Lemon Verbena
Aloysia triphylla
Similar veggies:
Mint, lemon balm
Other names
Verbena, verveine
A quick introduction
Lemon verbena is a perennial that survives our milder winters. We love the smell and like to use it to infuse our drinking water in summer. We also dry several batches of lemon verbena over the year to make a herbal tea with in winter. The leaves are a little tough so they're best used to infuse liquids.
Storage
Store in fridge in a closed container or hang to dry away from sunlight (once dried store in a closed container).
Season
late spring to fall
Suggestions for preparation
Lemon verbena is often included in marinades and brines and matches particularly well with fish, chicken and pork. It can also be used in desserts by infusing it in cream for custard-based desserts such as crème brûlée and panna cotta, or in heavy cream for whipping. We use fresh leaves to infuse water in summer and dried leaves to make a herbal tea with in winter.
Recipes
Here you will find a recipe for a lemon and verbena granita. Or click on this link for a raspberry and verbena fool. This raspberry and verbena sorbet also looks delicious!