Bay Leaves

I bought a bunch of fresh bay leaves because I am going to make a small batch of alloro (bay leaf liqueur). I got about 100 fresh bay leaves, pulled out 35 to use for the infusion, and now what?

Anybody got any ideas what to do with 60 or so fresh bay leaves? (They are quite lovely, clean and whole, and fragrant when torn but it's kinda a lot.)

[Jenise]

Dry/dehydrate in a warm oven, store in a jar when cool, cook your ass off. I love the flavor of bay leaves and have been in mourning since the 12 foot tree I grew from a tiny little pot died a few years back. I planted another just this past summer but am not pulling any leaves yet, it's only a foot tall. Having fresh ones changed a lot about how I cook with bay leaves. I use more than I used to, love just LOVE that flavor. It used to be just an enhancer in a suite of herbs, but now I'll deliberately make the flavor of bay leaf the focal point with braised meats.

An interesting factoid I learned a couple of years ago is that bay leaves have to cook for at least 20 minutes before they begin releasing any amount of flavor to your dish.

Just counted: 35 leaves in Everclear, 60 leaves drying in the oven, 85 more leaves to process.

She sent me nearly 200 bay leaves. I've now read that they freeze wll so I'm going to freeze some, too.

Freeze them? That's the technique I use with fresh kaffir lime leaves.

Which kind of bay leaves are these? The bay laurel is the plant grown in Europe/Turkey. California, Indian, Indonesian, West Indian, and Mexican bay leaves each come from a different species of plant, none of which are in the same genus as the Turkish bay laurel.

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

An interesting factoid I learned a couple of years ago is that bay leaves have to cook for at least 20 minutes before they begin releasing any amount of flavor to your dish.

My experience: ditto with dried, but fresh is faster. Also, it helps to tear little dents into them to give more flavor quicker.

I love the flavor of bay leaves and have been in mourning since the 12 foot tree I grew from a tiny little pot died a few years back. I planted another just this past summer but am not pulling any leaves yet, it's only a foot tall.

It died?! I thought Bay Laurel was pretty indestructible. Mine is about 20 years old. But I have to work diligently to keep it under control. They can grow as tall as 30' and be a real nuisance. I've managed to keep mine about 4', which requires pruning a couple times a year. But it is prone to white fly for some reason. I've seen a couple that are just perfect specimen with no infestation at all. Don't know whether it's the location that I have it planted, but I get a good bit of white fly infestation every year. I hate to spray it because I use it so aggressively in cooking (any stews, soups, beans or braised meats). Do you have that problem? Agree with you totally. Fresh Bay adds flavor quickly and I find that it is much more assertive than using the dried. But I do keep the stems that I prune and dry them for future use, and share them with friends and neighbors.

[Jenise]

Yup, it died. About four years ago when we had three weeks below zero one January. That killed it. When I bought the start I was told, actually, that they're very sensitive and to keep it out of direct winds out of the north. I have no idea what's true, but it was super happy--until it wasn't.

Freeze them? That's the technique I use with fresh kaffir lime leaves.

Yes, that's where they went.

Which kind of bay leaves are these? The bay laurel is the plant grown in Europe/Turkey. California, Indian, Indonesian, West Indian, and Mexican bay leaves each come from a different species of plant, none of which are in the same genus as the Turkish bay laurel.

Bay laurel, grown in California.

An interesting factoid I learned a couple of years ago is that bay leaves have to cook for at least 20 minutes before they begin releasing any amount of flavor to your dish.

My experience: ditto with dried, but fresh is faster. Also, it helps to tear little dents into them to give more flavor quicker.

I was told to snap them in half for that. (I will sometimes bend them but, if the cooking is really long, I don't bother.)

Update: The recipe says to let the leaves sit in Everclear for 40 days or until the leaves turn 'crispy yellow'. That has already started happening!

I see now that other recipes say 4 days, 1 week, or 1 month. Hm.

My bay laurel is very old and very tall. It used to be a beautiful tree until Gene and I moved our RV into the back part of the property, and he decided to cut an entire side of the tree off so the RV would fit—without consulting me first. This is another sign of early-onset dementia, and as I think back, there were many signs. I need to have a tree service come in and do some tree trimming.

[Jenise]

Sad story, but yes dementia does rob its victim of logical thinking, that ability to see obvious consequences. But your tree still stands?

When I see a discussion of bay leaves I always think of that cordial, Bay Leaves irish Cream.....

Jenise, yes it still stands, out of shape and not as pretty as it once was. But I still get the bay leaves.

[Jenise]

Jenise, yes it still stands, out of shape and not as pretty as it once was. But I still get the bay leaves.

Glad of that. Fresh bay leaves are so wonderful. Thought of this conversation almost immediately after typing the part about consequences. On Friday Bob decided he could two-hand a vacuum cleaner up three stairs meaning he didn't have a free hand for the rail. On the second he lost his balance and went over backwards. We spent the next ten hours in the hospital.

Ai ai ai.

Oh no, was there injuries, or in for observation?

[Jenise]

Karen, making sure no broken bones or head injury plus a few other tests.