Growing Bay Leaves

When it comes to Bay Leaves I have fond memories of going to Palm Springs and always being able to pick them off my Mother-in-laws tree. At the time I though this was amazing because I thought  that you could only get them dried in the store. All I read was that it was a Mediterranean tree and with that I assumed I could not grow one. 

Fast forward 30 years later and wala I got a Bay Leaf Tree.                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

This bay leaf tree is a cautionary tree that you can very easily get the wrong one. The only one I have found to grow safely is the Laurus Nobilis. I ordered mine on line so that I knew it was the right one. I wanted organically grown and a tree I knew I could harvest the leaves. I caution anyone buying seeds, plants or any thing you may be eating to order from a reputable source. 

Now that I have my little Bay Leaf Tree established I am so happy to share fresh bay leaves with my neighbors and friends. Using fresh bay leaves is different then using dried. A fresh bay leave has a bitter taste. Using them in your cooking is not the same as using dried. A great example is when you cook a stew or soup you would leave the bay leaf in the whole time fishing it out at the end of the cooking process. A fresh bay leave is and should be remove mid way through the cooking process. 

To dry your fresh bay leaves is super simple take you clean bay leaves and place them on a clean paper towel. Let them sit for 3 to 4 days and you will have fresh dried bay leaves. Store them in an airtight container or zip lock bag for no longer then one year.