Melissa jam. How to properly cook mint jam Main course: stew with vegetables and lemon balm in Leipzig style

Melissa has long gone beyond just medicinal herbs. It is actively used in cooking, for flavoring meat dishes, drinks and desserts. One of these desserts is lemon balm jam. This jam is quite versatile. It is suitable for toasts, cocktails, and simply for decorating desserts.

Melissa has only one drawback - it has an almost complete lack of taste. The smell is divine, a kind of light mixture of lemon and mint, and at the same time a bitter aftertaste. Therefore, to make the jam tasty, aromatic and beautiful, you have to be a little cunning.

The amount of lemon balm is arbitrary, because you don’t need a concentrate, but an edible jam that you can eat with a spoon?

For 0.5 l. water:

250 gr. lemon balm;
1.5 kg sugar;
2 large lemons;
Emerald food coloring (optional).

The lemon balm decoction itself has a yellowish-brown color, and if you want jam like in the picture, you will have to tint it.

Rinse the mint under cold running water. Chop the leaves, along with the stems, or tear them with your hands and put them in a pan.

Slice the lemon along with the peel. The size of the pieces is not important, just cut as you like. Add the lemon to the pan after the lemon balm.

Pour lemon balm with water and place the pan on the fire. As soon as the water boils, turn off the gas and remove the pan from the stove. Cover it with a lid and let the broth sit for at least 4 hours.

Strain the broth. The lemon balm leaves and lemon can be thrown away, they have already given everything they could.

Pour all the sugar into the lemon balm decoction and put the pan on the fire. You cannot cook the jam for a long time so that the smell does not dissipate. Wait until the sugar is completely dissolved, plus 10 minutes. If it seems to you that the jam is still liquid, you can add a little pectin and coloring to it if you decide to get a beautiful, green jam.

Pour the hot jam into small sterile jars and close them. There is no need to wrap it up, or to create special storage conditions. Melissa jam can stand for 2-3 years and only become candied.

How to make mint jam without cooking, watch the video:

It is known that lemon balm herb was held in high esteem by the ancient Romans. About 2 thousand years ago, a healing decoction was prepared from it, which helped stimulate the appetite and calm down. From Greek, the name of this plant is translated as “bee,” and its lemon aroma has a calming effect not only on the bees themselves, but also on humans. It is for this calming property and mild lemon aroma that lemon balm is called “lemon balm,” “lemon grass,” and “heart grass.”

Melissa or mint?

Melissa is often confused with mint due to the external similarity of their leaves. However, these plants are different. And if you want to take advantage of the healing properties of lemon balm, then it would be a good idea for you to know its differences from mint.


Botanical description	Family Lamiaceae. The plant can reach a height of 1.5 m. The stem is branched and covered with short hairs. Exudes a light lemon aroma. The fruit is smooth – 4 nuts. The flowers are painted purple or lilac, collected in inflorescences of 6-12 pieces, forming false rings.	Family Lamiaceae. The root is thin, fibrous. The stem is erect. The leaves are ovate, pointed with a menthol aroma. Plant height is from 30 cm to 1 m. It bears fruit rarely, the fruit contains 4 nuts. The flowers form spike-shaped inflorescences and are colored pale purple.
	Leaves and flowers no more than 0.8%	In the leaves contains 2.75%, in inflorescences – about 6%
Application in medicine	Medicine – antidepressant, antispasmodic and antiviral agent.	Pharmacology is a mandatory component of herbal preparations intended for the treatment of bronchitis, stomach diseases and neuralgia.
Use in cooking	Cooking - as a substitute for allspice and as a seasoning for soup, salads, and game.	Cooking - as a flavoring agent for cocktails, alcoholic beverages, baked goods, soups, and hot dishes.

What are the benefits of lemon balm?

The beneficial properties of lemon balm make it possible to successfully use this herb for medicinal purposes.

On a note! The effectiveness of lemon balm preparations is due to the presence of essential oils in its composition. The largest amount is contained in the leaves of the plant, which most often form the basis of infusions and decoctions.

Let us list the main qualities of products containing lemon balm:

antispasmodic;
soothing;
carminative;
hypnotic;
sedative;
choleretic;
diuretic;
protective;
anti-inflammatory;
antiviral;
bacteriostatic;
hemostatic.

Melissa is useful for colds, bronchitis and flu - a decoction of its leaves will eliminate fever and ease expectoration. It successfully lowers blood pressure, eliminates shortness of breath and relieves nervous tremors. The use of preparations from this plant has a positive effect on the functions of the heart: disturbances in the heart rhythm are normalized and the frequency of contractions is reduced.

This plant helps restore intestinal function, normalizes digestion, controls metabolic processes and helps remove bile. Melissa officinalis can “invigorate” the body, strengthen its protective functions, and also improve brain activity.

Being a natural antidepressant, lemon balm helps eliminate the effects of nervous tension, it calms and relieves stress. For the same reason, representatives of traditional medicine often advise giving infusions and decoctions of this herb to children who are hyperactive and cannot concentrate.

"Women's" grass

How is lemon balm beneficial for women? In fact, it was not by chance that she received her nickname “women’s grass”. Decoctions and infusions prepared from its leaves are capable of the following:

normalize weight;
mitigate the manifestations of toxicosis;
eliminate climacteric neurosis;
cure inflammation of the appendages;
normalize the menstrual cycle;
make menstruation easier;
eliminate pain and heaviness in the lower abdomen during heavy menstruation;
increase the production of mother's milk during lactation.

Healing remedies based on lemon balm

Now it’s worth talking about how to brew lemon balm in various situations.

Decoction

Heart neurosis, stomach diseases, asthma, respiratory tract diseases:

Pour 10 g of dry raw material into a glass of water;
bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes;
cool, filter;
take 5 ml three times a day.

Infusion

Toxicosis, painful menstruation, menopausal neurosis, inflammation of the appendages, increased sexual excitability:

Pour 10 g of dry raw material into a glass of boiling water;
cover, leave for an hour;
filter;
take half a glass three times a day.

Tea

Fragrant lemon balm tea can be consumed daily. If you are worried about insomnia, it is best to drink it just before bed. In other cases, this can be done throughout the day, half an hour after meals.

Brew green tea with lemon balm as follows:

put a teaspoon of lemon balm and the same amount of mint in a glass or porcelain teapot;
pour in a liter of boiled water, the temperature of which will be about 80°C;
leave for 15-20 minutes.

This tea should only be drunk freshly brewed.

Jam

It is customary to take berries or fruits as the basis for jam. But in some world cuisines, completely unusual ingredients are used for this sweet delicacy. So today we will prepare lemon balm jam.

This may sound unusual, perhaps even strange, but once you try this dessert, you will not be able to deny yourself the pleasure of making it again. And most importantly, it is very useful, as it is saturated with valuable components contained in the plant itself. In addition, the recipe for lemon balm jam is quite simple.

Prepare ingredients:

600 g lemon balm leaves;
1.5 kg sugar;
15 ml lemon juice;
300 ml water.

Cooking process.

Rinse the raw materials under running water, place on a sieve to drain.
Advice! You can also use mint in this recipe along with lemon balm. The ratio of components in this case will be 1:1.
Transfer the herb to an enamel pan.
Pour in lemon juice, add half the specified portion of sugar.
Mix everything thoroughly.
Cover the pan with a towel and leave for two hours at room temperature.
On a note! During this time, the grass will release juice and sugar will dissolve in it.
Combine the remaining portion of sugar with water and boil the syrup.
Combine the resulting syrup with the leaves in sugar, mix and leave for 5 hours.
Afterwards, put the mixture on the stove, turn on low heat and bring to a boil.
Cook for 5 minutes.
Pour hot jam into sterilized jars and seal with metal lids.

Contraindications

Obviously, lemon balm has a fairly large number of beneficial properties, but since this plant is medicinal, there are also contraindications.

Since this herb can have a calming and sedative effect, patients suffering from hypotension should avoid using its preparations.

In addition, the use of lemon balm is contraindicated for people whose work involves complex mechanisms, the need for concentration, and also requires physical activity.

Among the adverse reactions of the body to preparations of this plant may be:

heartburn, nausea and vomiting;
drowsiness, muscle weakness, slow thinking;
disturbances in the digestive tract - constipation, diarrhea;
dizziness.

I want to tell you about a miracle recipe. But first, a little background. Lately I have been suffering from insomnia very often. This is how I go to bed, but I can’t fall asleep. I lie there half the night, or even all night, “counting elephants.” I can’t list them all, I’ve tried so many medications. And then, a neighbor, having learned about my problem, gave advice, saying Melissa could help. I bought this miracle herb, but somehow I was too lazy to brew it every day. Well, I think I’ll make jam from it, and then add it to tea, a spoonful at a time.
You know, probably not even three days passed before my sleep was restored. Now I sleep all night. I hardly wake up. My joy knows no bounds. Yes, lemon balm is very useful. Therefore, do not bypass the recipe, but take note of it.
Melissa jam turns out to be quite liquid in consistency, similar to. But this is precisely its advantage - it is convenient to add to tea.

Ingredients:
- 1 bunch of lemon balm,
- 1 cup of sugar

Rinse the lemon balm very thoroughly, preferably a couple of times, under running water. Trim the roots and place the lemon balm in a deep bowl.

Fill it with granulated sugar and then add a little water.

Boil the lemon balm for about five minutes over moderate heat. Then twist it in a blender and boil again for the same amount of time. By the way, you can immediately grind the lemon balm in a blender, and only then put it on the fire.

Strain the resulting broth through a sieve or using ordinary cheesecloth.

Pour the liquid mixture into a jar and close it tightly with a lid.

This lemon balm jam can be stored for quite a long time.
Drink delicious tea with the healthiest

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Melissa is an amazing spice with a mild taste and a light mint-lemon scent. Avicenna experimented with it for medicinal purposes, and Paracelsus considered the plant to be natural gold because of its beneficial properties. In cooking, leaves and shoots are used as an additive to salads, cheeses, first and second courses, fish, and mushrooms. Let's try too recipes with lemon balm to surprise yourself and home tasters with new taste emotions.

Second: potato salad with lemon balm

This warm dish is quite simple to prepare. It can be dressed with mustard and vinegar sauce or poured with melted butter. The salad goes well with regular salted herring.

We will need the following products:

3 young potatoes;
50 g green onions;
a bunch of lemon balm;
2-3 tbsp. l. sour cream;
caviar of any fish;
salt pepper.

Boil the potatoes and mash or cut into cubes, as you prefer. Add chopped onion to the still hot mixture. Chop the lemon balm and mix it with sour cream and potatoes. Salt and pepper the salad, sprinkle with caviar and serve.

Drink: herbal tea

This lemon balm tea recipe completely arbitrary. It can be supplemented with any herbs to your taste. Tea is served hot and cold.

Ingredients:

2 bunches of mint leaves;
1 bunch of currant, raspberry, lemon balm leaves;
3 liters of water;
a couple of spoons of linden honey;
sugar as desired.

We sort out the fresh leaves of the plants, wash them, and dry them with a paper towel. Boil water and add leaves to the boiling water. Cover the kettle with a lid, wrap it in a towel, and steep the drink for 10 minutes. Sweeten the tea with honey and sugar.

Dessert: lemon balm sorbet

A dish from Yugoslav cuisine was invented just for a hot summer day. It will be an excellent alternative to traditional ice cream. Natural sorbet turns out white, but you can add coloring and fillers to it to taste.

Of the products we need:

glass of water;
100 g sugar;
2 bunches of lemon balm;
zest from 1 lemon;
1 tsp. lemon juice;
2 egg whites.

Make syrup from water and sugar, boil it for a couple of minutes. We remove the zest from the lemon so that the white layer does not get into the shavings, it can be bitter. Add lemon balm, zest, and lemon juice to the syrup, cool and strain.

We make a strong foam from the protein and add it to the sorbet. Place the mixture in the freezer. Stir the dessert every hour until it crystallizes completely. Leave to cool overnight.

For future use: lemon balm jam

Our spice has one drawback - it has practically no taste, despite the pleasant rich smell. To make lemon balm jam beautiful, we have to cheat a little. The number of leaves and stems is arbitrary, as is the color of the finished dish. The natural shade is yellow-brown; you can correct it with food coloring.

So, let's take:

200-250 g lemon balm;
1.3-1.5 kg of sugar;
2 large lemons;
dye, if needed.

We rinse the lemon balm well with running water. We chop or tear the leaves and stems by hand and place them in a pan. Grind the lemons into arbitrary pieces and place them in the same container. Fill it all with water and put it on fire.

Bring the “drink” to a boil and remove the pan from the stove. Cover the resulting broth with a lid and leave for 4-5 hours. We filter the cooled and infused broth, throw away the remaining food, we don’t need it. Add sugar and put on fire.

Do not cook the jam for a long time - the smell will disappear. We wait until the sugar dissolves, boil for another 10 minutes. If the result is too liquid, you can add pectin or dye. Pour the finished jam into jars, close, and send for storage.

Main course: stew with vegetables and lemon balm, Leipzig style

Stew can be the main dish or complement , fried fish. We take young and small vegetables. The ideal option is early ones with tops.

We take the following products:

half a kilo of carrots;
10 pieces of radish along with tops;
10 white onions;
300 g of new potatoes;
150 g bacon;
90-100 g butter;
250 g green peas;
2 stalks lemon balm;
150 g chanterelles;
1 lemon;
salt to taste.

We pick off the leaves from the lemon balm branches, wash and dry them. Grate the zest from the lemon. We clean the vegetables (remove only the top layer from the potatoes), cut the stems from the radishes and carrots to 1-1.5 cm. Turn on the oven and heat it to 180 degrees.

Cut the bacon into thin strips and sauté it into pieces (30 g) of butter in a thick-walled pan until pale. Add chopped vegetables, peas, add a glass of water, salt, simmer in the oven under the lid for about 40 minutes. Periodically open the lid and see if the dish has enough liquid. If necessary, add a little water.

We check the readiness by checking the potatoes. After 40-45 minutes, add lemon balm to the pan and cover again. Heat the remaining oil, fry the mushrooms in it, add some salt. Place the chanterelles on top of the vegetables, sprinkle with zest and serve.

How different lemon balm can be, but most of us are used to seeing it only in drinks. In second courses it can be replaced with tarragon. But with desserts and salads it is better to use lemon balm.

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The most amazing jam you can come up with is lemon balm jam. This delicacy has an amazing aroma. This is how I made the jam and added just a spoonful to the tea, and it instantly transformed, became so unsurpassed, and also very fragrant.
Melissa is a common plant that can be purchased at any market. You can also grow lemon balm in your dacha and use it if necessary.
You thought, why cover lemon balm? But look, in winter, it is almost impossible to find this plant on supermarket shelves. Well, you can, of course, be smart, buy lemon balm in the summer, dry it, and then just add the dried leaves to tea. However, lemon balm jam would be a much better solution. Since it can not only be added to tea, but also simply spread on bread and eaten.
This jam is useful for people who suffer from colds. And so, this delicious sweet delicacy is miraculous, just like.
Ingredients:
- lemon balm 1 bunch,
- 0.5 cups sugar

Recipe with photos step by step:

First of all, rinse a bunch of lemon balm very well, preferably a couple of times in a row, under running water. Cut off the roots with a sharp knife.

Place lemon balm in a deep bowl.

Add granulated sugar to it. You can also add vanilla sugar for more flavor.

Then add settled or filtered water.

Place the bowl of lemon balm on the fire and boil it for 2 minutes.
Then put the lemon balm in a blender and grind it a little on turbo mode.

Place the chopped lemon balm again into the bowl.

Now boil it for 15 minutes.
Then strain the mixture through a sieve and transfer the liquid jam to a jar.

Melissa jam is ready! We also recommend that you look at the recipe