Not only does the laurel have decorative value in the garden, it is also known for its culinary and medicinal properties. In herbal teas, it promotes digestion, eliminates toxins and stimulates the appetite. But aside from flavoring our dishes with its intoxicating aroma, this herb is particularly useful for many purposes. Let’s see them together!
Bay leaves: Always use like this!
Before use, the bay leaves must be dried so that they retain their properties for several months. However, if you have fresh leaves and want to use them immediately, you can use this little homemade trick.
The process is very simple: just use the oven at low temperature (40°C). Here are the steps you need to follow:
- Place the trays separately on a baking tray.
- Let them dry for 1 hour, turning them over halfway through cooking.
- Don’t forget to take a look from time to time to make sure they aren’t burning.
- Turn off the oven and let them cool in there for at least an hour.
- Once cooled, store in an airtight container.
Another tip: The classic way to dry bay leaves is to hang them in a cool, dry place. Just cut a few in the garden or in a pot, wash them well and dry them with paper. Then tie the leaves together like a bouquet of flowers and hang them upside down in a dark, airy place. Leave them like this for 15 days. At the end of this time, the leaves are completely dried and ready for use.
Leave bay leaves in the fridge overnight: what happens the next day?
Keeping a perfectly clean refrigerator is a daily challenge. Between spilled liquids, forgotten spoiled food, and strong-smelling cheese, there is often a mix of unpleasant odors in this appliance. To remedy this, it is important to clean and deodorize it regularly so that bad smells are not absorbed into other foods. The solution ? The deodorizing power of bay leaves. Now that the leaves have dried, you can use them to neutralize any bad smells in the refrigerator.
Simply distribute a handful of dried leaves on the various shelves of the device. And voila!
Dried bay leaves can also be added to your recipes to flavor meat, fish, stews, etc.