Harvest, store and use bay leaves

We'll show you what to watch out for when harvesting and storing bay leaves, and explain how to dry bay leaves and use them in cooking.

The leaves of the Laurel (Laurus nobilis) a special aroma. Bay leaves are not only popular in Mediterranean cuisine, but have also been used as a remedy for thousands of years. If you have your own laurel bush in the garden, you can always look forward to fresh leaves. But when is the best time to harvest bay leaves? How do you go about harvesting? How can you preserve and use laurel? And what are the medicinal properties of laurel? We answer all of these questions in this article.

Harvest the laurel properly

The coveted leaves of the real laurel can be harvested either in spring or in autumn. Select a tree that is at least two years old for harvest. Because the older the shrub, the more aromatic its leaves are.

In addition to individual leaves, the entire tip of the shoot can also be removed. In this way, all the leaves on the first 20 to 30 centimeters of a branch are harvested at once. This saves you a few steps compared to removing individual sheets. However, during the main growth in summer, you should keep your hands off the spice laurel and do not harvest leaves. Because at this time the leaves contain the least essential oil.

Harvesting bay leaves at a glance:

• Do not harvest annual laurel trees
• Harvest individual leaves or twigs
• Best harvest time in spring or autumn
• The leaves are the least aromatic in summer

Note: There is a risk of confusion with the one that looks relatively similar Cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus). However, due to its high content of hydrocyanic acid, this is extremely poisonous, but also easy to transfer - if you grind it Leaves with your fingers, it smells intense and unmistakably bitter and not at all spicy, as one is used to from real laurel is.

Dry and store bay leaves

Laurel leaves can be used fresh or dried in the kitchen. Storing bay leaves and making them durable is possible using various methods.

Ways to preserve bay leaves:

• Dry the bay leaves in the oven
• Dry the bay leaves in the automatic dehydrator
• Freeze bay leaves
• Soak bay leaves in oil

The most common and well-known method is drying the bay leaves. If you hang the shoots in a shady place to air dry, the usability can be extended to up to two years. Fortunately, the dried bay leaves do not lose any of their spicy aroma. The leaves can also be dried well in the oven or in the dehydrator.

Tip: Dried bay leaves are good quality if they are still dark green in color. Brown leaves are a sign that the leaves are too old or have been poorly stored.

To freeze bay leaves, either whole branches or individual leaves are frozen. First you wash the laurel and dry it. Now the leaves or twigs can be frozen in freezer bags. Another option is to freeze small portions in ice cube trays. To do this, you put bay leaves together with water in ice cube molds. Last but not least, bay leaves can also be soaked in oil to make them durable. Here you put the washed leaves in a glass and fill it up with a good vegetable oil, for example olive oil. In addition, the oil can also be flavored with other spices and herbs.

Use bay leaves: In the kitchen and as a medicinal plant

Bay leaves are characterized by a characteristic note that combines tart with a spicy taste. There are bay leaf recipes, for example, for a number of meat dishes such as sauerbraten, veal or game. Many recipes call for the bay leaf to be cooked to give soups and stews a special taste. The bay leaf is not mashed at the same time, because otherwise the taste would be much too intense. Before a dish with bay leaves is put on the plate, you should remove the leaves again. The leaves are not suitable for consumption. Their consistency does not allow this and the aroma is much too intense and would drive away all other tastes and aromas from the taste buds.

A little hint: Crease the bay leaves before adding them to the saucepan. This allows the aroma to be released even better and you can be more economical with your self-harvested bay leaves from your own cultivation.

The Romans and Greeks already knew in ancient times that bay leaves have medicinal properties. Relieving coughs and colds, relieving pain and fever, or treating indigestion are some of the health effects of bay leaves. A bay tea can be made from the leaves by boiling them for ten minutes. Bay leaf tea works to cleanse blood vessels. Laurel tea also helps with coughs and colds. There are no known side effects of bay leaf tea. The medicinal effects of bay leaf are even said to help with diabetes, as the consumption of bay leaves lowers blood sugar levels.

In addition to the leaves, the bay fruits can also be used as medicinal products. The dark-colored berries are boiled and pressed. The resulting bay leaf oil contains essential oils and can be rubbed onto the skin. Bay leaf oil is used for bruises or bruises and is said to relieve joint pain. Because of its pleasant scent, it is popular as a fragrance component in the perfume industry.
Some also swear by smoking with bay leaves. Burning the bay leaves has the effect of a relaxing and fragrant smoke.

If you feel like harvesting bay leaves from the garden, you can find out everything about how to do this in our special article Growing laurel in your own garden succeed.