ISO What to do with bay leaves

[GotGarlic]

Hi, all. I have a bay tree in my herb garden that is over 6 feet tall and starting to grow wide, so I'm trimming the growth on the sides. This leaves me with lots of bay leaves. Other than tomato sauce and poaching chicken for enchiladas, any ideas on what else to do with bay leaves?

Here's the tree - it's the tallest plant in the garden:

TIA.

 

[Jeekinz]

I've been looking all over for one of those. Where do you get them? I can keep it indoors right?

 

[Andy M.]

I've been looking all over for one of those. Where do you get them? I can keep it indoors right?

Check with a local nursery and ask for a bay laurel tree.

 

[GotGarlic]

I've been looking all over for one of those. Where do you get them? I can keep it indoors right?

There's a local branch of the Herb Society of America here that has an annual sale of herb plants - that's where I got mine. For the first few years, we brought it inside during the winter, and it always lost its leaves around February. We thought it was dead, but one year, we never got around the throwing it out and a couple of months later, it started sprouting leaves again. Then a few years ago, we decided to just leave it in the ground to see what would happen, and it's done better than ever. We're in zone 7, btw, so ymmv.

 

[Uncle Bob]

Other than tomato sauce and poaching chicken for enchiladas, any ideas on what else to do with bay leaves?

I use them in soups, stews and almost anything Creole/Cajun. Also in poaching liquids for fish, and bean dishes. When I boil shrimp/crab/crawfish bay leaves are a must. Hope this helps!!


Enjoy!

 

[GotGarlic]

I use them in soups, stews and almost anything Creole/Cajun. Also in poaching liquids for fish, and bean dishes. When I boil shrimp/crab/crawfish bay leaves are a must. Hope this helps!!


Enjoy!

Cool, thanks for the ideas

 

[buckytom]

andy's right, a bay laurel, or if it helps, laurel nobilis.

jeekinz, if you find a place that sells the, please let me know. i've been looking as well.

it's a mediterranean plant, so you'll have to treat it like any other subtropical flora. i doubt it would survive the winter outdoors in jersey.

gotgarlic, i also use bay leaves in a lot of soups and stews, and also in sausage and peppers, and in marinades for pork. goes well with garlic, cloves, and allspice.

 

[Caine]

From George Carlin: "Put a bay leaf under each arm. It won't stop you from sweating, but you'll smell like soup!"

 

[Fisher's Mom]

I didn't know you could use them for anything other than putting them in flour to discourage weevils!

 

[Andy M.]

I didn't know you could use them for anything other than putting them in flour to discourage weevils!

FM, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but if you have bugs in your flour, chances are the eggs were in the package when it left the mill.

 

[Fisher's Mom]

No, no I don't have weevils. But I have found them before and then I run around like a madwoman throwing everything out of the pantry that isn't canned or in a jar. Eeeew, weevils give me the creeps. But I never thought about how they got there - I guess I just thought that one magically got in my pantry and they are like rabbits or something. A friend told me that if I kept bay leaves in the flour, weevils will never get in it. I never thought weevils came in with the flour or whatever else! Thanks for letting me know.

 

[bethzaring]

would you use this bay leaf? I bought 8 ounces from Penzeys and this is one of them. Is it good?

 

[Uncle Bob]

Miss Beth...

If they are all like that I would send/take them back. If it is a random leaf out of the 8oz. I would toss it. In short. No I would not use it.

 

[Constance]

We always called them wheat bugs. I had a time with them when I lived in the south, until my MIL said to keep the flour in an air-tight container. I have also kept it in the deep freeze. I always heard the eggs were in the flour, too.
For some reason, I've never had them since we built this house (21 years ago). I don't know if flour is better than it used to be, or it's because our house is always cool.

I've heard putting bay leaves in your cabinets will keep the roaches away.

I use them in soups, stews, stocks, Italian Beef, beans...that sort of thing.
(Bay leaves, not roaches.)

 

[Andy M.]

A guaranteed way to deal with any larva in the flour you buy is to freeze the bag of flour for 3 days then take it out of the freezer. This freezing kills off any bug eggs in the flour.

 

[Katie H]

Bay leaf does wonderful things to green split pea soup.

 

[bethzaring]

Miss Beth...

If they are all like that I would send/take them back. If it is a random leaf out of the 8oz. I would toss it. In short. No I would not use it.

I had to go look, and it was only a one ounce bag, sure seemed like a pound of leaves.....there were 4 leaves that look like the one in the picture. I bought the bag in May 07 and have used many leaves by now. I pulled that one out this week when making tomato juice and set it aside because I did not like the looks of it. I tossed the other four as well...Thanks Uncle Bob..

 

[Constance]

Bay leaf does wonderful things to green split pea soup.

I want some!

 

[Uncle Bob]

Miss Beth.... I ordered a 4 oz bag one time. The lady said are you sure. I said yes. A quarter pound of bay leaves is at least a gazillion leaves. Not a problem however. When a recipe calls for 1 or 2 I use 6. I've been known to put a dozen in a big pot of gumbo! Twice that many to boil crawfish!

Enjoy!

 

[Constance]

I had to go look, and it was only a one ounce bag

One ounce bag is plenty. LOL!