In this tutorial, I'll show you how to dry bay leaves at home. Dried bay leaf is a delicious seasoning for soups, stews, and desserts.

In summer you often have an abundance of fresh herbs, but unfortunately, that often doesn't last very long. By drying your herbs, you'll have enough on hand all year long to flavor all your dishes.

Not only is that a lot tastier, but it's also good for your wallet, and we can all use that in these expensive times.

After all, fresh herbs in a pot are a lot cheaper than dried ones from the supermarket, and if you put them in the garden they also attract many butterflies and bees.

What are bay leaves

Bay leaf is an aromatic herb used mainly in making stews and soups.

This plant grows especially well in countries like Greece but it also does very well in a Dutch garden.

Before you run to the store, make sure you buy the right species. The only laurel suitable for consumption is the Laurus nobilis.

Which leaves should I use?

If you are going to dry bay leaves yourself, it is important to use good-quality leaves. It is not the intention that caterpillars or snails have nibbled on them before you pick them.

By the way, picking is best done in the morning.

How to use dried bay leaves

You can dry herbs like bay leaves with a few easy methods. In the air, in an oven, in a dehydrator, and in the microwave.

In this article, I will explain to you step by step the best way to do this so you can put the tastiest dishes on the table all year round.

Methods

Air drying

This is my favorite way to dry bay leaves. That's because you don't need any special equipment for it!

All you have to do is hang a bundle of bay leaves in a cool, dry place and let the air do the rest.

Even though you have to do the least for it, letting it dry in the air does take the longest. In fact, it can take up to two weeks for the bay leaf to dry completely.

It is also important that the room where you dry the leaves is well-ventilated and that they do not hang directly in the sun.

In the oven

If you have a hot air oven, you can also dry the bay leaves in the oven.

To do this, place the leaves separately on a baking sheet and let them dry at a low temperature, about 200 degrees Fahrenheit, for two hours.

It's wise to turn them over occasionally to prevent the top from burning.

In a dehydrator

Of course, if you have a dehydrator, you can dry the leaves in there too!

This way you will have dried bay leaves in a few hours.

Microwave

In the microwave, your bladders will be dry in about six minutes. It is important, however, that you put the bay leaf between two sheets of kitchen paper to prevent them from burning.

It takes some trial and error to determine what works best for your microwave, but I would start by setting your microwave to 600 watts.

How to use bay leaves

I mentioned earlier that bay leaf is often used to flavor soups and stews.

The Dutch LOVE bay leaves. in traditional Dutch hachee and draadjesvlees!

These aromatic leaves are also widely used in other European countries. For example, they are also in Boeuf Bourguignon and Coq au vin.

By the way, it is not only used in savory recipes but also in licorice and ice cream. Below is a list of my favorite recipes

Hutspot
Red cabbage with apple also becomes extra tasty when you add this flavoring while cooking. This also applies to red cabbage stew.
Lentil soup
For dessert, panna cotta with bay leaf is also very tasty!
Traditional Onion Soup
Goulash
Lasagna and bolognese sauce
Clear soups such as chicken soup, vegetable soup, and homemade stock
Bay leaf is also often used to add flavor to Béchamel sauce
Use the dried leaves to make tea
Irish stew and cottage pie are also often flavored with bay leaf

Storage

Herbs and spices last the longest if you keep them in a cool, dry, and dark place. A kitchen cabinet or stairs cupboard is perfect for this.

It's also important that you package your tolerated bay leaves airtight. I prefer to use small weck jars or old empty spice jars for this.

Do write on the jars qat it contains. You can recognize bay leaves, of course, but the difference between other spices is often more difficult to tell.