So it appears that my obsession with candy making continues to overlap with herbalism. I just do not like herbal tea very much and wanted to come up with a non-chocolate (shocking I know) way to get some of the health benefits of an herbal tea into candy.
I decided to make candy from lemon balm tea! I actually kind of like the flavour of the tea so I thought it was a perfect contestant for this foodie hybrid. Lemon balm has a natural ability to calm the nervous system and especially relax the tummy.
The Recipe
You will need to steep 3 lemon balm tea bags in 1 cup of boiling water for 10 minutes. This should leave you with 3/4 cup of strong lemon balm tea.
You will also need…
1 cup sugar,
1/4 cup glucose (not corn syrup), 1/4 cup honey and 2 tbsp icing sugar.
Put all the ingredients into a medium large sauce pan.
You will need a candy thermometer for this recipe. I used a combination of my candy thermometer and laser thermometer but I found for this, having the alarm on my candy thermometer was very helpful. As well being able to see the seriously slow climb of the temperature.
Stir once to combine. Put on medium high heat.
You want to bring the mixture up to 300F without stirring. I learned from the candy class I attended that if it takes too long to come up to temperature the candy could separate. It was taking a very long time and so I cranked it up but if you do this, remember it might shoot past the temperature you want and burn. Get ready to move your foodie ass!
Finally!!! I moved fast…
FYI this was a TERRIBLE mold to choose! I forgot it was hard candy so you want something smooth and kind of small.
These were much better but do not overfill or you will get sharp edges. Live and learn!
Let cool to room temperature. Do not touch for at least 10 minutes.
Clean Up
One of the reasons I resisted candy making is the issue of clean up. The damn stuff hardens onto the pots and pans. Then I realized you just need to bring some water up to boiling for it all to dissolve away. Much better.
Finishing Them Off
Don’t they look so pretty?!
To avoid having the candies stick to together, put them in a bowl.
Add the icing sugar and gently toss.
You get a light dusting of pretty icing sugar and now you can put them in a container and use as needed.
I love having one after dinner. It helps calm down my nerves and tummy with zero effort. Also, I will not have to get up in the middle of the night to go to the washroom from drinking tea before bed! That is a win-win in my foodie book.
Yummy medicine… Who ever thought I would put those two words together. I am totally loving putting candy and herbalism together. This is a blast!
They are such a beautiful colour too!
Don’t they just have the warmest glow? I just love them.
I just made lollipops with this recipe! And yes, the colour is a stunning caramel. I also added lemon juice which gives it extra brightness.
Oh my gosh, My gramma made this, thank you for posting! I had forgot about this recipe!
Just a tip, you don’t even need to boil the water for cleanup. Sugar dissolves in water even if it’s not hot. You can just soak anything covered in hard candy, in water, and it will dissolve away.
If you are using fresh lemon balm be careful. I did this and I was so relaxed and clear headed! But later I became inconsistent. So maybe just take a little bit of one to see how you react.
It’s amazing how your love for candy making and herbalism is coming together, Lemon balm candy sounds like the perfect way to get those calming benefits without drinking tea. Now, if only I could turn this kind of creativity into helping me do my homework. The natural flavor and health benefits make it a great choice, especially for relaxing the nervous system and soothing the stomach.