Lemon Mint: How can I use it?

[pastameshugana]

So, at the (laughable) farmers market in our town, a lady was selling a small handful of what she called 'lemon mint'. It smelled like just that, and was one of the most intoxicating aromas I think I've ever encountered. I immediately thought it would make an amazing sorbet.

When googling, I found it's commonly called lemon balm, and can be used in tea as well, which sounded great.

So, realizing I'm leaving town and need to use it up, I tried first to make tea, dispensing hot water from my espresso machine with some rinsed leaves. After five minutes, it smelled even more amazing but the leaves had imparted absolutely zero flavor to the water and no discernible color. I tried again with boiling water from the kettle and the same results.

Now I'm questioning my ability to get this flavor into a sorbet.

Does anyone have any ideas/suggestions? Or am I on a fools errand?

[djyee100]

No fool's errand, though herbal ice creams and sorbets are not that common and they can be tricky. I once made a rose geranium ice cream with so-so results. I used too many leaves and steeped them too long, and the bitterness of the leaves leached into the ice cream base. I was overeager to get a big herbal flavor into the dessert. As always, taste as you go, and once the herbal flavor is just right, strain out the herbs from the base.

This is an adapted version of herbal sorbet recipe from Emelie Tolley and Chris Mead's "Herbs" cookbook. I've never made it. But if you want to try the recipe, here it is. The secret seems to be to start with an herbal syrup.

For a Basic Herbal Sorbet: Combine 2 cups sugar, 1/4 cup chopped fresh herb, 5 cups water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Let cool to room temp and refrigerate overnight. The next day, strain the syrup and discard the herb.
Blend 3 cups of the cold syrup with 1 cup chilled sparkling water (preferably no-salt seltzer). Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions.

You can add some fresh lemon juice and/or lemon zest to the sorbet base if you think it needs some brightening up.

The recipe doesn't say this, but the rest of the syrup can be combined with chilled tonic water for a refreshing drink.

As for a tea, try this method for a tisane. Again, the theory looks sound to me, though I've never tried this recipe. Here:
http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-an-herbal-tisane-f-87353

Still have some lemon balm left? Kim Shook once made a roast chicken with lemon balm leaves stuffed under the skin. On the Dinner thread, here, post #550:
http://forums.egullet.org/topic/143505-dinner-2010/page-19

good luck! If you have a chance, let us know how it goes. Lemon balm surfaces on this forum now and then, with questions about what to do with it.

ETA: Actually, Kim made a smoked chicken. On another thread I suggested that she cook a roast chicken with lemon balm. Kim never listens to me.

Just kidding.

Edited August 1, 2013 by djyee100 (log)