RJ Homestead

It is bright, sunny, and pushing 92 degrees out there today. It is the kind of high-summer afternoon where the garden is practically humming with growth, and the heat makes you want to just slow down and find a shady spot to rest.

If you grow lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), you already know how enthusiastically it embraces the summer heat. Right now, we have an absolute overabundance of it. Some of our patches were carefully planned and planted, but many others are just happy little volunteers that decided to show up wherever they pleased.

Because we have so much of it, we always dry and store a good amount for the apothecary, tucking it away to use in calming winter teas and soothing tinctures. But when a plant is giving this generously, we are always looking for other, immediate ways to use it while it is fresh.

Today, with the sun blazing overhead, it felt like the perfect afternoon to make a big batch of Lemon Balm Sun Tea.

Making sun tea is one of my favorite slow-living summer rituals. Instead of boiling water, it uses gentle, passive solar heat to slowly extract the oils from the plant. This process draws out a wonderfully smooth, mellow, and bright citrus flavor from the leaves without any of the bitterness that hot water can sometimes leave behind.

If you find yourself with an overflowing patch of lemon balm this week, here is how we make ours:

🍋 Fresh Lemon Balm Sun Tea

1. Pack the jar:
Gather your harvest. Place 2 cups of fresh, gently rinsed lemon balm leaves into a clean 1-gallon glass jar.

2. Fill with water:
Fill the jar all the way to the top with cold water and cap it tightly.

3. Steep in the sun:
Set the jar outdoors in direct sunlight. Let the sun do the work for 3 to 4 hours, allowing the water to slowly infuse and turn a beautiful pale gold.

4. Strain and chill:
Bring the jar inside and remove the leaves. Stir in your preferred sweetener to taste, then place the jar in the refrigerator until it is completely cold.

5. Serve and enjoy:
Pour your chilled sun tea over a glass of ice cubes, and garnish with a fresh strawberry or a slice of lemon.

Taking a moment to sit on the porch with a cold glass of sun tea is such a beautiful way to cool down, pause the day’s work, and appreciate the medicine growing right in our own backyard.