I have some bay leaf branches which got pruned after growing too close to the power line. Awhile back I offered up fresh bay leaves to anyone who wanted to try some. I thought I’d do it again while they’re still fresh.
They’re typically used in stews and soups. They have a nice distinctive scent, unlike the dried leaves from the store. I use them in stews, chili, chowders and other soups, corned beef from scratch, cassoulet, stuff like that. Their scent remind me of bergamot, like in Earl Grey tea.
If anyone would like to try some fresh bay leaves, PM me your address and I’ll mail you what I can fit in a regular envelope, until I run out of stamps. Bon appétit!
In my experience they do, esp. fresh (or freshly dried)-- I’d say its a subtle flavor though, an herbal earthy “perfume” floral, but earthy. I usually add to braises, broths or sauces, a 2 or 3 at a time.
I can attest that I once put too much bay into a chicken soup. It definitely tasted herby and a little bitter, with too much perfumyness about it. Really quite awful. But I still don’t really like chicken soup without any bay. I’m just a little more careful about it.
For the doubters, I’d suggest just putting a couple of leaves in a teacup and pour boiling water over them. Then let it steep for a while and take a sip. I guarantee you will recognize the flavor instantly. (But it won’t be good by itself.)
My recollection from a while ago (as in, 1-2 years or perhaps more) was that The Splendid Table mentioned someone who scoffed at bay leaves (that was news to me - I’ve always thought they added something).
So, I googled “Splendid Table / bay leaves” and got this
Haven’t really looked at the sites appearing in the list, but a glance suggests that they generally support bay leaves.
I have some growing in my yard; I use them as appropriate, and don’t really thing about them much otherwise.
My neighbor has one on our fence line, so I can harvest a few leaves whenever I get low. Used one last night. I dry them and put them in the spice cabinet. I don’t use many, but it’s another instance of eating very local.
I’ve never had fresh bay leaves, but I often use dried packaged leaves from the spice rack in sauces and can confirm that they make a discernible difference. I only put one leave for instance in a tomato pasta sauce and let it simmer for maybe 15 minutes, and you can definitely taste the characteristic flavor.
European bay leaves come from the laurel tree, Laurus nobilis. There’s also California bay, or Umbellularia californica. They’re in the same botanical family, but California bay leaves are much stronger, and their flavor is a bit medicinal, to the point where they can be unpleasant. California bay leaves are not usually sold commercially, though.
We had one for twenty years. Plucked leaves as needed. Then the tree got scale (IIRC). My gf left it out during a light frost in an attempt to clear up the problem, but the tree ended up dying.
I received bay leaves from @needscoffee last year and they were fantastic, incredibly enhancing soups, stews, and plenty of other dishes too until I ran out earlier in the year. Dried bay leaf is nothing in comparison to this stuff.
I knew I’d want them available all the time and today I finally obtained a lauris nobilis plant of my own. Up to now local nurseries had none and online sources offered tiny plants. My experiences with mail order plants have been dismal, and the local place said whenever they’ve had them they were only 6"-9" tall and slow growing.
Today though, I ventured away from my tiny island state to visit the vast continent of Massachusetts where I passed by a large nursery and they turned out to have bay laurel bushes about 15" tall with multiple trunks and leaves growing out of branches in every direction. I purchased one with 60-70 full size leaves on it already and new growth at the end of each branch. I’ll get this into a large pot outside for the summer and keep it indoors over winter. Don’t know how many new leaves grow each year so I’ll have to avoid picking it clean. Or just go get another one.
I won’t have any trunks large enough to use for wood but bay laurel is supposed to provide very flavorful smoke for barbecuing. @don_t_ask mentions above using the wood for skewers also.
