Lemon Verbena 100 g, 50 g, 25 g

Lemon Verbena – 100 g ($18.99), 50 g ($11.99), 25 g ($7.99)

Benefits:

Botanical Name: Aloysia triphylla
English: Lemon-scented verbena
Also, known as: Luiza, Verbena, Nihng mung mah bin chou, Ning meng ma bian cao, Jernurt, Citroenverbena, Sidrunaloisia, Beh limou, Lippia, Verveine citronnelle, Verveine odorante, Herba Luisa, Zitronenverbene, Louiza, Verbena, Lipia limonit, Luisa, Citrom verbena, Cedron, Remonbabena, Remon beobena, Remon bobena, Remon-beobena, Citrininė aloyzija, Verbena limonnaya, Limun verbena, Cedron, Hierbaluisa, Sporýš, Lippia trójlistna, Limonete, Citronka, and Tsitrin-lippie
Origin: Paraguay
Harvested: Wild or cultivated
Parts Used: Leaves

General Information:
Aloysia triphylla is named after Maria Louisa (Aloysia is thought to be a derivative of Louisa) the princess of Parma and wife of King Carlos IV King of Spain. Triphylla refers to the placement of the leaves (phylla) which are arranged in whorls of three (tri). Lemon Verbena plants were brought to Europe by Spanish explorers in the 17th century from Argentina and Chile. There it was grown for its fabulous lemony oil that was used in perfume and cosmetics until cheaper Lemon Grass oil replaced it. Because Lemon Verbena leaves keep their scent well when dried they were popular with the Victorians as an ingredient in their endless making of potpourri. Lemon Verbena flowers are small, white, single and inconspicuous. Their airy feel is an elegant crowning point for the open form of the plant. Lippia triphylla, Lippia citriodora, Aloysia citriodora, Verveine citronelle or odorante, Herb Louisa, lemon-scented verbena, Verbena triphylla, and Lippia triphylla; Lemon Verbena has had many names in the past but no matter what it is called its flavour and fragrance of lemon is second to no other lemony herb. The flavour of Lemon Verbena is reminiscent of lemon candy, sweet with strong lemon and no sourness. It is a woody shrub that produces shiny lanceolate green leaves (to 3-4″ long) that have a strong aroma (without crushing) and taste of lemon. Leaves are opposite or in whorls of three (hence the specific epithet). Plants will grow to 10-15′ tall in the tropics, but to 2-4 tall in containers. Fragrant, white to pale lilac flowers bloom from mid-summer to early fall but have little ornamental significance. The bush grows to a height of about 6-10 feet (2-3 meters), has strong, lemon-scented, green leaves and clusters of aromatics, small, white or purple flowers that have a tiny yellow dot in the center. When touched, the flower releases a refreshing fragrance.
Only 100 years ago, lemon verbena was a common ornamental in European gardens, but today it is rarely planted. The herb’s culinary merits have also fallen into oblivion; to be fair, however, it should be stressed that lemon verbena has never been an important herb in European cookery. Like many other lemon-scented spices, lemon verbena is often suggested to flavour fish stews and soups; it is also good with poultry. Its main application, however, is the flavouring of sweets, desserts and drinks. Lemon verbena has a strong affinity to fresh fruits: The subtle lemon flavour nicely emphasizes and reinforces the fruit’s natural aroma. Thus, lemon verbena can be used to give fruit salads an unusual touch, or a chopped leaf can be sprinkled over a fruit bowl, or freshly prepared fruit juice can be garnished with one or two leaves of lemon verbena.
To make a simple Lemon Verbena oil for marinades or salads, combine one cup of fresh Lemon Verbena leaf with 1/2 cup grapeseed oil in a blender. Blend on high for at least 2 minutes. Let stand at room temperature for an hour or two. Strain through a fine mesh strainer. Use immediately or refrigerate. Lemon Verbena oil keeps about a week in the refrigerator, so it is better to make small batches often.

How to use:
We make these suggestions to help you get the best benefit from the herbs that you’re choosing to improve your health. Also we make these ideas and recommendations so that consuming them easier and better fit into your lifestyle by adding them to the food that you already eat.
For the full health benefit, it is best to consume (or use the whole herb in poultices) the whole herb. All of the compounds in the herb act best together, as nature intends. Extracts draw out the most prominent beneficial compounds and may concentrate them. What is not extracted can be helpful in ways that we do not yet understand.

Cut Pieces or Powdered Herb:
There are different ways to use cut pieces or powdered herb.
Food Preparation: You can add powdered or pieces of herb (if the pieces you buy are bigger than you like, a coffee or herb grinder will quickly reduce) to any yogurt, smoothie, apple or other sauces, spreads, salads or other foods more familiar to you that don’t use heat. Heat can be damaging to the beneficial compounds in the herb. Other options like oatmeal, scrambled eggs, pasta sauce, soup, cookies and anything else that fits your lifestyle, but minimizing (by adding near the end of cooking) the heat is helpful.
Also, for children, you can mix powdered herb with honey or glycerin to make paste. The thicker the paste, the more potent and herbal in taste. The sweet taste of honey and glycerin will help medicine go down. The resulting liquid is called an electuary.
For seeds in general, but especially small seeds, it’s best to grind these to break the protective hulls a short time before consumption. This makes all the benefits available, rather than some remaining locked inside the hulls that are unbroken by insufficient chewing.
To make adding herbs even easier, you could add a week’s worth of your chosen herb(s) to an amount of, for example, yogurt that you would eat in a week. Mix thoroughly and eat this each day of the week. So you make once /week and just eat each other day.
Hot Infusion: The basic method for dried herbs and flower is, take 2-3 tablespoons of dried herb in a cup or teapot. Pour hot water over it and cover it with lid for 10-30 minutes. The heat from making tea can degrade some of the beneficial compounds in the herb. This method minimizes this effect. For the full health benefit, it is recommended to consume what is left over after making tea.
Decoctions: Decoctions are suitable for roots, barks, large seeds & berries, and other dense material. The simple way to make decoction is, in a saucepan, add 1 tablespoon of dried herbs to 1 cup of water, Bring the water to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30-60 minutes with the pot covered. Squeeze out as much as liquid as possible. Best practice is to drink the liquid and also consume the solid material that remains. Herb pieces can also be used.
Powdered Herb:
There are different ways to use powdered herb.
Capsules: HerbsCrafters makes capsules guaranteed to be filled with the pure herb with no filler or any other products. You can also use powdered herb to make your own capsules at home. These capsules are best taken with liquid to aid in digestion and absorption and to ensure it doesn’t stick in your throat.
Poultice: Poultice can be made with an herbal powder and liquid (mostly water) to form a paste which is then applied to the skin. This method is very helpful for skin conditions.
Herbal shot: Powdered herb can be mixed with water, fruit juice or other liquid to make herbal shot.

Tips:
You can sweeten your herbal decoctions with bit of honey, natural fruit juice, stevia leaves powder or licorice root powder.

Precautions:
You should consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using any herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.
All information on this website is for educational purpose ONLY.
This information has not been evaluated by Health Canada.
This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.