Luscious Lemon Flavored Herbs to add to your garden this year!
by Martha Scheer, HSA member
Lemon is an energizing and uplifting flavor and aroma, and there are many herbs that add that in with their own unique flavor. It can be fun to create a lemon flavored herb garden. These are some of the most popular lemon scented and flavored herbs and can be purchased at our current online Plant Sale - click here to access the online store.
Lemon Balm – nice delicate lemon flavor & scent w/ hint of mint. Essence of summer
Gentle calming and uplifting effects to body, spirit and the garden. Makes a wonder Tea – hot or sun! Use in & with pesto, salads, fish, chicken, fruits, baked goods, desserts, and drinks. Use in milk based desserts by steeping in milk. Adds a lovely scent to the garden, fresh bouquets, sachets, sleep pillows, pot pourri, and wreaths. Chew a leaf for fresh breath. Used in cosmetic products. Beloved by honey bees.
Lemon Basil ‘Mrs. Burns’– Basil w/ Lemon aroma & flavor
Use like regular sweet basil to add a lemon flavor. Imagine your pesto with a light lemon flavor! Use in fruit salads, cookies, vinegars, teas – hot & sun, cocktails, fish poultry, soups, pizza, desserts – endless ideas……. Use as a spice to add to your lemon recipes to give that extra aroma & flavor.
Lemon Catnip– Light Lemony flavor
The addition of the citrus aroma seems to not appeal to most felines. Makes a nice lemon flavored tea and a fragrant plant in the garden. When in flower is attractive to butterflies and bees. Can be used in cooking, so experiment with it.
Lemongrass– Lively lemon scent w/ hint of rose aroma
Uplifting lemon scent with hints of citronella. Used in many types of Asian cuisine, especially the fleshy based stem. Wonderful in soups, curries, poultry, beef & seafood dishes, goes will with ginger, garlic, shallots, coconut & chili peppers. Add to homemade salsas, marinades and your favorite teas and beverages (like lemonade). It is a fragrant addition to the garden, adding height and texture without the sharp edges of some clumping grasses. It is also a natural insect repellent, can handle traffic and is safe for pets to munch on. The uplifting fragrance is a great addition to pot pourri and sachets.
Lemon Savory – Peppery lemon
This is a relatively unknown lemon herb. Use it where ever you would use savory in cooking. It adds the slight peppery flavor of savory with the nice lemon aroma. It is a wonderful addition to vinegars (see recipe above), salad dressings, vegetables, salads, egg, chicken & seafood dishes, soups, pestos, salsas, and beverages. Use your imagination. Both the leaves and flowers are edible. The honeybees love the flowers of this and all savories.
Lemon Thyme– Sweet lemon w/ light thyme aroma
Golden Lemon Thyme - Sharper Lemon flavor w/ thyme aroma
A nice aromatic border in the garden, great in containers and loved by pollinators. In cooking it is the best of both worlds- soft herbal thyme flavor along with a subtle essence of lemon, all without any of the bitterness we sometimes get from regular thyme. Lemon thyme is really terrific in any dish that calls for both of those ingredients. Strip fresh leaves from stem and sprinkle over grilled fish, chicken or pork. Add to soups, baked potatoes, buttered corn on the cob, and sautéed or roasted vegetables. Marinades, fruit salad, custards, tea, salads, stuffing, iced or hot tea, beverages. The sky is the limit.
Lemon Verbena - Tart lemon flavor - brightest, tangiest lemon flavor - Clean, lemony scented herb, highly prized for its strong odor. This is a most have herb!
Enjoy the wonderful aroma of this herb in the garden, the small flowers attract butterflies, beneficials and bees. Rub a leaf whenever you walk by to release that heavenly lemon aroma.
Makes a fabulous tea or addition to water. Try it in desserts, ice cream, chicken dishes, baked goods, dressings, marinades, fruit salads, soft cheeses, vegetables, any cooking where lemon juice or zest is called for. A wonderful addition to pot pourri, herbal steams, cut bouquets, and sachets. Gives that fresh lemon scent.
Pineapple Sage – Pineapple-lemon scent
Taste of the tropics in a temperate garden. Beautiful red flowers that attract hummingbirds. The leaves and flowers are edible. Add leaves and flowers to teas, desserts, drinks, fruit salads, soft cheese, and baked goods. An aromatic addition flower arrangements.
Sorrel, French – Tart w/ pleasant taste of lemon
The leaves are edible when young, add to salads, soups, pestos for a tart lemony taste. The leaves contain oxalic acid so eat sparingly. When you let it flower the birds love the seeds.
Here is one of my favorite vinegar recipes using several of these lemon herbs. I use this for salad dressings, marinades, drizzle on to steamed greens…….
Lemon Herb Vinegar based on Phyllis Shaudy’s recipe in “Herbal Treasures”
Figure out the size jar you will be using to infuse the vinegar and herbs in. That will determine the amount of herbal material you need. I use at least a quart sized jar.
I use a combination of the following herbs, my combinations are different each time:
Lemon basil leaves and flowers, Lemon Verbena leaves, Lemon balm leaves and flowers, Lemon thyme sprigs, Lemongrass bulbs and stems, Lemon Savory sprigs, Lemon few thin slices remove seeds or zest/peel (the more white layer of peel in the more chance of there being a bitter flavor, Gingerroot fresh few slices. Gently clean and dry completely herbs, lemon & ginger. Fill clean jar with ½ to ¾ full of chosen herbs, lemon & ginger. Choose your vinegar. I use raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar as it has the most health benefits. White wine or white balsamic is also very tasty to use. Fill jar with vinegar so ingredients are at least an inch totally covered. You want all the ingredients covered in vinegar. Use a plastic lid or metal lid covered in plastic wrap. Shake. Put in cool dark place, like a cupboard or pantry shelve. Shake occasionally. Leave for at least 3 – 4 weeks. One year I forgot mine for several months and it tasted fabulous! Strain the vinegar from the herbs and put in a clean jar. Discard the herbs etc. Store the infused vinegar in a cool dark place use within the year.
by Martha Scheer, HSA member
Lemon is an energizing and uplifting flavor and aroma, and there are many herbs that add that in with their own unique flavor. It can be fun to create a lemon flavored herb garden. These are some of the most popular lemon scented and flavored herbs and can be purchased at our current online Plant Sale - click here to access the online store.
Lemon Balm – nice delicate lemon flavor & scent w/ hint of mint. Essence of summer
Gentle calming and uplifting effects to body, spirit and the garden. Makes a wonder Tea – hot or sun! Use in & with pesto, salads, fish, chicken, fruits, baked goods, desserts, and drinks. Use in milk based desserts by steeping in milk. Adds a lovely scent to the garden, fresh bouquets, sachets, sleep pillows, pot pourri, and wreaths. Chew a leaf for fresh breath. Used in cosmetic products. Beloved by honey bees.
Lemon Basil ‘Mrs. Burns’– Basil w/ Lemon aroma & flavor
Use like regular sweet basil to add a lemon flavor. Imagine your pesto with a light lemon flavor! Use in fruit salads, cookies, vinegars, teas – hot & sun, cocktails, fish poultry, soups, pizza, desserts – endless ideas……. Use as a spice to add to your lemon recipes to give that extra aroma & flavor.
Lemon Catnip– Light Lemony flavor
The addition of the citrus aroma seems to not appeal to most felines. Makes a nice lemon flavored tea and a fragrant plant in the garden. When in flower is attractive to butterflies and bees. Can be used in cooking, so experiment with it.
Lemongrass– Lively lemon scent w/ hint of rose aroma
Uplifting lemon scent with hints of citronella. Used in many types of Asian cuisine, especially the fleshy based stem. Wonderful in soups, curries, poultry, beef & seafood dishes, goes will with ginger, garlic, shallots, coconut & chili peppers. Add to homemade salsas, marinades and your favorite teas and beverages (like lemonade). It is a fragrant addition to the garden, adding height and texture without the sharp edges of some clumping grasses. It is also a natural insect repellent, can handle traffic and is safe for pets to munch on. The uplifting fragrance is a great addition to pot pourri and sachets.
Lemon Savory – Peppery lemon
This is a relatively unknown lemon herb. Use it where ever you would use savory in cooking. It adds the slight peppery flavor of savory with the nice lemon aroma. It is a wonderful addition to vinegars (see recipe above), salad dressings, vegetables, salads, egg, chicken & seafood dishes, soups, pestos, salsas, and beverages. Use your imagination. Both the leaves and flowers are edible. The honeybees love the flowers of this and all savories.
Lemon Thyme– Sweet lemon w/ light thyme aroma
Golden Lemon Thyme - Sharper Lemon flavor w/ thyme aroma
A nice aromatic border in the garden, great in containers and loved by pollinators. In cooking it is the best of both worlds- soft herbal thyme flavor along with a subtle essence of lemon, all without any of the bitterness we sometimes get from regular thyme. Lemon thyme is really terrific in any dish that calls for both of those ingredients. Strip fresh leaves from stem and sprinkle over grilled fish, chicken or pork. Add to soups, baked potatoes, buttered corn on the cob, and sautéed or roasted vegetables. Marinades, fruit salad, custards, tea, salads, stuffing, iced or hot tea, beverages. The sky is the limit.
Lemon Verbena - Tart lemon flavor - brightest, tangiest lemon flavor - Clean, lemony scented herb, highly prized for its strong odor. This is a most have herb!
Enjoy the wonderful aroma of this herb in the garden, the small flowers attract butterflies, beneficials and bees. Rub a leaf whenever you walk by to release that heavenly lemon aroma.
Makes a fabulous tea or addition to water. Try it in desserts, ice cream, chicken dishes, baked goods, dressings, marinades, fruit salads, soft cheeses, vegetables, any cooking where lemon juice or zest is called for. A wonderful addition to pot pourri, herbal steams, cut bouquets, and sachets. Gives that fresh lemon scent.
Pineapple Sage – Pineapple-lemon scent
Taste of the tropics in a temperate garden. Beautiful red flowers that attract hummingbirds. The leaves and flowers are edible. Add leaves and flowers to teas, desserts, drinks, fruit salads, soft cheese, and baked goods. An aromatic addition flower arrangements.
Sorrel, French – Tart w/ pleasant taste of lemon
The leaves are edible when young, add to salads, soups, pestos for a tart lemony taste. The leaves contain oxalic acid so eat sparingly. When you let it flower the birds love the seeds.
Here is one of my favorite vinegar recipes using several of these lemon herbs. I use this for salad dressings, marinades, drizzle on to steamed greens…….
Lemon Herb Vinegar based on Phyllis Shaudy’s recipe in “Herbal Treasures”
Figure out the size jar you will be using to infuse the vinegar and herbs in. That will determine the amount of herbal material you need. I use at least a quart sized jar.
I use a combination of the following herbs, my combinations are different each time:
Lemon basil leaves and flowers, Lemon Verbena leaves, Lemon balm leaves and flowers, Lemon thyme sprigs, Lemongrass bulbs and stems, Lemon Savory sprigs, Lemon few thin slices remove seeds or zest/peel (the more white layer of peel in the more chance of there being a bitter flavor, Gingerroot fresh few slices. Gently clean and dry completely herbs, lemon & ginger. Fill clean jar with ½ to ¾ full of chosen herbs, lemon & ginger. Choose your vinegar. I use raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar as it has the most health benefits. White wine or white balsamic is also very tasty to use. Fill jar with vinegar so ingredients are at least an inch totally covered. You want all the ingredients covered in vinegar. Use a plastic lid or metal lid covered in plastic wrap. Shake. Put in cool dark place, like a cupboard or pantry shelve. Shake occasionally. Leave for at least 3 – 4 weeks. One year I forgot mine for several months and it tasted fabulous! Strain the vinegar from the herbs and put in a clean jar. Discard the herbs etc. Store the infused vinegar in a cool dark place use within the year.