Bay Leaves...

I always use Bay leaves as dry bay leaves. Like all spices, it imparts
flavor into the food and we take it out when we eat the food. To
describe the flavor, it is a bit sharp and strong.

However, sometimes, when we make mixed spices, we do crush bay leaves
and that becomes a part of the meal.

Hope this helps!

I always use Bay leaves as dry bay leaves. Like all spices, it imparts
flavor into the food and we take it out when we eat the food. To
describe the flavor, it is a bit sharp and strong.

However, sometimes, when we make mixed spices, we do crush bay leaves
and that becomes a part of the meal.

Hope this helps!

Katra said:

Ok, I know this is really going to make me sound ignorant, but my mom
almost never used bay leaves and I did learn to cook mostly from
her....

so what is up with Bay Leaves?
Why do I want to use them?
What flavor do they impart?

I understand you use them whole because you need to remove
them when you are done as they are toxic if eaten???

Please don't judge me, educate me!

Thank you! :-)

Kat

No, they aren't toxic but they are sharp and pointy!

They impart a wonderful (don't know how to describe) taste to pot roasts,
soups and stews and even get tender when cooked but are still kinda sharp
and pointy. They are not something you want to get stuck between your
teeth. Once their job is done it's done; this is why you remove them.

Do not be afraid. I always put extra bay leaf in with corned beef along
with the peppercorn packet. It's nice with cabbage, and other veggies, too.

Jill

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jmcquown said:

Katra said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

jmcquown said:

Katra wrote:
> Ok, I know this is really going to make me sound ignorant, but my
> mom almost never used bay leaves and I did learn to cook mostly

from

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> her....
>
> so what is up with Bay Leaves?
> Why do I want to use them?
> What flavor do they impart?
>
> I understand you use them whole because you need to remove
> them when you are done as they are toxic if eaten???
>
> Please don't judge me, educate me!
>
> Thank you! :-)

Here' a yummy trick with fresh or dried bayleaves and potatoes:

Roast potatoes to go with a pork roast: wash some evenly sized red
potatoes, one per person.
Leaving the skin on, partially cut through the middle of each one, and
using the tip of the knife, wedge open the cut slit and slide a whole
bayleaf in.
Place potatoes around the roast or in a separate dish, slurp a little
olive oil over, add sea salt, and roast until tender. Delicious!!

Cheers
Bronnie
Oz

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

>
> Kat
>
No, they aren't toxic but they are sharp and pointy!

Flavorful but not edible? ;-)
Like the whole fresh herbs I top garlic pork roasts I imagine. <G>

I've never bit into a bay leaf that I liked. They impart a nice

taste but

Quoted message said:

even when cooked they are... well, like I said... sharp and pointy.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Do not be afraid. I always put extra bay leaf in with corned beef
along with the peppercorn packet. It's nice with cabbage, and

other

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

veggies, too.

Jill

Cabbage eh? I'll have to give that a shot.

Yes, they are good in cabbage. And if you make bean soup you

absolutely

Quoted message said:

must add bay leaf (but again, fish it out when it has done its job.)

Quoted message said:

I'm always looking for a way to make cabbage more interesting
(especially Savoy cabbage) as dad has been wanting more of that
lately.
I gave the last head he bought to Lin'. <G>

I DO prefer chinese cabbage or bok choy!

Go for it. Bay is more of a German thing but what the heck 🙂

Jill

Katra said:

Ok, I know this is really going to make me sound ignorant, but my mom

Quoted message said:

almost never used bay leaves and I did learn to cook mostly from

her....

Quoted message said:

so what is up with Bay Leaves?
Why do I want to use them?
What flavor do they impart?

I understand you use them whole because you need to remove
them when you are done as they are toxic if eaten??? <snip>

1. There are two kinds of (dried) bay leaves sold, one from California
and the other imported (Turkey, I think). Do not use Calif bay leaves,
as the flavor is disappointing. Be sure to check the spice bottle for
origin of the leaves; if the label doesn't tell you the origin, the bay
leaves are most likely from Calif.

2. The bay leaf is not toxic. It is a dried, pointy stiff leaf that
doesn't soften up all that much even after stewing away in something
for several hours. No one wants a mouthful of stiff leaf so cooks
remove it when the dish is done.

3. I don't think I can describe the flavor. To me the flavor seems
earthy, but then I don't know how to describe earthy. :-) Slight
pungency.

4. Bay leaf is added to a lot of foods:

tomato juice, tomato soup, tomato sauce
chowders, marinades, stews, bean and pea soups
pot roasts, corned beef

Mac

Bronwyn said:

Here' a yummy trick with fresh or dried bayleaves and potatoes:

Roast potatoes to go with a pork roast: wash some evenly sized red
potatoes, one per person.
Leaving the skin on, partially cut through the middle of each one,

and

Quoted message said:

using the tip of the knife, wedge open the cut slit and slide a whole
bayleaf in.
Place potatoes around the roast or in a separate dish, slurp a little
olive oil over, add sea salt, and roast until tender. Delicious!!

Cheers
Bronnie
Oz

Do you think this would work/be worth it if you were just baking the
potatoes, even? It sounds great.

Katra said:

Quoted message said:

They are the leaves from the Bay tree.

<grins> THAT I knew!

Well, it is false. They are the leaves of the Laurel...

All the best,

--
Kenneth

If you email... Please remove the "SPAMLESS."

Katra said:

Ok, I know this is really going to make me sound ignorant, but my mom
almost never used bay leaves and I did learn to cook mostly from her....

so what is up with Bay Leaves?
Why do I want to use them?
What flavor do they impart?

I understand you use them whole because you need to remove
them when you are done as they are toxic if eaten???

I like Bay Leaf in small doses, but a lot of people seem to hate it.

The reason that you remove them is that the stem does not soften when cooking and could cause a person some damage if eaten.

Katra said:

Ok, I know this is really going to make me sound ignorant, but my mom
almost never used bay leaves and I did learn to cook mostly from her....
so what is up with Bay Leaves?
Why do I want to use them?
What flavor do they impart?
I understand you use them whole because you need to remove
them when you are done as they are toxic if eaten???
Please don't judge me, educate me!
Thank you! :-)
Kat

Kat - send me your snail mail and I'll send some Bay leaves, freshly dried or fresh if you like. The fresher (dried) the better. I gotta huge tree
that needs trimming. Laurus Nobilis is the only edible bay of that family, but I believe there are a few sub-species according to location. Like
grapes, the tastes changes somewhat depending on weather and soil. I do have a fairly extensive collection of info I gathered off the net, but
foolishly avoided collecting the authors, may they be eternally blessed and never know hunger. Oh well, it was intended for my personal use only,
but if you want to see it let me know. BTW, Mountain Laurel, Cherry Laurel and some other ornamentals in that family are poisonous. No wild
collecting without a knowledgeable cook or herbalist along please.
I would describe bay as spicy herby with a side of Christmas candles.
Edrena

The Joneses said:

Katra said:

Ok, I know this is really going to make me sound ignorant, but my mom
almost never used bay leaves and I did learn to cook mostly from her....
so what is up with Bay Leaves?
Why do I want to use them?
What flavor do they impart?
I understand you use them whole because you need to remove
them when you are done as they are toxic if eaten???
Please don't judge me, educate me!
Thank you! :-)
Kat

Kat - send me your snail mail and I'll send some Bay leaves, freshly dried or fresh if you like. The fresher (dried) the better. I gotta huge tree
that needs trimming. Laurus Nobilis is the only edible bay of that family, but I believe there are a few sub-species according to location. Like
grapes, the tastes changes somewhat depending on weather and soil. I do have a fairly extensive collection of info I gathered off the net, but
foolishly avoided collecting the authors, may they be eternally blessed and never know hunger. Oh well, it was intended for my personal use only,
but if you want to see it let me know. BTW, Mountain Laurel, Cherry Laurel and some other ornamentals in that family are poisonous. No wild
collecting without a knowledgeable cook or herbalist along please.
I would describe bay as spicy herby with a side of Christmas candles.
Edrena

Sorry for the spread. It is time to get a new
browser or something. I have this *$@#&6%
set at 72 characters.
Edrena

Quoted message said:

Katra said:

Ok, I know this is really going to make me sound ignorant, but my mom

Quoted message said:

almost never used bay leaves and I did learn to cook mostly from

her....

Quoted message said:

so what is up with Bay Leaves?
Why do I want to use them?
What flavor do they impart?

I understand you use them whole because you need to remove
them when you are done as they are toxic if eaten??? <snip>

1. There are two kinds of (dried) bay leaves sold, one from California
and the other imported (Turkey, I think). Do not use Calif bay leaves,
as the flavor is disappointing. Be sure to check the spice bottle for
origin of the leaves; if the label doesn't tell you the origin, the bay
leaves are most likely from Calif.

I bought a cellophane bag of bay leaves at a India/Pakistan ethnic
market about a year ago. They were cheap and the leaves are not very
pretty (a lot of split and broken leaves, insect damage, etc.) I
bought them mostly because they were cheap.

but they are *far* stronger and better tasting than the pretty bay
leaves I've bought in fancy bottles, or the not-quite-so-pretty ones
I've bought in cellophane packages from Mexico.

Bob

One time on Usenet said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Quoted message said:

I always use Bay leaves as dry bay leaves. Like all spices, it imparts
flavor into the food and we take it out when we eat the food. To
describe the flavor, it is a bit sharp and strong.

However, sometimes, when we make mixed spices, we do crush bay leaves
and that becomes a part of the meal.

Quoted message said:

So how would YOU use powdered/crushed bay as opposed to whole bay?
As a sprinkling spice on cooked meat/veggies?

I've seen most bay recommendations as whole bay leaves used in soups,
stews, marinades and potroasts.

Penzey's web site has some good information about bay leaves and
their own bay leaf seasoning, including uses for both:

http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/c-SpicesAs_Herbs_and_Seasonings.
html?id=xrGZ59oy

or

http://tinyurl.com/4tf8v

--
J.J. in WA ~ mom, vid gamer, novice cook ~
"You still haven't explained why the pool is
filled with elf blood." - Frylock, ATHF

In article <[email hidden]>,
"Gregory Morrow"

Quoted message said:

Katra said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Quoted message said:

I always use Bay leaves as dry bay leaves. Like all spices, it imparts
flavor into the food and we take it out when we eat the food. To
describe the flavor, it is a bit sharp and strong.

However, sometimes, when we make mixed spices, we do crush bay leaves
and that becomes a part of the meal.

Hope this helps!

So how would YOU use powdered/crushed bay as opposed to whole bay?
As a sprinkling spice on cooked meat/veggies?

I've seen most bay recommendations as whole bay leaves used in soups,
stews, marinades and potroasts.

Thank you! ;-)

I don't currently have any on hand.
Guess I need to pick up a few and taste them to see if I feel they are
compatible to whatever recipe.

You live in Texas, right? Maybe you should try growing them? A friend who
just came back from New Orleans brought me back a big branch of bay leaves
that he got from a friend's garden. Very aromatic! Much better than any
I've bought in a store...

Hmmmm... space on one end of my herb garden I suppose! <lol>
Or space in the greenhouse for a large pot. I'll have to look for a
small one already started.

I'm sure I can "bonsai" it and keep it as a bush instead of a tree with
proper pruning. I have no space for anymore trees at the moment.

Quoted message said:

Apparently in some climes they are also used to keep bugs "away"...dunno if
this is an old wives' tale or what...

Well, I HAVE read somewhere that keeping a bay leaf in the top of dry
goods jars, (beans, peas, rice etc.) can keep out weevils??? But, does
it flavor the goods?

--
K.

Sprout the Mung Bean to reply...

There is no need to change the world. All we have to do is toilet train the world and we'll never have to change it again. -- Swami Beyondanada

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Gregory Morrow said:

Katra said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Quoted message said:

I always use Bay leaves as dry bay leaves. Like all spices, it
imparts flavor into the food and we take it out when we eat the
food. To describe the flavor, it is a bit sharp and strong.

However, sometimes, when we make mixed spices, we do crush bay
leaves and that becomes a part of the meal.

Hope this helps!

So how would YOU use powdered/crushed bay as opposed to whole bay?
As a sprinkling spice on cooked meat/veggies?

I've seen most bay recommendations as whole bay leaves used in soups,
stews, marinades and potroasts.

Thank you! ;-)

I don't currently have any on hand.
Guess I need to pick up a few and taste them to see if I feel they
are compatible to whatever recipe.

You live in Texas, right? Maybe you should try growing them? A
friend who just came back from New Orleans brought me back a big
branch of bay leaves that he got from a friend's garden. Very
aromatic! Much better than any I've bought in a store...

Apparently in some climes they are also used to keep bugs
"away"...dunno if this is an old wives' tale or what...

It is not an old wive's tale. I put bay leaves in my flour and cornmeal and
on the pantry shelves. Definitely keeps away the critters.

Jill

I'm in Texas and can tell you that bay trees can grow very large. Before we
moved last year we had a bay tree in a pot that was 10 feet tall. I always
use a couple of bay leaves when cooking potatoes to make mashed potatoes.
Fantastic! I also use them (3 or 4) when making a pot roast. They are
mandatory in a pot of beans at our house. I love the flavor of bay. I would
suggest removing them. I would not powder or grind them. I believe they
can be toxic. I could also send you some fresh off the tree if you would
like. We have far more than we could use.
Thomas
"Katra" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Thanks to all for their input! ;-)
It's been very appreciated and very educational.

Will report my findings when I finally give them a try.
Might use them in a pot roast to start, or maybe a chicken stew.

Gotta see what I have in the freezer that needs using. <lol>

Kat

--
K.

Sprout the Mung Bean to reply...

There is no need to change the world. All we have to do is toilet train
the world and we'll never have to change it again. -- Swami Beyondanada

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Rick & Cyndi said:

"Monsur Fromage du Pollet"* > Katra > wrote in

Quoted message said:

news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Ok, I know this is really going to make me sound ignorant, but my
mom almost never used bay leaves and I did learn to cook mostly

from

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

her....

so what is up with Bay Leaves?

<snip>

Quoted message said:

If it really concerns you tie threads to them and tie the threads

to a

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

pot handle.

---------

That's an interesting technique!

I used to keep cheesecloth on hand for cooking things that I wanted

to

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remove after cooking but have since switched over to muslin material.

A few

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years ago I purchased a yard or so of muslin and cut it to make lots

of

Quoted message said:

little muslin bags (think 'sachet'😉. I simply pour things into them,

tie

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them, and drop them in. I've experimented with different tie

thingies...

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once I sewed strings onto the bags so they'd be 100 % ready but

usually I

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just make the bags and keep them in a drawer with some string already

cut to

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size.

Cyndi Stringbag

You have way, WAY too much free time, Cyndi Stewart... sheesh, didja do
your own breast implants yourself too. To easily retrieve bay leaves
and other whole spices/herbs place them in a metal teaball, in fact
there are large ones available specifically for spices.

Sheldon

In article <[email hidden]>,

Thomas' scythicon311@yahoo(dot)com said:

I'm in Texas and can tell you that bay trees can grow very large. Before we
moved last year we had a bay tree in a pot that was 10 feet tall. I always
use a couple of bay leaves when cooking potatoes to make mashed potatoes.
Fantastic! I also use them (3 or 4) when making a pot roast. They are
mandatory in a pot of beans at our house. I love the flavor of bay. I would
suggest removing them. I would not powder or grind them. I believe they
can be toxic. I could also send you some fresh off the tree if you would
like. We have far more than we could use.
Thomas

<smiles> Thank you!
I think that is offer #3 now. <G>
I appreciate it!

If I decide to start my own Bay Laurel tree, I'd keep it "Bonsai" pruned
to force it into a bush. That can be done with nearly any tree if you
are careful.
--
K.

"Katra" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:KatraMungBean->

Quoted message said:

Hey now THAT is a neat idea I'd not thought of. Cool!!! :-)
Since I have a live herb garden, that idea will come in handy.
Especially for rosemary!

I love rosemary and I chop it very finely and of course it stays in. My DH
likes the taste in food but if I leave them whole he will complain about the
'bushes' and pick them out🙂

Ophelia
Scotland

On Fri, 01 Apr 2005 01:33:37 -0600, Katra
<[email hidden]> wrote:

[snip]

Quoted message said:

so what is up with Bay Leaves?

They grow on a smallish tree, easy to cultivate in much of the U.S.
There seem to be two main varieties, the so-called California Bay
Laurel and the Turkish Bay. Both are good. The Turkish seems to me to
be milder, but of more complexity of flavor. The CA version is more
akin to eucalyptus, IMHO. My tree is the CA version. Grows about 20
feet tall, so topping out keeps it more bushy and makes the fresh
leaves easier to reach. Don't know anyone who grows the Turk version.
I live in ag region 9a-9b. Subject to freeze damage, tho.

Quoted message said:

Why do I want to use them?

Flavor. Sauces and soups take on a deeper complexity that is most
satisfying. Chicken w/40 bay leaves (finished in cream sauce) is quite
a conversation piece. Penzey's has a recipe for a rice dish with white
and wild rice with Turkish bay leaves. Outstanding. (If you're a good
girl, maybe someone will send you a Penzey's gift pack; they use
cinnamon, nutmegs and bay leaves as their packing material(!))

Quoted message said:

What flavor do they impart?

Hard to describe, except for the aforementioned eucalyptol-like
bouquet from the CA type. Make a pot of chicken or beef-veggie soup,
or maybe Scotch broth. Midway through cooking, split it into two
portions and add bay to one but not the other. Taste test.

Good luck.

A-