Procurement of lemon balm - collection rules and drying methods

Melissa is one of the medicinal herbs, the properties of which were known in ancient times. From the leaves of this plant, as a rule, they prepare medicinal tea, helping to get rid of many ailments. However, the strength of this drink can be lost if the procurement of raw materials is carried out incorrectly. For this reason, every herbalist should know how to dry the lemon balm. And today we will tell you about all the rules for collecting and storing this useful herb.

. Procurement of curative balm

Melissa is a rather unpretentious plant, so it can be grown on its own plot without any difficulty. In the most ordinary flower garden, she will feel more than perfectly, and even being "in the company" of parsley and dill will not grow worse.

Tip! In order for melissa bushes to grow well, it is necessary to choose an open area for them!

Collect

So, the preparation of lemon balm for the winter begins with harvesting. It is best to conduct it in dry sunny weather. If you notice that in the morning the plant is covered with droplets of dew, then the collection should be postponed for the afternoon, as moisture can provoke the formation of mold, and this, in turn, will lead to the loss of a significant part of the nutrients.

Important! Remember that collection of lemon balm can not be carried out in fog or in cloudy weather!

Very good, if you have grown this healing plant yourself and collect from your garden. After all, in this case you can be completely confident in its ecological purity.

Melissa collection begins in June and lasts until it blooms. The tops and leaves are neatly cut from the stem and folded into linen bags. It is important to understand why it is impossible to use polyethylene containers, to which many are accustomed. The fact is that even a short-term contact of raw materials with this material can affect the quality of the workpiece - the flavor will be spoiled and the color lost.

Drying

Now we turn to the main thing - how to dry the balm for tea. The collected raw materials can be dried in three ways:

• on the street - in this case, the crop is laid out in a thin layer on a pallet, the role of which can be played by a cut of dense fabric, a sheet of plywood or cardboard. To protect balm from dirt( dust, debris, insects), it can be covered with a fine mesh. Next, you need to make a canopy so that the melissa is dried in the shade. Otherwise direct sunlight "will take away" a significant part of useful substances;
  
• indoors - this method of drying involves the use of a well-ventilated room, such as an attic. Harvest can be decomposed on the same pallet as in the first case, but it's more convenient to use homemade hammocks from a grid. Thus, the grass will be blown by air from all sides;
  

  For this purpose, the usual mosquito net

  is ideal! If you choose one of the first two methods for drying, then remember that the raw material from time to time must be pushed and turned over. When using improvised hammocks, this is not necessary.

• in bundles - this method is also quite popular, but it is only used when the leaves were not separated from the stem. The collected plants are collected in small bundles, tied with a thread and suspended so that no side of the beam is in contact with any surface. The process is conducted in a shaded place.

Beams need to be made small, otherwise stems that are inside will start to rot and mold. And this will lead to damage to the entire bunch.

In addition, the harvest should sometimes be reviewed and the damaged leaves removed.

Storage

Before you send the dried lemon balm for storage, it must be prepared. To do this, the raw materials are ground in the palms to the state of small chips, which are folded into glass containers and closed tightly with lids.

Important! Plastic containers, as well as containers of other artificial materials for storing lemon balm are not suitable!

1. If you have prepared several medicinal herbs at once, then each label should be labeled with a label that will indicate the name of the plant and the length of its harvesting.
2. You should check the condition of the grass from time to time and remove suspicious leaves.
3. Shelf life should not exceed 1 year.
4. The storage area for melissa should be shaded, otherwise it will fade quickly and lose its usefulness.
5. The yield of this herb is approximately the following: from 5-10 g of fresh herbs 0.25-0.5 g of dried raw materials.

These simple tips and recommendations will allow you to properly prepare the balm for the winter and use it with benefit for your health.