Does Bay Leaf REALLY Make a Difference When You're Cooking?
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If you cook regularly, you have probably come across a recipe that calls for a bay leaf and thought, "Do I need to spend $7 on a jar just for one bay leaf?" "Are the ones I have had in the spice cabinet for 10 years still any good?" "Does using a bay leaf really enhance the flavor of the dish?" These are all fair questions, and I’m are here to give you clear facts about this mysterious herb.
What is a bay leaf?
Bay leaves are a culinary herb that comes from the bay laurel tree (Laurus nobilis). The bay laurel is native to the Mediterranean, where it has been used for culinary purposes for centuries. Most dried leaves in a store-bought jar come from Turkey. In certain circumstances, you will find fresh bay leaves, but before purchasing them, it’s important to make sure that these are Turkish bay leaves versus ones grown in California.
Fresh bay leaves have a more bitter taste and stronger aroma than dried ones, with a notable difference between Turkish and California varieties. California bay leaves, not usually found dried, have a stronger menthol smell and flavor, which can overwhelm a dish. To distinguish them, examine the leaves: Turkish bay leaves are 1 to 4 inches long, with round, waxy, deep green leaves, while California bay leaves are longer (up to 10 inches), thinner, and a brighter green, resembling eucalyptus leaves.
Due to the flavor difference between dried and fresh, bay leaves are one of the few herbs that are typically preferred by cooks in their dried form. But if you happen to have or grow fresh Turkish bay leaves (more on this below), use half as much as you would with dried ones and pull them out of the dish about halfway through the cooking process.
Are bay leaves worth it?
When you pull a dried bay leaf out of the jar, you’ll notice that it doesn’t have much of a smell, but when cracked in half, bay leaves should have an herbal aroma similar to thyme and oregano with a eucalyptus undertone, this is the flavor that gets imparted to a dish when cooking. If you have had a jar for a while, it’s best to break one in half to make sure it still offers that fresh smell before dropping it into a soup. If it doesn’t, it’s time for a new jar.
To be honest, if you are in the middle of making a soup, stock, or braise and you find that you don’t have a bay leaf on hand, it wouldn’t be the end of the world if you don’t run out to the store to buy one. But when used, bay leaves add a subtle but noticeable flavor to any dish.
Think about using a bay leaf as one of the steps to build flavor in a dish. When making a soup, stew, or braise, most recipes call for sweating or caramelizing vegetables, seasoning with salt and pepper at every step, maybe reducing tomato paste and cooking away wine – these are all methods used to build flavor and ensure that the finished dish is complex and delicious. Adding a bay leaf, like adding herbs and spices, is another step toward this goal. Keep in mind that the flavor released will vary depending on the time a bay leaf spends steeping in hot liquid. A bay leaf simmered for just a few minutes will give off hints of eucalyptus and menthol. The longer a bay leaf is stewed, the more the flavor will become gentler, with herbaceous tea-like notes.
How to store dried bay leaves
Now that you know why you want to be using bay leaves, don’t let that money you spent on a jar be for naught. Store dried bay leaves in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Dried bay leaves will maintain their flavor for 2 to 3 months. Ideally, you want to store them in an airtight container in the freezer, where they will last at least a year.
Can you grow your own bay leaf plant?
While slow-growing, bay laurels are relatively easy to take care of and pretty to look at. Be sure to only plant Laurus nobilis. Plants just labeled “sweet bay” may be an inedible variety, some of which are even toxic.
Bay laurels can be planted outside in hardiness zones 8 to 10. If you live somewhere colder, you can grow one, but it will have to be potted and brought inside during cold months. Whether inside or out, place your plant in a spot that gets at least six hours of direct sunlight a day and ensure it's planted in moist, but well-draining soil. Potted plants will need to be fertilized in the spring; outdoor plants don’t need much food. Water when the soil feels dry and prune as desired, keeping in mind that they do grow slowly, so if you prune off a bunch, it will take a while for it to grow back.
Bay Leaf Plant
When your plant is young, only harvest a leaf or two occasionally for cooking. Once it’s well-established and has a little size, you can lop off whole branches (this will help you shape the plant, too). To dry the leaves, remove the bottom few leaves from the stem, tie a bunch of stems together (if you have them), and hang them upside down in a cool, dry, and somewhat dark place for two to three weeks. Once the leaves are dry, remove them from the stem and store them in an airtight container, ideally in the freezer.
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