Bay Leaves
Posted on 14 March 2008 by admin 
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Common Names: Bay, Sweet Bay, Bay Laurel
Parts Used: Leaves
Sweet Bay or Bay Laurel is a Mediterranean tree. The leaves are shiny, smooth and dark with a strong aromatic scent.
Culinary Uses:
Bay leaves are a fixture in the cooking of many European cuisines (particularly those of the Mediterranean), as well as in North America. They are used in soups, stews, casseroles meat, marinades, sauces, seafood, vegetable dishes and as a decorative garnish. The leaves also flavour classic Creole, Indian dishes. The leaves are most often used whole and removed before serving. Check leaves carefully for scale before using, and never use immature leaf tips, as they have a high acid content. Bay leaves should be removed from food before serving. Bay leaves can also be crushed (or ground) before cooking. Crushed bay leaves impart more of their desired fragrance than whole leaves, and there is less chance of biting into a leaf directly. Use them sparingly as they are very potent.
Cuisines all over the world utilize Bay Leaves.
Medicinal uses: Rub bay oil on arthritic joints to relieve pain and swelling. It also has benefits in the treatment of bruises, sprains, and rashes. Bay oil is an astringent and a diuretic with antibacterial and anti-fungal properties.
Cautions: Mountain laurel leaves are poisonous to certain livestock and are not sold anywhere as a culinary herb (Britannica). This has led to the mistaken belief that bay leaves should be removed from food after cooking because they might poison humans. Bay leaves are safe to eat, however, a person may accidentally swallow a leaf, and the leaves remain stiff even after several hours of cooking. This sometimes causes cutting of the throat and should be avoided.
Other uses:
An infusion of the leaves may be taken for flatulence.
Bay leaves add a strong, spicy fragrance to potpourri. To prevent silverfish damage to books or clothing, place a few leaves in drawers or on bookcases. A few leaves in the pantry shelves will keep weevils away.
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Tags | Bay Leaves, herb
