A lovingly tended Melisee yields up to four harvests per season. Those who cannot taste these lavish amounts of aromatic leaves in one go should preserve them. You can find out here how the plan can be achieved simply by drying it.

It is this preparatory work that counts

Regardless of the preferred drying method, Melisee should be prepared professionally. Since it always loses its aroma when dried, you can effectively counteract this deficiency with the following preparatory work:

  • Always harvest lemon balm shortly before flowering
  • ideally the morning dew has just evaporated
  • Cut off the shoots 10-12 centimeters above the ground
  • use freshly sharpened, disinfected scissors or a knife

Rinse the harvested branches under cold running water. Damaged plant parts are carefully sorted out. Then spread the melisee on a kitchen towel, where it dries for 1 day.

How to air dry lemon balm

Drying herbs in the air is one of the classic methods in the hobby garden. The advantages are obvious, because the procedure is uncomplicated and free of charge. How to dry lemon balm:

  • defoliate the lower part of the prepared stems
  • tie together with a raffia ribbon or elastic
  • do not pull the binding material too tight

Thread the small bouquets onto a cord or wire. Hanging in a dark, rain-protected place, Melisee dries within 14 days. Check the fragrant bundles during this time to promptly discard moldy specimens.

This is how Melisee is dried in the oven

If you prefer to have your lemon balm dried overnight, you can use the oven for this purpose. Spread the prepared sprigs out on a baking sheet so they don't touch. The process is a little more space-saving if the leaves are picked and distributed individually. Proceed as follows:

  • Preheat the oven to 80 to 100 degrees Celsius
  • switch off the appliance and insert the baking tray
  • leave it in for a day until the lemon balm has dried

Your healthy supply of the versatile spice and medicinal plant is kept in dark, airtight containers.

Dry lemon balm in no time in the dehydrator

Dried lemon balm has a reputation for lacking flavor. This claim cannot be completely dismissed given the lengthy drying process. With a dehydrator, this phase can be significantly reduced to a few hours. This is accompanied by a noticeably lower loss of aroma. How to do it right:

  • Distribute the cleaned leaves on the sieve trays in the dehydrator
  • lay them side by side and don't stack them
  • set the device to a gentle 30 degrees Celsius

After 6 to 8 hours, the rich leaves are so dry that they rustle. You can speed up the process by turning the lemon balm from time to time. Don't be tempted to turn the temperature dial up. Although drying is quicker, the loss of aroma increases proportionally.

tips and tricks

Does waiting for the harvest to dry get on your nerves? Then brew a tea of lemon balm. Even Hildegard von Bingen swore by a calming effect. Simply put 3 teaspoons of leaves in a cup and pour over a quarter liter of boiling water. Leave for 10 minutes, strain and enjoy.

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