Preparing a lemon verbena infusion could hardly be simpler. Just heat some water and pour it over fresh or dried verbena leaves. Its delicate citrus flavour already makes it enjoyable on its own, but you can add even more character by combining it with other ingredients. In this guide, we share a few ideas for creating a unique infusion tailored to your own tastes.
Pair lemon verbena with aromatic herbs
Aromatic herbs pair beautifully with the lightly citrusy, delicate flavour of lemon verbena. Some of the most interesting combinations include honeybush and rosemary, which you can also find in our Tea & Infusion Kit. These ingredients add new layers of flavour and allow you to create blends with very different aromatic profiles.
What if you created your own teas and infusions at home?
Honeybush: a soft, naturally honeyed note
Less well known than rooibos, which pairs particularly well with spices, honeybush is a South African plant with a naturally mild, gently honeyed and slightly woody flavour. Combined with lemon verbena, it creates a smooth, comforting blend that is perfect for a relaxed evening moment. Honeybush is especially appreciated for its naturally mellow and rounded taste.
Rosemary: an intense, aromatic character
With its strong, resinous aroma, rosemary brings plenty of character to a lemon verbena infusion. Its slightly camphor-like flavour creates an interesting contrast with the softer citrus notes of the verbena. You can also combine rosemary with honeybush and lemon verbena for a more complex blend. To prevent it from overpowering the other ingredients, use only a small amount and keep the infusion time relatively short.
Tasting tip: combine lemon verbena, honeybush and a small amount of rosemary for a smooth, aromatic infusion with fresh and gently herbal notes.
Add dried fruit to lemon verbena
Lemon verbena also pairs beautifully with dried fruit. These ingredients bring natural sweetness, fruitiness and extra depth to the infusion. Dried apple, fig and raspberry are particularly good choices if you want to experiment with new flavour combinations.
Dried apple: soft and rounded
Dried apple adds a gentle sweetness with a slightly tangy edge that complements the fresh citrus notes of lemon verbena beautifully. It also gives the infusion a smooth, pleasantly fruity character. For a balanced blend, add a few pieces of dried apple to your verbena and leave to infuse for around 7 to 10 minutes.
Dried fig: rich and indulgent
With its natural sweetness and intense fruitiness, dried fig gives a lemon verbena infusion greater depth and a particularly smooth character. Simply cut a few pieces into smaller chunks and infuse them with the verbena so that the flavours can develop together.
Dried raspberry: a fruity, tangy note
Dried raspberries are ideal for adding a slightly tart and fruity note to lemon verbena. Their intense flavour creates a lovely contrast with the sweetness of apple and the roundness of fig, resulting in a lively and fragrant infusion.
Gourmet tip: combine dried apple, fig and raspberry for a balanced, fruity infusion. For an extra touch of warmth, add a little honey or a pinch of cinnamon.
Add spices to lemon verbena for extra character
Spices bring greater depth and personality to herbal infusions. Cinnamon and ginger work particularly well with lemon verbena. Their warm, spicy notes complement the plant’s fresh citrus character and open up plenty of possibilities for creating your own blends.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon brings warm, gently sweet and spicy notes to a lemon verbena infusion. Just a small piece of cinnamon stick is enough to give the blend a comforting, rounded character that works especially well during the colder months.
Ginger
Ginger adds a fresh, spicy kick to lemon verbena and gives the infusion a more vibrant personality. Simply add a few thin slices of fresh ginger to intensify the blend. If you do not have fresh ginger to hand, we also offer ginger in a glass vial.
A few recipes to try
Louise & Gaston has brought together a few flavourful recipe ideas to help you rediscover lemon verbena in a new way. Many of the ingredients featured below are also available in our Tea & Infusion Kit for preparation and tasting, perfect for creative and enjoyable tasting moments.
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Lemon verbena and lavender infusion for a relaxing evening
Method:
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Mix 1 tablespoon of dried lemon verbena with 1 teaspoon of dried lavender in a teapot.
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Pour 250 ml of hot water at around 90°C over the herbs.
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Leave to infuse for 5 to 7 minutes.
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Strain and add honey if desired.
This combination works particularly well as an aromatic evening ritual, with delicate floral and citrus notes.
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Lemon verbena, dried apple and ginger: a warming, spicy infusion
Ginger adds a gently spicy note that complements the sweetness of the apple and the fresh character of lemon verbena. The result is an aromatic blend that works especially well during the colder months.
Preparation:
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1 tablespoon of dried lemon verbena leaves
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2 to 3 pieces of dried apple
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1 small slice of fresh ginger or a pinch of ground ginger
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Infuse for 6 to 8 minutes
These combinations make it easy to personalise your lemon verbena infusion according to your mood, whether you prefer something mild and floral, fruity, spicy or especially aromatic.
Tips for creating balanced personalised infusions
For a successful infusion, the key is to balance the quantities carefully, choose good-quality ingredients and respect the appropriate steeping time. With stronger ingredients such as rosemary, ginger or cinnamon, start with a small amount and adjust the blend gradually to suit your taste. This makes it easy to create harmonious, aromatic drinks that you can reinvent again and again.
