​

September 11, 2024

Happy Wednesday, Reader!

"When Americans lend a hand to one another, nothing is impossible. We're not about what happened on 9/11. We're about what happened on 9/12." --Jeff Parness

On this anniversary of 9/11, my hope and prayer is that people in our country will love one another.....

***************************

Do you have an herbal or aromatic natural home medicine chest already built out for your family? And if you do, do you actually use it?

I would love to know your questions about building a customized home medicine chest that's practical for your unique family, safe, and also effective. Hit "reply" and tell me anything you'd like about this!

The reason I ask is because your answers will help me get any updates needed in our Family Herbalist programs perfected. This just might be the last live group we'll ever have, so I want it to be a real celebration! I also want to be sure that I've covered all the bases for what you need.

So, please whether or not you're enrolled, hit "reply" and let me know thoughts, questions, frustrations, and anything else you want to say about building your home medicine chest that actually gets used and learning herbalism.

******************

You need this herb in your Home Medicine Chest!

Ready for it?

It's LEMON BALM (Melissa officinalis)!

Especially as we veer into cold and flu season, this is just an absolutely wonderful herb to have available.

If you're a gardener like I am, you likely have huge bunches of it right now, as the summer comes to a close. It's time to harvest it!

Here's why:

Lemon balm is incredible. A member of the mint (Lamiaceae) family, it contains chemicals, namely citral and citronellal. It's rich in phenols and has many anti-oxidant qualities, which we all need.

I love using lemon balm with children and adults. It's calming, soothing, and does a great job calming anxiety gently. It improves mood, relieves stress, and even promotes healthy sleep. It's flavor is pleasant too!

Here's a bullet list of many of the ways to work with lemon balm:

• Emotional support (calms, soothes, helps sleep)
• Anti-viral: Especially for viruses in the herpes family (chicken pox, the simplex types, shingles, etc.) it has a special affinity for lessening the intensity and duration of the outbreaks and the pain.
• May protect the body against radiation. In one study, researchers found that X-ray technicians who drank lemon balm had significantly reduced DNA damage.
• Improves cognitive function. Now this one is exciting! As we get older, this is an herb I'll be adding on the daily instead of just when I need it.
• Relieves indigestion. Because it's a mild antispasmodic, it can support healthy digestion in smooth muscles.
• Reduces menstrual cramping. Due to the same reason it's helpful with indigestion, it may also help with spasms in the uterus during menses.
• Headaches! Lemon balm is helpful for headaches, and is one of my favorites in a wonderful migraine blend (equal parts lemon balm, spearmint, and feverfew).
• It can lessen the pain from toothaches, wasp stings, and more. You can make a little spit poultice and apply the leaf directly to the area.

I get asked often if people who struggle with low thyroid should avoid lemon balm. This is due to an in vitro study that showed lemon balm may inhibit the function of the thyroid. However, this has never been shown in humans, to my knowledge. There's just not very much evidence. If you're on thyroid medications, be sure to consult with your medical doctor before using lemon balm.

You can prepare lemon balm in herbal teas, tinctures (see how to make lemon balm tincture here), glycerides, honeys, vinegars, and syrups. In fact, here's how to make a delicious lemon balm syrup:

Lemon Balm Syrup Recipe

You'll need:

2 cups fresh lemon balm leaves (if you have some stems, it's ok--just chop them up)

5 cups of water (we'll be making a decoction, which will pull constituents out and allow the honey to absorb)

1 1/2 cups raw honey.

Directions:

Place the leaves into a pan. Add the water, making sure the leaves are covered. Bring the water to a boil, then turn the heat down to a slow simmer. Partially cover the pan to reduce the amount of evaporation (which carries off the volatile oils---you're going to lose some of these no matter what, so it is what it is).

Alternatively, you could steep your lemon balm in just simmered water overnight and proceed. Be sure to cover the jar if you do this, and use about 4 cups of water instead of 5.

Measure out about 3 cups of the lemon balm tea, and be sure the tea is cooled to about 100 degrees or less because you'll be adding your honey next, and you don't want it too hot or the invertase enzyme in the honey will be killed.

Add your honey to the tea. If you have 3 cups of tea, then 1 1/2 cups of honey should keep it shelf stable for a few weeks in the fridge.

Stir well and store.

Optional: You can add some ginger or lemon juice if you like for additional flavor. You can also add a cinnamon stick during the steeping or simmering process for more flavor too.

Take a daily spoonful, use as a sweetener in other herbal teas, enjoy wherever syrup is needed!

SAFETY: Do not give raw honey to infants under 12 months old due to the potential dangers of Clostridium botulinum.

Enjoy!

​

*************************

Are you coming to the HomesteadHer Summit?

It's happening this week, and my presentation is TODAY at 10:00 a.m. Pacific time. I'll be discussing ways to kick the cold and flu to the curb, not get sick, and if you do, what to do. I'll also be demonstrating how to make a glyceride!

It's too late now to get a free pass (I shared that with you last week), but you can still purchase an All Access VIP Pass, which will give you lifetime access so you can watch ALL the presentations on your own time frame.

Enjoy cheesemaking, sourdough bread baking, chicken topics, gardening, organizing, herbalism, and LOTS more!

********************************************

Stop by for a Visit!

Be sure to visit my website and YouTube channel for over a thousand combined articles and videos on herbalism, natural living, aromatherapy, homesteading, and traditional skills!

​Healing Harvest Homestead website (bookmark it so you can come back often) NOTE: The Search Index is found in the "Blog" section.

​YouTube Channel (subscribe and share!)

Hugs, Health, and Herbs,

Heidi

P.S. Don't forget to hit reply and tell me about your home apothecary!

P.P.S. If you didn't pick it up already, you can download your FREE Fall Diffuser Blends here.

***Sharing is caring! Please forward to a friend!

"The Lord bless you, and keep you; The Lord make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace." --Numbers 6:24-26

​