Lemon balm tincture can help to aid digestion and encourage a restful sleep. It uses only two ingredients and is a gentle way to nourish your body using homegrown herbs.
What Is Lemon Balm Tincture Good For?
Lemon balm is well known for its range of medicinal properties. It can help to alleviate anxiety and promote relaxation. In the same vein, the herb is also a gentle sleep aid and can ease indigestion. And luckily, it is straightforward to grow – it usually grows in abundance and can tolerate most conditions.
(You could also try making elderflower tincture, which can help reduce symptoms of colds and flus.)
However, unluckily, I planted a handful of lemon balm seeds in our backyard a few months ago, and for reasons unknown to this beginner garden, the seeds didn’t take hold! If anyone can shed light on why this might be, please send me a note.
Nonetheless, the health properties of lemon balm are so intriguing that I purchased some dried lemon balm leaves to make this tincture.
Of course I’d prefer to show you how to make this with fresh homegrown lemon balm, but I’m throwing perfectionism away. Store bought, dried lemon balm from my local shop will need to be just fine. I’ll share how to make lemon balm tincture with both fresh and dried leaves.
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Supplies
Glass Container – ideally with a plastic lid. If you only have metal lids, use parchment paper between the mixture and the lid to avoid corrosion.
Vodka (over 40 proof)
Fresh Or Dried Lemon Balm Leaves
Instructions
Chop or crush the lemon balm leaves and place them into the glass container. Aim for 1:3 ratio of fresh lemon balm to vodka or 1:5 ratio of dried lemon balm leaves to vodka.
Pour vodka over the leaves. Make sure all leaves are completely submerged in the vodka.
Put the lid on the jar and shake the jar to encourage all the leaves to be submerged.
Put the jar in a cool, dark place for about 4 weeks. The vodka will extract health-promoting compounds from the lemon balm leaves.
If you are using dried leaves like me, you can add more dried leaves after a day or so. This is because the dried leaves will absorb more liquid than the fresh leaves.
After 4 weeks, strain the leaves from the tincture. Make sure to press down firmly on the leaves to squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Pour the finished tincture into a glass bottle, ideally with a pipette. A pipette will make consuming the tincture simpler.
The lemon balm tincture will last about 2-3 years in a cool, dark place.
FAQ
I like to use the pipette to drop a few drops under my tongue to promote calm before bedtime or if I’m feeling anxious. The alcohol in the tincture will help the medicinal properties to be quickly absorbed when taken under the tongue. You can also dilute a teaspoon or so in tea, water, or other beverage.
I like to take a few drops of tincture under my tongue or 1 teaspoon in a cool drink 1-2 times a day.
Homemade tinctures should last for 2 years if stored in a cool, dark place.
Alcohol helps to extract medicinal properties from the herbs while the tincture steeps. It also aids in quick absorption if the tincture is consumed under the tongue.
More Simple Herbal Remedies
How To Make Elderberry Tincture
How To Make Echinacea Tincture
Elderflower Tincture – Simple Homemade Recipe
Thyme Syrup For Coughs And Colds
4 Easy Medicinal Herbs To Grow Indoors
If you make this how-to and enjoy it, please consider giving it 5 stars. Find me on Instagram @documentingsimpleliving and show me what you’ve made!
How To Make Lemon Balm Tincture
Lemon balm tincture can help to aid digestion and encourage a restful sleep. It uses only two ingredients and is a gentle way to nourish your body using homegrown herbs.
Materials
- Glass Container
- Vodka (over 40 proof)
- Fresh Or Dried Lemon Balm Leaves
Instructions
- Chop or crush the lemon balm leaves and place them into the glass
container. Aim for 1:3 ratio of fresh lemon balm to vodka or 1:5 ratio
of dried lemon balm leaves to vodka. - Pour vodka over the leaves. Make sure all leaves are completely submerged in the vodka.
- Put the lid on the jar and shake the jar to encourage all the leaves to be submerged.
- Put the jar in a cool, dark place for about 4 weeks. The vodka will extract health-promoting compounds from the lemon balm leaves.
- If you are using dried leaves like me, you can add more dried leaves after a day or so. This is because the dried leaves will absorb more liquid than the fresh leaves.
- After 4 weeks, strain the leaves from the tincture. Make sure to press down firmly on the leaves to squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Pour the finished tincture into a glass bottle, ideally with a pipette. A pipette will make consuming the tincture simpler.
- The lemon balm tincture will last about 2-3 years in a cool, dark place.
Notes
How Do You Use Lemon Balm Tincture?
Use the pipette to drop a few drops under the tongue to promote calm before bedtime, reduce feelings of anxiety, or aid digestion.
How Much Lemon Balm Tincture To Take?
I like to take a few drops of tincture under my tongue or 1 teaspoon in a cool drink 1-2 times a day.
How Long Does Lemon Balm Tincture Last?
The tincture will last about 2-3 years if stored in a cool, dark place.
I’m not a medical professional and do not intend to offer medical advice in any content I create. As always, do your own research and speak to your doctor or paediatricians.
I started my lemon balm inside in those starter little containers! I watered them until they bloomed and planted then outside !