So everyone likes a good glass of lemonade on a hot summer day, and the first business that many of us start is usually a lemonade stand, so we kinda all know what to do with lemons. But who actually has a lemon tree in their backyard?
If you do, you’re lucky, and I’m a little jealous. But everyone can grow lemon herbs from their very own window garden kit – how cool is that? But what can you actually make with lemon herbs? Well, it turns out, quite a bit:
1: Vegan Lemon Balm Ice Cream
For a guilt-free and refreshing treat during the summer, using lemon balm instead of lemon juice can make a delicious ice cream! Just pulverize the lemon balm in your food processor, add a frozen banana, and as much liquid as needed to turn the mixture creamy. You can also add oats if you’d like your ice cream denser. Just like that, you have a quick and amazing dessert!
2: No-Bake Lemon All-Natural Bars
Before you toss in lemon juice or lemon zest into your next bar recipe, consider adding lemon balm instead! Use your food processor to grind it with soft dates, vanilla extract, goji berries, cinnamon, and natural almonds or coconut according to your taste, with just 2 tablespoons of water or other liquid. Press the mixture into a parchment-lined pan and store in the fridge for a healthy snack!
3: Zoodles
If you’re a fan of zucchini noodles, you’ll be thrilled to learn that lemon basil pairs incredibly well with zucchini! Add it during the final stages of creating your next pasta sauce for a light, yet unique twist on this classic dish.
4: Honey
If you’ve ever infused your honey with mint before, you know how a subtle new flavor can change it entirely. Just stuff half of a mason jar full of lemon basil leaves and fill the rest of the jar with honey. Let it sit for a month, strain out the leaves, and you have a delicious, sweet, and tangy spread to put on almost anything!
5: Fruit Salad
You don’t even need to cook these lemon herbs to create a great dish. Simply chop up as much lemon balm as you desire and toss it into your next fruit salad instead of using lemon juice. You’ll get all the same tang without the extra moisture that comes with the juice!
6: Roasted Vegetables
If you like a slight lemony tang with your roasted vegetables, look no further! Finely chop or dice some sprigs of lemon basil and add it onto your roasted vegetables as they come fresh out of the oven. This will give you the same great taste without the added moisture and even adds a hint of basil flavor to enhance the dish.
7: Jam
When you make your own berry jam, crush a handful of lemon balm and add it to the jar too! This will give your jam a nice, subtle lemon and herb flavor without adding too much liquid, which can happen if you use lemon juice. Instead of traditional recipes, you can opt for a special, low-methoxyl pectin, which thickens your jam without needing to add so much sugar. This allows you to use other sweeteners like stevia, honey, or even just fruit itself.
8: Alcoholic Drinks
While you can simply use lemon balm to replace mint in a Mint Julep, you could also fill a mason jar with half lemon balm and half cheap vodka, let it sit in a cool, dark place for a month, and have the perfect base for lemon-based drinks at your next girl’s night!
9: Muffins
Next time you make muffins or cookies, grind up a bit of lemon balm and add a hint of lemon zest to give them a subtle, tangy flavor without needing to balance out any extra liquid from lemon juice! This way, you get the same result with much less work involved.
10: Tea
Much like lemongrass, if you dry out lemon balm, you can use it to create a beautiful and tasty tea that comes with a hint of lemon right out of the cup – no additives needed!
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