When and how to harvest bay leaves

Despite what the haters say about bay leaves (A noble laurel wreath) barely affects the flavor of a recipe, this classic culinary herb plays an important role in creating a variety of flavors.

I think those who don’t feel the effects are just using old, flavorless leaves that have been sitting in the cupboard too long.

Bay leaves are used whole in cooking because they can be very pungent when bruised or broken.

Break a sprig in half and smell it. Imagine the herbal scent of eucalyptus overwhelming your dish. The bay leaf adds a subtle flavor. It shouldn’t be too overpowering.

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The most intense flavor comes from using freshly harvested leaves.

They lose their flavour when stored for a long time – hence the complaints about no flavour enhancement – ​​so getting fresh ones is a treat and the best way to experience what this herb really has to offer.

In us Guide to growing laurel treesWe will discuss how to grow these plants in your garden.

If you have your own supplies that you want to harvest and use, but don’t know how to get started, this guide can help.

We will discuss the following to bring out the best in your bay:

Before you can start picking leaves and using them, you need to know when to start working. Let’s figure that out first.

When to harvest

If you plan to use fresh bay leaves, you can harvest them at any time. Otherwise, you can dry them in small batches throughout the year and use them right away.

The amount you can take at one time depends on the size of your plant. You never want to harvest more than 10 percent of the leaves at one time.

If you have a large bush, it means that all year round, you can get as much as a small household needs.

Avoid harvesting in winter, although a few harvests here and there won’t harm the plant.

If you want to dry a bunch at once so you can sell or give it away, or just not worry about availability, it’s best to harvest at the height of summer when the shrub is in season.

If you have a choice, you should always wait to harvest at the height of summer. This is when the leaves have the highest essential oil content and therefore the strongest flavor.

Which type of leaf is best?

Bay laurel trees sprout new leaves throughout the spring, summer, and fall, with the majority of leaves appearing in the spring.

These leaves will be smaller, softer and greener than the older leaves. Don’t pick these young leaves, you will pick the older leaves, which will be larger, darker green and tougher than the younger leaves.

Avoid harvesting any bay leaves that are damaged, insect-eaten, or discolored.

For the most intense flavor, harvest mature leaves in the summer when the essential oil content is at its peak.

How to harvest

There are two ways to harvest your bay leaves. The first way is to simply pluck them off with your fingers. This works best if you are only picking a few leaves here and there.

Otherwise, use clean scissors and trim cleanly close to the stem. You don’t want to leave any leaves, so cut as close to the stem as possible, whether you’re pulling or cutting.

If you have a large bush, you can cut small branches instead of harvesting individual leaves.

The advantage of harvesting the branches is that you can hang them in bundles to dry.

The downside is that there may be some unappetizing young leaves left on the branch, and you can just pick them off and throw them away.

Use a sharp pair pruner Cut the branch as close to the nearest branch or trunk as possible.

Fresh or dry?

Fresh bay leaves are great, but can be a little bitter. They taste best when they are fresh but dried.

The leaves you buy at the store may be months (or years) old, so using fresh leaves dried directly from the plant can make a lot of sense.

Feel free to experiment with fresh leaves and see what you think. Some people like a stronger flavor in certain dishes, myself included. When you need a milder but more complex flavor, dried is the way to go.

The fresh leaves have more of a eucalyptus, licorice flavor, while the dried leaves have a mild herbal flavor that has the same taste as musk And oregano.

Let’s talk about how to dry leaves.

How to dry bay leaves

After harvesting the leaves, wash and dry them.

The easiest way to dry a small batch is to lay them out in a single layer on a plate or baking sheet on paper towels.

Spread the paper towels over the top and set them aside in a cool, dark place. Check every few days to see if any mold has formed. If so, throw away the moldy paper towels and spread the remaining paper towels a little farther apart. Turn them over after a week. They will be dry and ready to use after two weeks.

You can also use a dehydrator to speed up the process. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for drying the herbs. Typically, this means drying at around 95°F for an hour or two.

After about an hour, check the leaves and look for any green, pliable areas. If you see any, continue drying. The leaves will be crisp and grayish-brown when ready.

If you don’t have a dehydrator, you can also use your oven. Turn the oven to its lowest setting and place a layer of foil on a baking sheet.

Bake them for an hour, turning them every 20 minutes and checking to see if they are dry.

If you harvest the stems, cut off the lowest leaves and remove any fresh, young green leaves. Tie the stems together at the base and hang them upside down in a cool, dry place, out of the sun, to dry.

Store whole dried bay leaves in an airtight container, either a plastic bag or a glass jar, in a cool, dark place. They will retain their flavor for up to a year. Yes, they will still look good for longer than a year, but they will lose most of their flavor, so throw them out or use them up.