Bayleaf

Bay leaf (also known as laurel) is a spice commonly used to flavor soups and meat dishes for its light, herbal flavor. It is sometimes sold in stores in a powder or as a fresh leaf, but it is most often found as a dry, whole leaf. You add the leaf during cooking and take it out before serving, since it’s tough to chew and digest. Some people believe that bay leaves are poisonous, but that’s not true. There are many species in the bay leaf family, but all share a similar taste and nutrition profile. Varieties of the bay leaf can be grown everywhere from the Caribbean to India, and it is found in the spice aisles of grocery stores around the world. The following are the varieties of bay leaves used to flavor food and the scientific names of the trees they come from: • California bay leaf, Umbellularia californica • Indian bay leaf, Cinnamomum tamala • Indonesian bay leaf, Syzygium polyanthum • Mexican bay leaf, Litsea glaucescens • West Indian bay leaf, Pimenta Racemosa • Turkish bay leaf, Laurus nobilis Bay Leaf Benefits It adds minimal calories to your food while boosting the amount of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and . Some notable health benefits of bay leaf include: Immune system health. Bay leaf is a good source of vitamin A, vitamin B6, and vitamin C. These vitamins are all known to support a healthy immune system. Digestive aid. Bay leaf tea can help ease bouts of upset stomach. The tea is also very aromatic, which can help relieve sinus pressure or stuffy nose. Reduce...

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Botanical Name Laurus nobilis Common Name Bay laurel, Grecian laurel, Sweetbay, also California laurel Plant Type Evergreen tree/shrub Size Up to 25 feet Sun Exposure Full sun to partial shade Soil Type Wet, sandy soil with good drainage Soil pH 4.5-8.2 Hardiness Zones 8 and above. Native Area The Mediterranean, South Asia, Asia Minor Pet Toxicity Toxic to pets Bay laurel will need partial shade and protection from the burning afternoon sun. As a Mediterranean plant, it will also need protection from frost if you live in a cold climate. You can move the plant indoors for the winter if you grow it in a container on your patio that can be moved—for instance on a stand with wheels. You can create a fragrant hedge by planting the laurels about 2-3 feet apart. Prepare each planting hole with plenty of room for roots to spread out, about three times the size of the root ball, and mix some compost with the original soil. Remove the sapling from its pot, shake off old soil, and untangle the roots. For good drainage, make a cone in the center of the planting space that will support the roots’ center above excess water but allow roots to trail down to seek moisture. Spread the roots out evenly over the cone. The tree’s soil line, where the trunk meets roots should end up even with the surrounding soil. Fill in the hole with the soil-compost mix, water, and add a supporting stake if necessary. How to Harvest Bay Leaves You can pick a few fresh, mature leaves at any time. But keep in ...

Dmitry Kalinovsky/Shutterstock Have you ever tried to chew a bay leaf? They aren’t exactly pleasant. When fresh, these thick leaves tend to taste more like eucalyptus than anything else, and it’s easy to see why chefs tend to remove them before serving Letting Things Stew The key is letting the Combine this transformed flavor with the rest of your recipe—particularly in liquid or high-moisture foods—and the bay leaf adds a slightly sweet, sort of tea-like note. It’s a fairly mild addition that sits in the background and enhances other, bolder flavors. It’s often only when people are given a blind taste test that they notice But, after an hour or so or simmering, the bay leaf itself doesn’t do much good, and doesn’t have the right texture to eat, so it is discarded. No one wants to chew on that rough leaf in the middle of Keeping Bay Leaves on Hand A couple important notes about using these leaves: Firstly, there are two different types, Turkish (rounder) and California (more blade-shaped). California bay leaves are known to have a stronger, sharper flavor, while the Turkish version is milder and sweeter. Secondly, while bay leaves can last for months in storage quite easily (the freezer is usually suggested), they will be a lot stronger when they are fresh, so make sure you adjust your recipes accordingly. In fact, some chefs prefer working with the dried version so that the flavor isn’t too strong. Speaking of recipes, cooks have been coming up with interesting new us...

Bay leaf Nutrition facts Pleasantly aromatic bay leaf or bay-laurel is one of the well-recognized culinary leaf-spices in use since the earliest times. In the legends, bay laurel is depicted as the tree of the Sun god, under the celestial sign of Leo. Botanically, bay tree belongs to the family of Lauraceae, in the genus; Laurus. It is thought to have originated in Asia Minor region, from where it distributed to all over the Mediterranean region and other parts of Asia. Scientific name: Laurus nobilis. Bay leaves Laurel's thick and leathery leaves feature elliptic shape, shiny, dark-green, and measure about 3-4 inches in length. Bay leaves give off a pleasing and sweet aroma when added to the recipes. Wilted and dried leaves indeed are strongly aromatic and can be stored for months. Its dried fruit (berries) can also be employed as a flavoring agent in the cuisine. Health benefits of bay leaf • Bay leaf was prized highly by the Greeks and the Romans, who believed that the herb symbolizes wisdom, peace, and protection. • Bay leaf was prized highly by the Greeks and the Romans, who believed that the herb symbolizes wisdom, peace, and protection. • The spice contains many important plant-derived chemical compounds, minerals, and vitamins that are essential for optimum health. • This spice has many volatile active components such as a-pinene, ß-pinene, myrcene, limonene, linalool, methyl chavicol, neral, a-terpineol, geranyl acetate, eugenol, and chavicol. These compounds are ...

• Calories: 6 • Fat: 0.2g • Sodium: 0.4g • Carbohydrates: 1.4g • Fiber: 0.5g • Sugars: 0g • Protein: 0.1g • Iron: 0.8mg • Magnesium: 2.2mg • Vitamin A: 5.6mcg Carbs The carbs in bay leaf are complex, meaning they are high in fiber and low in sugars. Since bay leaf is usually pulled out of a dish before eating, the carbs are likely not consumed. Moreover, bay leaf is added to dishes in such small amounts that the carb content would be negligible. Bay leaf is a nutritious herb that adds flavor without adding fat, sodium, or sugar. Bay leaf is low in calories but high in iron, vitamin A, and magnesium. Health Benefits Bay leaves add flavor to popular dishes like soups, stews, and other savory dishes without adding sodium. Researchers are also investigating compounds in bay leaves to determine other health benefits. May Provide Antibacterial and Antimicrobial Protection Bay leaves contain antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. These effects have been shown against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus intermedius, Klebsiella pneumonia, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella typhimurium, and Staphylococcus aureus, which are all causes of foodborne illnesses. Chopped or ground bay leaves are likely safe when consumed in amounts typically found in food. It is also possibly safe when taken medicinally for short periods of time. However, there is not enough scientific evidence to know the effects of bay leaves if higher doses are consumed or if it is used long-te...

Share on Pinterest Many culinary enthusiasts swear by People around the world have also used bay leaves in traditional and complementary medicine practices for thousands of years. Most of these uses involve crumbled leaves, poultices of leaves, or bay leaf essential oil. And then there’s bay leaf burning, which is said to produce smoke that offers a range of health benefits. Here’s what you need to know about the practice, including its potential benefits and how to safely try it. Anxiety relief is touted as a major benefit of bay leaf burning. This is probably due to the fact that bay leaf smoke contains linalool, a compound found in a number of other plants, including mint and According to the theory behind The evidence Research suggests that linalool, in the form of lavender essential oils and extracts, seems to have a calming effect. A After inhaling linalool, the mice seemed less aggressive and more inclined to interact with other mice. They were also more likely to leave a dark area and explore a bright area, a test often used to measure anxiety levels in animals. Another The rats seemed to show less anxiety, as determined by several behavioral tests. The extract also appeared to help reduce depression and stress. A few things to keep in mind None of the studies mentioned above used burned bay leaves as part of their research. The same substance can have a slightly different effect when used in different ways. Since extracts found in essential oils are typically high...

Bay Leaf plants are slow growing trees with leaves that are used as seasoning in cooking. It is also known as bay laurel, sweet bay and simply laurel. If you enjoy Bay leaf plants are a member of the family lauraceae. These trees are native to the Mediterranean region and the leaves are often used in Mediterranean recipes. Instead of grinding the spices, even when dried, the leaves are used whole in recipes. Bay Laurel was considered a sacred plant to the Greeks and Romans. Trees were often planted near temples and the foliage was burned during various rites. If you enjoy cooking stews and casseroles, your recipe may call for a bouquet garni. This is a bunch of herbs (traditionally Growing bay leaf plants Have you ever seen a pot of beef stew or a hearty soup with a large leaf in the middle of the mixture? You are looking at a bay leaf. Bay Leaf plants are tolerant of most soil types. Ideal PH range is 6-7, but the plant is somewhat versatile and can stand a range of 4.5 to 8.3. What it will not tolerate is soil that does not drain well. Applications of Size of bay leaf plants Bay Laurel can be grown indoors in pots, and outdoors as shrubs and also as trees. It is a slow growing plant and can reach heights of 59 feet in the conditions are right. Although the plant is a tree at heart, it can be kept smaller by Container grown plants will not get to this large size. Prune it so that it gets no taller than 5-6 feet so that you can move it indoors when the weather gets colder....

"What does a bay leaf taste like? Nothing," she wrote. "What does a bay leaf smell like? Nothing. What does a bay leaf look like? A leaf. How does a bay leaf behave? It behaves as a leaf would, if you took a leaf from the tree outside of your apartment building and put it into your soup. People say, "Boil a bay leaf in some water and then taste the water if you want to know what a bay leaf tastes like. No." I'm most inclined to agree, however, with this thoughtful bay leaf analysis from Darcy Lenz, an Allrecipes senior editor: "I know there are a lot of people in the food world who have deemed them useless, but while they're not going to be the outstanding flavor highlight of your dish, I wouldn't cast them aside as useless either. Bay leaves don't hit you over the head with intense aromatic flavor presence, but if they're included in a slow simmering So no, it's not going to make or break your meal, but it can make it more nuanced. And when all that's involved is throwing a couple leaves in the pot, why not? (I do think that you also gotta keep in mind that if you're using the same tin of store brand bay leaves you've kept through the last four times you've moved, expectations for their flavor-boosting power need to be reasonably managed.)"