Lemon Balm Sugar: An Experiment and a Recipe

It all started with a vague memory of having read somewhere that you could make any herbal sugar or salt by combining fresh herbs and the medium of your choice in a sealed container, shaking daily until dry-looking.  I had a large amount of lemon balm that needed to be harvested and enough sugar to make a lemon balm sugar for teas but I was missing some key information: the ratio of herb to sugar.

So, I devised an experiment. Granted this experiment would not pass a test of scientific rigour, but we are talking about a product with an extremely high margin for error, after all.  Now, without further adieu, and in super-short science report form, I give you the...


Lemon Balm Sugar Experiment

Purpose: To find the best ratio of lemon balm to sugar for making lemon balm sugar.

Materials:

• White Sugar
• 3 Mason Jars
• Fresh Lemon Balm, whole leaves

 Procedure:

1. Fill three mason jars with fresh lemon balm and sugar in the following ratios: 1:1, 1:2, and 1:3.
2. Tightly cap and leave in dark, cool place for 2 (became 4 because I forgot about them) weeks, shaking daily.
3. At the end of this time, strain the lemon balm and transfer sugars to a clean container. Evaluate texture and taste.

Data:

Lemon Balm:Sugar ratio - 1:1. Extremely clumpy, strong flavor and scent.
Lemon Balm:Sugar ratio - 1:2.  Mildly clumpy, mild flavor, minimal scent.
Lemon Balm:Sugar ratio - 1:3.  No clumps, minimal flavor, no scent.

Conclusion:
The best ratio in terms of both texture and flavor is 1:2.

So, the experiment was a success - as they always are as long as we learn something - and a recipe was made:

Lemon Balm Sugar

Ingredients:

• 1 part fresh Lemon Balm (whole leaves)
• 2 parts white sugar

Directions:
Put lemon balm and sugar in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Keep it in a cool, dark, dry place for 4 weeks, shaking daily (you may have to occasionally open the jar and use a utensil to break up the clumps). After 4 weeks, pour the mixture out into a bowl, pick the leaves out (if they are small, you'll want to use tweezers), and transfer your sugar to a clean, dry container. Enjoy!