Lemon balm verbena syrup

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 100 g lemon balm leaves
• 50 g verbena
• 20 g ascorbic acid (citric acid)
• 1 ¼ liters of water
• 1 ¼ kg sugar
• 2 lemons, juice

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 4 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 50 minutes; Total time approx. 5 hours 20 minutes

as a base for lemonade, desserts or ice cream

Remove the thicker stems from freshly harvested lemon balm. Strip the leaves from the stems/stalks of freshly harvested verbena, leaving only the leaves. You should end up with about 100g of lemon balm and 50g of verbena. If necessary, harvest some more or reduce the amount of water. Pour the water into a large pot and bring to a boil. Add the lemon balm, verbena, and ascorbic acid, stir, and bring to a boil again. Let the liquid boil briskly for 1 minute, then remove the pot from the heat. Let everything cool with the lid on. This takes about 3-4 hours. You can also simply let it stand overnight. Strain the liquid into a bowl through a sieve. Squeeze the leaves thoroughly with your hands. Squeeze the lemons and add the juice through a sieve to the bowl. Weigh the liquid and add the same amount of sugar. I had 1.25 kg of liquid, hence the 1.25 kg of sugar. Return everything to the large pot, bring to a boil, and reduce by about 1/4 over medium-high heat. While the syrup is still boiling hot, pour it into small bottles or jars.