On 2009-06-18 08:20:19 +0100, Jennifer Sparkes said:

The message
from Martin Brown contains these words:

David in Normandy wrote:
What a wonderful plant this is. Someone gave us a cutting last year and
it has already made a nice little shrub. Recently we've started
harvesting it for lemon balm tea. Quite nice. Today for the first time
we tried chilled lemon balm tea and it was a really pleasant lemon
tasting drink with the evening meal. Better chilled than hot. Well worth
growing.

For two cups/glasses I use around 6 sprigs, each with around 6 leaves
on, and chopped coarsely. Place in a tea pot, add boiling water and
leave to stand for a least ten minutes. Today's was left to stand for at
least half an hour before straining into two glasses and popping into
the fridge to chill. Well worth trying if you have some lemon balm in
the garden.

Don't let it set seed or you will regret it.
ISTR there is a variagated form that is less vigorous.

Now I am confused ...

I thought David was talking about Aloysia triphylla (formerly Lippia
citriodora)
and Martin Brown to Mellisa officinalis ...

Never mind I like the idea of the tea chilled - well the Lemon Verbena one
anyway, haven't tried the other as a tea - hot, cold or made into wine!

Jennifer

Aloysia triphylla was what my parents called Lemon Verbena, the Melissa
(to me) is Lemon balm. Aloysia triphylla leaves can also be used at
the bottom of a cake tin to give a lemony tang to a sponge cake and
make lovely dried 'keep the sheets scented' bags for a linen cupboard.
--
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Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon