious, fragrant herb that makes a wonderful tea! Learn how to dry lemon balm with this easy tutorial and enjoy it all year long.
Equipment
- Scissors
- Hemp twine
- Herb drying rack optional
- Dehydrator optional
- Glass storage jar
Ingredients
- Fresh lemon balm
Instructions
Air Drying
- Rinse the lemon balm under cold water and spin it in a salad spinner or shake it well to get excess water off.
- Make small bundles of 3-6 stems, keeping a nice section of stem at the top without any leaves (this is where the string will go)..
- Tie the bundles together with a piece of string. You’ll want to tie them very tight, as the stems shrink when they dry out.
- Hang the lemon balm bundles in a dry place with good air circulation. How long it takes to dry the herb will depend on how dry your air is and how much airflow they get. I usually leave mine for a couple of weeks.
- Once the lemon balm is completely dry, grab the bundle with the palm of your hand and squeeze to break the leaves off of the stems.
- Crunch the dried leaves up until they are your ideal size, then store in an airtight container out of direct sunlight.
Dehydrator
- Rinse the lemon balm under cool water and spin it in a salad spinner. Allow it to air dry for a couple of hours to ensure all excess water is dried up.
- Spread the lemon balm leaves out in a single layer on dehydrator trays.
- Set the dehydrator to a low setting (around 100°F) and run it until the lemon balm is completely dry and crispy, around 12 hours. Check regularly around the 12-hour mark.
- Turn off the dehydrator and allow the leaves to cool to room temperature. Crunch the leaves up and store the lemon balm in a glass container.
Notes
- I don’t recommend drying lemon balm in the oven. I tried it, and the tender leaves just burn too quickly.
- Lemon balm is best harvested in late spring or early summer, before it has flowered. Only harvest up to ⅓ of the lemon balm plant at a time.
- Learn how to properly harvest lemon balm in my tutorial about how to harvest mint.
- Don’t leave your dry lemon balm hanging for too long. It can start gathering dust.
- If you live in an extremely humid area, you might find that your lemon balm molds before it’s able to dry out. If that’s the case, I would recommend investing in a dehydrator.
- Dried lemon balm is at its best for up to a year. It’s still edible after that, but the color and flavor will start to fade.
- Dried herbs should be stored in a dark place to preserve their color and flavor for as long as possible.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!