Cooking with Bay Leaves

1. 1Go with dried bay leaves over fresh ones for culinary use. This is one case where the majority of chefs recommend using a dried seasoning rather than one that’s been freshly-picked. The reason for this is that fresh bay leaves actually come from a different plant altogether (Umbellularia californica, to be exact). Though they’re similar in most respects, these leaves have more of a minty, astringent taste that doesn’t work well with many ingredients.[1]
   • Fresh bay leaves have a deeper green color and more supple texture compared to dried ones.[2]
   • The bay leaves sold in the spice aisle of most supermarkets are pre-dried, so you shouldn’t have to worry about buying the wrong kind by accident.
2. 2Add bay leaves to slow-cooking meals. The next time you’ve got a batch of beef stew, short ribs, or pasta going on the stovetop or in the crock pot, try adding 1 or 2 whole bay leaves. The dried leaves release their flavor gradually as they heat up, which makes low-and-slow recipes the perfect place to let them work their magic.[3]
   • Only use whole leaves. Bay leaves aren’t meant to be eaten, so grinding them up or breaking them into small pieces will only make them harder to fish out later on.
   • A couple bay leaves could also make a welcome addition to a savory casserole, a braised cut of meat, or a pot of rice, couscous, or risotto.[4]
3. 3Use bay leaves to lend an earthy richness to soups, stews, and sauces. Like other slow-cooking methods, simmering is a good way to unlock the bitter, woody, faintly tea-like notes of the little leaves. The key here lies in the abundant moisture, which serves as a base for the aromatic infusion.[5]
   • You can throw a bay leaf or 2 into any mixture you please. However, they work especially well in culinary staples like marinara, béchamel, and curries.

   Tip: For a more traditional touch, try putting together your own bouquet garni , a classic French seasoning solution made by bundling an assortment or fresh or dried herbs.[6]

4. 4Boil or steam fresh foods with bay leaves to enhance their natural flavor. Try adding 2-3 leaves to the water that you use to cook tender or delicate offerings like root vegetables, greens, and fresh-caught fish and seafood. They’ll help create a more complex profile without overwhelming your ingredients or interfering with their more subtle qualities.[7]
   • Feel free to use bay leaves in addition to any other seasonings you like for boiling and steaming, such as lemon, vinegar, olive oil, garlic, ginger, or fresh herbs.[8]
5. 5Limit the number of bay leaves you use in a given dish. A single bay leaf goes a long way. In general, it’s best to avoid adding more than 2 or 3 leaves to whatever you’re cooking. If you overdo it, you could easily end up overpowering the primary flavors of your dish.[9]
   • This is especially true when the recipe you’re following already calls for other bitter, smoky, or musky ingredients.
6. 6Remove the leaves from completed dishes immediately after cooking. Always keep track of the number of bay leaves you add, and take a moment to confirm that you’ve retrieved them all before you ring the dinner bell. Though bay leaves are complementary to a wide variety of foods, they’re not very appetizing themselves. This is why it’s so important to use whole leaves rather than smaller pieces.[10]
   • Advise your dinner guests to keep an eye out for stray bay leaves in their meal in case you happened to miss one.
   • Unlike many other herbs, bay leaves remain rigid even after hours of exposure to intense heat. For this reason, they could also present a choking hazard or cause minor cuts or abrasions if ingested accidentally.[11]

Method2

Finding Other Uses for Bay Leaves

1. 1Scatter bay leaves around your kitchen to ward off common pests. Leave a few dried leaves on the shelves of your pantry or around your dry food storage containers to ward off mice, ants, flies, cockroaches, weevils, and other unwanted critters. The powerful aroma that makes bay leaves a versatile seasoning also makes them a good natural repellent for small pests.[12]
   • Crushing or grinding your bay leaves will help strengthen the scent that they give off, making them a more effective deterrent.
   • You can even hide a couple bay leaves right inside your loose flour or grain if you suspect that your uninvited guests have been making a meal of them.
2. 2Incorporate bay leaves into a homemade simmering potpourri. Add 6-8 whole bay leaves to a saucepan or crock pot, along with fresh orange and lemon slices, cinnamon sticks, and whole cloves. Cover your components with water, then place them on the cooktop to simmer over low heat. As they warm up, they’ll begin to fill your home with a warm, comforting fragrance.[13]
   • Simmering potpourris are ideal for providing a sense of atmosphere for afternoon luncheons, teas, holiday parties, and other get-togethers.[14]
   • You can also combine whole dried bay leaves with other pleasant scents like rosemary, time, oregano, sage, cardamom, allspice, and pine for a more subdued dry potpourri.
3. 3Experiment with using bay leaf tea as a health supplement. Many cultures throughout the world have been employing bay leaves against a wide range of maladies for thousands of years. To try it yourself, steep 3-5 bay leaves in 16 fluid ounces (470 mL) of hot water for about 20 minutes, then transfer the brew to a mug and drink up. If you like, you can add a cinnamon stick or the juice from 1 or 2 lemons to the concoction to make the finished tea more palatable.[15]
   • Teas and infusions made with bay leaves are said to aid in digestion, reduce flatulence, promote breathing, soothe aches and pains, and even improve diabetes symptoms.[16]
   • If the idea of drinking bay leaf tea doesn’t appeal to you, consider purchasing some bay laurel oil to use as a topical treatment.[17]

   Warning: Keep in mind that there’s not much hard scientific evidence to back up these claims, so if you decide to use bay leaves as an alternative to conventional medicine, you’ll be doing so at your own risk.

Method3

Drying and Storing Fresh Bay Leaves

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