# Lemon Balm Tincture

> Fresh lemon balm leaf, picked and macerated the same day in cane alcohol, so the tincture keeps the bright citrus snap of a leaf crushed between two fingers. A gentle after-dinner and bedtime ritual.

Price: 18.00 USD · in stock

## About
Crush a lemon balm leaf between two fingers and its mint-family scent turns sharp, clean and unmistakably citrus. The leaf is crinkled and faintly downy, deep green fading to yellow on the older growth, and this tincture holds that lemon top note remarkably well for something kept in alcohol.The Greeks named the plant for the bee, melissa, and beekeepers once rubbed its leaves inside empty hives to invite a swarm to settle. Monastery gardens across medieval Europe kept it close at hand. We cut the leaf at flowering, when its essential oil content peaks, and macerate it fresh rather than dried, because dried lemon balm loses much of what makes it worth taking.DetailsPlant: Lemon balm (Melissa) leafHarvest: Cut at flowering, picked and processed the same dayMethod: Fresh leaf macerated in 50% cane alcoholHow to useStir 15 to 30 drops into a glass of water after a meal, or before bed as part of a quiet evening ritual.An easy, unfussy companion for anyone whose evenings need a softer landing.