HARVESTING, DRYING AND STORING BAY LEAVES

It's very easy to grow your own bay leaves and to dry them. A bay leaf is a fragrant leaf from a laurel tree that is used as a herb. Bay leaves can be used fresh or dried; dried bay leaves tend to have a slightly stronger flavour. This Mediterranean herb imparts a subtle flavour and boosts the flavour of other herbs, which pairs easily with roasted meats as well as soups, stews, stocks and sauces.

While not winter hardy, Bay grows in zones 8-10 as a perennial. Luckily, the Bay leaf tree can be grown in a pot in colder zones which can be moved indoors during colder weather, meaning that almost everyone should be picking their own bay leaves; of course, you need to know when to pick them.

In the Middle Ages bay leaves were popular insecticides and medicine, their lauric acid is a good fix for keeping moths out of your dry goods.

WHEN TO HARVEST BAY LEAVES

Once the plant is a couple of years old, you may begin picking bay leaves. Other than waiting a couple of years for the plant to mature, there is no set bay leaf harvest time, you can pick the Bay leaves throughout the growing season, especially if you wanting to use them fresh. Pick healthy, undamaged leaves from all over the tree as needed. While harvesting leaves in midsummer when the leaves have the largest store of their flavourful oils.

HOW TO HARVEST BAY LEAVES

Simply hand pick or snip off large, unblemished bay leaves for harvest. Select the largest leaves when harvesting bay leaves. Unlike other herbs that are at their peak when young and tender, bay leaf has a more intense flavour when older. Bay leaves can be harvested during the growing season, but if you wish to harvest a bunch at one time, harvest in the midsummer when the leaves are at their peak in terms of essential oils, hence flavour.

HOW TO DRY BAY LEAVE

Having dried bay leaves for cooking is well worth it. You can dry them yourself. So just how do you dry fresh bay leaves at home?

You can use your conventional oven on a low temperature over night or halogen oven, but I do prefer my food dehydrator as they dry really slowly and yield the best results for drying unless you are drying naturally.

The best way to dry bay leaves in my view is naturally. To do this you need the time and the space to keep them as it takes about 2 weeks for them to dry. The second best would be in a food dehydrator if you have one as this is designed specifically for the task and only takes a couple of hours.

DEHYDRATING BAY LEAVES

Wash the herbs. You don’t want little dirt bits in your dried herbs. Make sure they’re cleaned off well, and then give them a good shake or pat dry on a towel to get rid of the excess water.

Make sure the herbs are not touching or overlapping in any way to prevent uneven drying. If your dehydrator has multiple shelves, use a second dehydrator tray if you need to.

Place bay leaves on mesh drying trays, stem side facing the centre of the dehydrator so the air current dries the thickest part of the leaf first. Dry leaves at 110 degrees for 5 to 7 hours. Leaves are done when they are crisp and break easily when bent.

Consult the instruction booklet that came with your dehydrator to see if it offers any suggested drying times

HARVESTING, DRYING AND STORING BAY LEAVES

STORING BAY LEAVES ONCE DRIED

Fresh bay leaves can be stored in a sealed zip lock bag and stored in the refrigerator. They can last for a week or two this way. Dried bay leaves can be stored in a cool, dry, and dark spice cabinet in a sealed container. Make sure you keep them away from direct sunlight though and ideally in the dark in a dry location. Another option is to store the sealed dried bay leaves in the freezer. This helps the bay leaf retain its flavour and floral potency.

HOW TO FREEZE FRESH BAY LEAVE

Wash a handful of fresh bay leaves and dry them thoroughly. Keep the overall quantity small to help them freeze as quickly as possible. Remove any that show any signs of blackening. Ensure that the leaves are fully dry, leaving them in sunlight for an hour or so can help. Any longer than this and you risk starting to dry the leaves.

Place them in a freezer bag or plastic container and seal firmly. They can now be stored in the freezer for up to about 3 months without losing any of their flavour. Take a leaf from the container when you are ready to use one and drop it straight into a dish as it is cooking. The heat will defrost the wafer-thin leaf almost instantly and release its flavour.

While bay leaves do not bring overwhelming and distinct flavours to any dish, they can be thought of as a "supporting actor," in that they help draw out other flavours and spices in whatever dish you are making.

Drying Bay leaves in a dehydrator is super easy and a fantastic way to preserve those fresh herbs for later use!