Tinctures are one of the easiest ways to incorporate herbs into a full schedule. I like to add a dropperful of lemon balm tincture along with an adaptogen like eleuthero to help me stay calm, focused and stress-resilient during the day.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup freshly chopped lemon balm leaves or ¼ – ⅓ cup of dried lemon balm leaves
• 1 cup of 80-proof vodka

Directions:

1. Place the lemon balm leaves in a clean 16-ounce mason jar.
2. Next, pour the vodka over the leaves. Once the leaves have settled, there should be at least ½ an inch of alcohol covering the top of the leaves – if not, then add more to meet that amount. Securely place the lid of the jar and shake well.
3. Place the jar in a cool, dark place for 4-6 weeks. When the tincture is ready, strain out the lemon balm and label the jar.