Bay Leaves - Turkish (whole)
Laurus nobilis
$7
Our leaves are Turkish and should not be confused with Indian or Californian bay leaves, which have an entirely different flavor. Turkish Bay Leaves are the best in the world.
Turkish Bay Leaves are the best in the world, though not as strong as the California variety, they have a natural depth of flavor that Bay Leaves from other areas simply cannot match.
A hand-selected grade of bay leaf, these have a pleasing camphor-like aroma and pungent taste. Bay Leaves are robust, strongly aromatic with a woody, astringent flavor and a pleasant, slightly minty aroma.
Bay-tree leaves add a tangy, earthy flavor to a recipe. Bay Leaves are wonderful in soups, chowders, sauces, or cooked with meats or fish. Bay leaves are essential to all gumbos, boiling shrimp and great marinara sauces.
The flavor of bay is best brought out by slow cooking, which makes them useful in stocks, soups, roasts, stews, marinades, long-simmering sauces and slow cooker recipes as well as pickling and brining.
Recipes
- Chicken + Mushroom Soup
- Instant Pot Lamb Stew
- Williamson Banh Mi Pita
- White Bean Cassoulet with Hot Pepper Bacon Jam
- Lemon and Herb Roasted Chicken with Caper Cream Sauce
- Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks
Just 1 or 2 leaves, preferably dried, are sufficient to add flavor to soups, stews and casseroles. Bay leaves, along with thyme, marjoram and parsley constitute a traditional bouquet garni so usually they are added whole during cooking and then removed before serving.
When preparing mashed potatoes, add 2 Bay Leaves to the cooking water. Remove before mashing the potatoes.
The flavor of Bay Leaves is perfect for adding to roast pork or chicken, pot roast, turkey, or ham, and are also perfect for spaghetti sauce.
Bay Leaf flavor increases upon standing so remove Bay Leaves from food when the cooking is completed.
Bay leaves are gathered from a densely foliaged evergreen tree of the laurel family.
There are many poisonous varieties of laurel tree and the true bay laurel is the only variety that is suitable for cooking.
Health Benefits
Bay leaves are thought to soothe the stomach, relieve flatulence, and help to heal ulcers. They are considered an excellent source of bone strengthening minerals, particularly copper, potassium, calcium, manganese, iron, selenium, zinc and magnesium.
In addition to being a good source of antioxidant vitamins, bay leaves are a good source of B vitamins, which is important for proper metabolic and nervous system functioning.
| Botanical Name | Laurus nobilis |
|---|---|
| Common Names | Bay Laurel, Poet's Laurel, Roman Laurel, Sweet Laurel, Wreath Laurel. |
| Flavor | A tangy, earthy flavor |
| Contains | Bay Leaves |
| Application | The flavor of bay is best brought out by slow cooking, which makes them useful in stocks, soups, roasts, stews, marinades, long-simmering sauces and slow cooker recipes as well as pickling and brining. Just 1 or 2 leaves, preferably dried, are sufficient to add flavour to soups, stews and casseroles. Bay leaves, along with thyme, marjoram and parsley constitute a traditional bouquet garni so usually they are added whole during cooking and then removed before serving. When preparing mashed potatoes, add 2 Bay Leaves to the cooking water. Remove before mashing the potatoes. The flavor of Bay Leaves is perfect for adding to roast pork or chicken, pot roast, turkey, or ham, and are also perfect for spaghetti sauce. |
