What soups add bay leaf. Bay leaf in cooking. What do you know about bay leaf
One of the most needed and common seasonings today is the bay leaf, which has a slight pleasant smell and gives the dishes a delicate and special flavor. Not a single cuisine today is complete without bay leaf, so this spice has fallen in love with the whole world. Bay leaf is combined with almost all products. It is used for cooking first and second courses, appetizers, salads, casseroles, pickles and marinades.
Laurel is an evergreen tree. And therefore, even when dried, the leaves do not lose their color and properties, in addition, this spice is not picky in storage, that is, it practically does not deteriorate.
What is the benefit of bay leaf?
Aromatic properties and contained in it essential oils allow the bay leaf in cooking to take a strong place. In addition, the properties of laurel leaves are so good that essential oils and all the beneficial substances that are in the leaves are preserved even after drying and heat treatment.
In cooking, bay leaf is used in the form of:
- dried leaves;
- powder;
- pressed briquettes of crushed processed sheet.
Fresh from the leaves of an ancient laurel are used only in medicinal medicine. Decoctions from the branches and leaves of laurel were used by the ancient Greeks, thus offering to cure various diseases. internal organs. Until some point, the bay leaf was even considered exclusively medicinal plant because of its bitterness and high calorie content, until it spread from ancient Greece to other parts of the world, where it became a favorite seasoning for many culinary experts. We are used to putting a leaf in salty dishes, but Italian, French, English confectioners do not disdain spicy aroma and boldly add it to cakes and bakery products, creating an unusual harmony of taste in combination with other spices.
In marinades, bay leaf acts as an antiseptic: dried bay leaf, or ground powder, is added to many twists to prevent the development of harmful bacteria.
Another useful property of bay leaf is to easily remove odors present in dishes. So, bay leaf can be added to offal dishes and fish dishes.
Rules for adding bay leaf
There are, however, a few rules to follow when adding bay leaves to dishes. Preparing for a sufficiently long time, it tends to darken the water and give the dish a bitter taste, which is a negative quality.
Therefore, when cooking, it is important:
- add bay leaf in the form of dry leaves 5-10 minutes before readiness in broths, soups, borscht;
- after cooking, be sure to remove the bay leaf from the dish;
- it is better to add it to sauces in the form of dry proshock;
- in marinades, bay leaf is laid in the form of a mixture with other spices;
- one serving usually consumes no more than 0.2 grams of bay leaf, according to culinary recipes.
Since the bay leaf in cooking is still a spice, its bookmark rate can be increased by adding one or two sprigs to taste. This spice practically does not cause allergies, so it does not bring harm, and everyone feels the aroma of dishes in different ways, which is most often due to the addition of spices.
In the article we discuss the bay leaf, talk about it useful properties, contraindications for use. You will learn how to use the spice in medicine, cosmetology and cooking. Following our advice, you will learn how to prepare medicinal infusions, decoctions for the treatment of cough, diabetes, allergies, cystitis, hemorrhoids, joint diseases. We will talk about the magical properties of the plant, how to use it to fulfill desires.
Laurel is a subtropical tree of the Laurel family (lat. Lauraceae). The leaves of this plant are leathery, alternate. They are widely used in folk medicine, cosmetology and cooking - as a spice.
Beneficial features
The culture is rich in essential oils, vitamins and trace elements. The spice has a tonic, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effect, improves appetite, eliminates joint and muscle pain. The plant is used in medicine to treat colds, diabetes, cystitis and hemorrhoids.
Appearance (photo) of the Laurel plant.
A decoction of shoots relieves alcoholism. With regular use, the remedy develops a persistent aversion to alcohol.
Cosmetic products are made from spices or nourishing and firming masks are prepared based on it. The tool is used externally to eliminate acne, pigmentation.
Application in cooking
As a spice, fresh, dry, ground laurel leaves are used. This seasoning gives flavor to soups, meat, fish, vegetable dishes, sauces. Laurel is added to marinades and used for preservation. Ground raw materials present in the composition of mustard, stew, pate, sausages of industrial production improve the quality of dishes.
The essential oils of the plant quickly disappear, so the spice is placed in the dish 5-10 minutes before it is ready. The leaves should be removed from the finished dish so that they do not give a bitter taste.
How to apply in cosmetology
A decoction of raw materials is widely used in home cosmetology. It has a tonic, cleansing, rejuvenating effect. The sprout remedy is good for skin and hair.
Lightens the skin, eliminating pigmentation, normalizes the sebaceous glands, tightens pores. Masks, creams based on spices tighten the skin, smooth wrinkles.
A decoction of laurel soothes the scalp, eliminates itching and treats dandruff. The tool strengthens hair, accelerates their growth, adds shine.
Face tonic
Based on the decoction, a tonic is prepared, which is used daily. Product suitable problematic skin to get rid of acne.
Ingredients:
- Bay leaves - 20 pieces.
- Water - 500 ml.
How to cook: Grind the raw materials in a coffee grinder, fill with water, put on a minimum heat and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the stove, cover with a lid, leave for at least 5 hours.
How to use: Wipe your face with tonic morning and evening. The tool can be frozen and used in the form of ice cubes.
Result: Tonic narrows pores, eliminates inflammation of the skin, has a rejuvenating effect.
Strengthening hair mask
To strengthen, hair growth, decoctions, tinctures, oil, masks based on laurel are used. All these remedies can be prepared independently at home, using the leaves of the culture. Consider the recipe for a strengthening hair mask.
Ingredients:
- Chamomile flowers - 10 gr.
- Burdock root - 10 gr.
- Lavrushka - 4 pcs.
- Water - 500 ml.
How to cook: Mix the herbs, remember them with a rolling pin, pour boiling water over them and put on a minimum fire. Boil for 7 minutes, remove from the stove, cool and filter the broth into a separate container.
How to use: Rub the remaining gruel into the scalp with massage movements. Wrap your hair with a towel and hold the mask for half an hour. After the procedure, rinse the strands with filtered broth.
Result: The mask strengthens the hair, prevents hair loss, baldness. After the procedure, the hair becomes more manageable, shiny.
See the following video for another mask recipe:
Decoction for weight loss
The decoction removes excess fluid, toxins, toxins from the body. This ability is highly valued in nutrition. The drink is used as a means to lose weight.
Ingredients:
- Laurel leaves - 3 pcs.
- Water - 300 ml.
How to cook: Pour boiling water over the raw materials, put on fire, bring to a boil, simmer under the lid for 5 minutes. Remove from stove, let cool, strain.
How to use: Drink 1 tablespoon of decoction before each meal.
Result: The drink cleanses the body, removes stagnant fluid, which contributes to weight loss.
How to use in folk medicine
The culture is used in folk medicine for the treatment of diseases of the respiratory, urinary tract, digestive system, and joint diseases. On the basis of spices, infusions, decoctions, oils are made, which are used internally and externally. Consider common recipes that use plants.
cough inhalations
Inhalations with a decoction quickly eliminate cough and clear the bronchi. The tool stimulates the excretion of sputum, strengthens the immune system.
Ingredients:
- Laurel - 5 pcs.
- Water - 500 ml.
- Laurel essential oil - 3 drops.
How to cook: Chop the leaves, cover with water, boil for 5 minutes. Cover with a lid, let cool slightly.
How to use: Add to decoction before inhalation essential oil laurel, breathe this solution for 10-15 minutes. Repeat the procedure 3-5 times a day.
Result: Regular inhalations eliminate a painful cough in 3-4 days.
At the first sign of a cold, foot baths with a decoction of bay leaf will help. Spend them for 10-15 minutes, then put on warm socks.
Ointment for sinusitis
For the treatment of sinusitis, an ointment based on laurel is used. The tool warms the sinuses, thins the mucus and removes it from the nasal cavities.
Ingredients:
- Lavrushka leaves - 40 gr.
- Juniper needles - 1 teaspoon.
- Butter - 20 gr.
How to cook: Grind dry shoots and needles into powder, mix with butter and put the product in the refrigerator.
How to use: Apply the ointment to the area of the maxillary sinuses and leave for 20-30 minutes. This recipe can be used to warm the chest with a strong cough.
Result: The ointment effectively copes with the symptoms of rhinitis and sinusitis, facilitating nasal breathing.
Infusion from allergies
The infusion is used externally for allergies. The remedy eliminates itching, burning, redness, rashes and swelling of the skin. The drink is taken orally to normalize bowel function.
Ingredients:
- Leaves - 5 pcs.
- Water - 250 ml.
How to cook: Pour the leaves with water, put on the stove, cook over low heat for about 15 minutes. Cover with a lid, let it brew for half an hour. Add boiled water to the cooled product to make 250 ml of infusion.
How to use: Take 50 ml of drink 3 times a day. The product is suitable for external use.
Result: The infusion blocks toxins, eliminates the external symptoms of allergies, and normalizes the digestive tract.
Compress for joints
A compress with an oil infusion of bay leaf eliminates joint pain. After the procedure, their motor activity improves.
Ingredients:
- Bay leaves - 3 pcs.
- Water - 300 ml.
- Castor oil - 1 tablespoon.
How to cook: Grind vegetable raw materials, pour boiling water, cover, insist for an hour. Add oil, mix until smooth.
How to use: Apply the remedy to the sore spot, cover cling film, insulate with a towel. Keep the compress for at least 2 hours.
Result: The remedy quickly eliminates pain in the joints, tendons.
See the following video for another recipe for joints:
Decoction to remove salts
Cleaning the joints from salts plays an important role in the treatment of diseases of the musculoskeletal system. A decoction copes with this task.
Ingredients:
- Bay leaves - 4 pcs.
- Water - 1.5 cups.
How to cook: Grind dry leaves, fill with water, boil for 3-4 minutes. Leave the drink to infuse all night, strain in the morning.
How to use: Take 50 ml every 12 hours before meals.
Result: The drink stimulates the blood supply to small joints, which helps to remove salts. The decoction improves the mobility of the limbs, eliminates swelling.
Infusion for osteochondrosis
The infusion is used for osteochondrosis, rheumatism, arthritis. The tool normalizes blood supply in the intervertebral joints, anesthetizes them, increases motor activity.
Ingredients:
- Bay leaves - 5 pcs.
- Water - 300 ml.
How to cook: Pour the crushed raw materials with water, put on a slow fire, cook for no more than 10 minutes. Pour the liquid into a thermos, insist for 2 hours.
How to use: Take 1 tablespoon throughout the day. The resulting volume of liquid is calculated for daily allowance. The course of treatment is 3 days. If you need to re-take, you need to take a week break.
Result: Flask restores cartilage tissue in the joints, eliminates pain, muscle spasms.
Decoction for diabetes
Lavrushka normalizes metabolism, lowers blood sugar, so it is often used to treat diabetes. The drink can be taken for prevention.
Ingredients:
- Bay leaves - 15 pcs.
- Water - 300 ml.
How to cook: Pour vegetable raw materials with water, cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Pour into a thermos, leave for at least 4 hours.
How to use: Drink the decoction in small sips throughout the day. The course of treatment is 3 days. If necessary, re-admission should take a two-week break.
Result: The drink improves overall well-being and restores strength. With regular therapy with infusion, it is necessary to reduce the dosage of hypoglycemic drugs.
Bath decoction for cystitis
Bay leaf has a diuretic, analgesic effect. Sitz baths are effective in relieving the symptoms of cystitis.
Ingredients:
- Bay leaves - 40 gr.
- Water - 5 liters.
How to cook: Prepare a decoction by boiling the raw materials for half an hour.
How to use: Dial the bath by a third, add a decoction to the water. The temperature of the liquid should be no higher than 38 degrees. Sit in the bath for 15 minutes.
Result: The bath warms up the organs of the genitourinary system, eliminates pain, pathogens that may be on the genitals.
Lotions for hemorrhoids
For the treatment of hemorrhoids, infusions, decoctions are used, which are taken orally. External use of these funds eliminates the symptoms of the disease.
Ingredients:
- Bay leaves - 10 gr.
- Water - 250 ml.
How to cook: Pour boiling water over raw materials, cover with a lid, insist for a couple of hours. Strain the cooled liquid.
How to use: Soak a soft cloth in the infusion, apply to the anal sphincter for 2-3 minutes.
Result: Lotions provide local anesthesia, eliminate itching, burning. The procedure reduces tissue swelling.
Decoction for menstruation
With a delay in menstruation, a decoction helps. It provokes contraction of the uterus, causing bleeding. This method is suitable for a slight delay caused by stress, excessive physical exertion or a cold.
Ingredients:
- Bay leaves - 10 gr.
- Water - 500 ml.
How to cook: Fill the shoots with water, boil, cover, simmer for an hour.
How to use: Drink a glass of the cooled broth for two times with a break of half an hour. You can not repeat the procedure, it can be dangerous to health.
Result: Menstruation begins 2-3 hours after taking the remedy.
Tincture from alcoholism
Lavrushka develops a persistent aversion to alcoholic beverages, so it is used to treat alcoholism. Most often, a tincture is prepared for this purpose, which is given to the patient without his knowledge, mixed with alcohol.
Ingredients:
- Bay leaves - 3 pcs.
- Vodka - 250 ml.
- Pumpkin seeds - 50 gr.
How to cook: Grind pumpkin seeds, pour vodka, add laurel, infuse the product for at least 2 weeks in a cool place.
How to use: Add the tincture to the food or drink of an alcoholic.
Result: The drink causes indigestion, an attack of nausea, vomiting. The systematic use of infusion develops a persistent aversion to alcohol.
Decoction
The drink strengthens the immune system, restores strength after an illness. To prepare a decoction, use fresh or dried shoots. The tool is used for oral and external use.
Dry leaves of bay leaf.
Ingredients:
- Fresh bay leaves - 30 gr.
- Water - 300 ml.
How to cook: Cut raw materials with a knife, fill with water, put on the stove, cook on minimum heat for 5 minutes. Pour the broth into a thermos, leave for at least 6 hours.
How to use: Take 1 tablespoon of the remedy 3 times a day.
Result: The decoction has a general strengthening effect, soothes nervous system eliminates joint pain.
Infusion
The infusion is used to treat beriberi, diabetes, diseases of the female reproductive system. The tool eliminates the symptoms of allergies, removes toxic substances from the body.
Ingredients:
- Lavrushka - 4 pcs.
- Water - 500 ml.
How to cook: Mash dry raw materials, steam with boiling water, cover, insist for 5 hours. For infusion, you can use a thermos.
How to use: Take 1 tablespoon 3 times a day. The course of admission to strengthen the immune system - 3 days.
Result: The infusion cleanses the body, promotes weight loss, and has a general strengthening effect.
Oil
At home, on the basis of lavrushka, you can make oil. The product is used internally and externally. It is used to treat diseases respiratory tract, skin diseases, burns and wounds.
Ingredients:
- Laurel leaves - 30 gr.
- Vegetable oil - 250 ml.
How to cook: Grind the plant to a state of flour, pour in warm oil, mix. Pour the mixture into glass jar, close the lid and store in a dark place for 2 weeks. Finished butter strain, store in the refrigerator.
How to use: Take orally 1-2 drops of oil diluted with water up to 3 times a day. Use externally on damaged skin.
Result: The oil has a tonic effect, reduces the acidity of gastric juice, accelerates the healing process of the epidermis.
How to use for children
A decoction is used as an additional remedy for the treatment of staphylococcus aureus in children. The remedy relieves various skin rashes, eliminates allergy symptoms.
The aroma calms the nervous system. If you put a couple of leaves of lavrushka at the head of the bed, then the child sleeps stronger, calmer.
The decoction is useful for newborns as effective remedy from diathesis. With its help, inflamed areas of the skin are treated or added to baths for bathing.
Can it be used during pregnancy
Doctors do not recommend using lavrushka and products based on it during pregnancy. This prohibition is associated with the ability of laurel to contract the uterus. The result of increased muscle tone is the pathology of the development of the baby or miscarriage.
During lactation, decoctions and infusions can provoke the baby to refuse the breast. This is due to the bitter taste of the spice, which is transferred to mother's milk.
All these prohibitions do not apply to the external use of laurel-based products. They can be used to treat skin diseases, restore the epidermis after burns, and for cosmetic purposes.
magical properties
Since ancient times, culture has been considered a symbol of success, purity, purposefulness. Modern magic uses this spice to attract happiness, fulfill desires, cleanse negativity.
With its help, they make conspiracies for money, luck and love. It is believed that if you keep a little lavrushka smeared with orange oil in your wallet, this will improve well-being. And if you place saucers with spicy leaves in the corners of the apartment on the new moon and burn them in the morning, you can cleanse the house of negative energy and attract good luck.
Contraindications
Before starting treatment, you should consult with a specialist, strictly follow the doctor's instructions so as not to harm the body. Spice is used with caution in hypertension, as it increases blood pressure.
Contraindications for use:
- During pregnancy and breastfeeding;
- acute diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
- individual intolerance.
Where can I buy
Raw materials can be purchased at any store or market. Most often, the spice is sold already packaged in bags, but can be found in the form of a bunch of twigs. Quality leaves should be dark green in color with a uniform color, without dark spots and an unpleasant bitter smell.
The price of a 25 gram package of laurel is 40-50 rubles. The cost may vary depending on the manufacturer.
How to prepare
Lavrushka can be stocked up by drying it yourself. A fresh product is often sold in the markets, it can be collected from the tree yourself. Stock up on raw materials from November to February. Healthy leaves are dark green with no spots.
Lavrushka is dried in a dry room at a temperature of no more than 40 degrees for 5-6 days. Use an electric dryer for these purposes, setting the temperature to 40-50 degrees. Store dried shoots in glass containers for up to 1 year.
What to remember
- The culture is widely used in folk medicine, cooking and cosmetology.
- On its basis, infusions, decoctions, oil for external use and ingestion are made.
- Laurel treats diseases of the respiratory and digestive systems, eliminates joint and muscle pain.
Ruchkina N.
("HiZh", 2012, No. 3)
What does bay leaf grow on? Noble laurel (Laurus nobilis) - evergreen shrub or the tree that gave its name to the large family of laurels, and the only European member of this family, which also includes such famous species as the camphor tree, the avocado, and the Ceylon cinnamon, whose bark we peel for spice. The Greek name for laurel is Daphne. According to the myth, and the ancient Greeks are famous myth-makers, Apollo was inflamed with passion for the nymph Daphne, but she preferred to turn into a tree rather than respond to his harassment. Got a laurel. Apollo nevertheless broke off this tree, wove a wreath and put it on his head. Therefore, in ancient Greece, the laurel was considered a tree dedicated to Apollo, and its leaves were cut off for wreaths, and not for soup. By the way, in Rus', where the bay leaf apparently came from Byzantium, it was called “daphnia” in the Greek manner until the 18th century.
How useful is Lavrushka? Bay leaf tastes bitter, especially fresh, but this spice is valued not for its taste, but for its pleasant smell. Laurel leaves contain up to 4.5% fragrant essential oil, the main component of which is cineole, a monoterpene with a camphor-ethereal odor. It has an expectorant and antiseptic effect. Another component of the essential oil, eugenol, a phenol derivative with a strong clove odor, has an antibacterial effect. In addition, bay leaves contain appetizing bitterness, acetic, valeric and caproic acids, fragrant terpenes pinene, phellandrene and geraniol, potassium, which is necessary for the proper functioning of the cardiovascular system, as well as tannins.
Decoctions and extracts of bay leaves improve digestion, lower blood sugar levels, they are used externally for many skin diseases. To cure stomatitis, sometimes it is enough just to chew on a leaf of laurel. The extract from the leaves helps to get rid of dandruff, and also regulates the secretion of the sebaceous glands of the scalp. Laurel essential oil is used in aromatherapy, it has disinfectant and warming properties, promotes digestion, and inhibits the development of tubercle bacillus. It is also used as a compress for skin diseases. Oily infusion of leaves rub painful places with arthritis, neuralgia and muscle pain. And it is very convenient for the user that the bay leaf completely retains its qualities when dried - this is not typical of all plants.
What foods go with bay leaf? For a long time, bay leaves have been used to flavor water intended for washing hands before meals. They became a recognized spice in the 1st century AD. e. At first, fruit desserts were prepared with bay leaves - baked apples and figs. In our time, the range of its application has expanded. Bay leaf is added to all first courses, except for milk and fruit soups, meat and fish dishes, boiled vegetables - cabbage, potatoes, carrots, legumes. This is an indispensable spice for correcting the taste and smell of jelly and other offal dishes. The dried and crushed leaf is added to pâtés, sausages and sauces. Since essential laurel oil has antiseptic properties, it is indispensable for canning. Bay leaf softens the taste of pickles and adds spice to marinades, and protects salted fish from “rusting”. Fish fat contains a lot of unsaturated fatty acids, which, when oxidized by atmospheric oxygen, spoil the taste of the product and give it a “rusty” color, and bay leaf has an antioxidant effect. Liqueurs and mead are flavored with this spice, and in some places in the East they make tea with it. The ubiquitous spice!
When to put in and when to take out? We have already found out that a rare dish does without a bay leaf, but with it, like with any spice, it must be handled skillfully. The existing bookmark rates vary from a leaflet per serving to a leaf per liter of water. At the same time, it is important that the lavrushka gives the dish its aroma, but leaves bitterness with it. Fortunately for us, essential oils are released before bitterness, and an unpleasant aftertaste can be avoided if the leaf is removed in time. Therefore, spice is added to the first dishes 5 minutes before readiness, and to the second - 7-10 minutes. William Pokhlebkin advised putting twice as much bay leaf as indicated in the recipe, but taking it out earlier. This technique allows you to get the first, most delicate fractions of the essential oil in sufficient quantities, instead of boiling a few leaves to the end.
What if you need more servings? The advice to double the dose of bay leaf is not always feasible. If dinner is being prepared for several people, then not three or four leaves, but a dozen, can be put in a large saucepan. But if you have to feed an entire factory shift (school, film crew, company staff), you will need a sack of leaves that will occupy the entire boiler, displacing the main contents from there. And the bay leaf, by the way, swells slightly when cooked. In this case, instead of leaves, a concentrated extract of laurel essential oils is used, obtained industrially. If there is no extract, and there are many potential eaters, required amount leaves are boiled separately, and expressed water is added to the soup.
How to collect, select and store? Laurel is an evergreen plant, but this does not mean that its leaves are immortal. In a humid climate, they live for two to four years, and then die off. The leaves must be collected at the age of one and a half to two years, when they are still alive and have already managed to accumulate a sufficient amount of aromatic substances that are so valued by people. Harvesting takes place in autumn, one hectare of laurel plantations yields up to four tons of leaves. The spice is cut off not by leaf, like tea, but by sprigs that are dried in the shade for 7-10 days. Such small laurel "brooms" are brought to our markets from those regions where laurel grows.
Dried leaves must be sorted, selecting only conditioned ones. High quality matte leaves olive color dried and green - fresh. Leaves should be intact, free of blemishes, and about the same size. Usually the leaflets are 2-3 cm wide and 5-6 cm long.
We do not always buy spices in the market, we have to do this in a store where bay leaves are sold in opaque packaging. Experts advise paying attention to the tightness of the bag and the expiration date of the product. Not the fact that all the leaves in the bag will be green, GOST allows the presence of up to 3% of yellow leaves and up to 6% of twigs. But pale or yellow leaves will only spoil the dish, giving it a bitter aftertaste, since the essential oils from them have already evaporated. Therefore, the purchased package must be immediately opened, sorted out and the whole high-quality leaves placed in a tightly closed container so that the aroma does not disappear. It is not recommended to store the spice for more than a year.
There are lovers who, not relying on the domestic food industry, grow noble laurel on their windowsill. Such leaves are also suitable as a seasoning if they are at least one and a half years old.
What is bean ointment? In April - May, the noble laurel blooms with small white or cream flowers, which are diligently visited by flies, wasps, bees, and occasionally even ants. As a result of their efforts, fruits are formed - ovoid juicy drupes up to 2 cm long, black and of blue color, alas, inedible. They smell pleasant, but they contain much less essential oil than the leaves, no more than 0.8%, but about 25% fatty oil, which is obtained by squeezing fresh laurel fruits. This oil consists mainly of the triglyceride lauric acid trilaurin, or simply laurin, and also contains small amounts of triglycerides of oleic, stearic, palmitic and myristic acids and an essential oil. This fragrant fatty ester product is green in color, thick and slightly grainy, called bean oil or bean ointment. Apply it only externally. In folk medicine, bean ointment is used to treat rheumatism, colds, neuralgia, spasms and scabies. Laurel oil is also used to make antiseptic soap, medical candles, it is used in veterinary medicine.
Recipe for a gift. The simplest dish with bay leaves is its infusion. Fifteen leaves are boiled for 5 minutes in 300 ml of water and allowed to brew for 3-4 hours in a thermos. The resulting drink should be filtered and taken in small portions throughout the day. You should do the same for two more days, then take a break for two weeks and repeat the course. Experts claim that the decoction strengthens the body, gives it strength and makes breathing easier, but warn that the recipe is not suitable for people prone to constipation.
L avrovy leaf - a symbol of the winners. In ancient Greece, they were awarded to athletes, emperors wore it in the form of a crown ... However, we are most concerned about the banal question of when it is right to add bay leaves to soup.
- Perfectly sets off the taste of first courses: soups, broths from meat, fish and vegetables.
- It is simply indispensable in the preparation of home preservation.
- Included in most prefabricated seasonings.
It would seem, what difficulties - threw it together and you're done. But not everything is so simple. A pair of harmless leaves may well either interrupt the main taste of the dish, or make it bitter.
What is the correct way to use bay leaf?
1. Add spice to dishes in moderation so that the aroma does not turn out to be sharp, at the rate of 1-2 leaves per liter of water or 3-4 servings of the dish.
2. Put bay leaves in and broths at the end of cooking, usually for 5-7 minutes, when stewing - for 10 minutes.
3. In the main dishes, it is possible to add spices at the beginning of cooking.
4. In vegetable broths, the amount of leaf may be minimal, as the main flavor comes from the vegetables.
5. The aroma and taste of chicken broth will be “lost” against the background of the bay leaf, so in this case it is not used. Similarly, it is not added to dairy dishes and sugary drinks.
7. In addition, many chefs advise adding lavrushka at the very last moment, when the dish is almost ready. So the seasoning will retain useful properties.
The price of this bay leaf is 625 thousand euros. Because he is from the crown of Napoleon. What have you achieved in this life?
How to choose a quality seasoning:
- Buy only whole, not crushed leaves - this way you can evaluate their quality.
- Choose leaves with a beautiful green-yellow color.
- Give preference to medium-sized leaves. Large ones can be an indicator of overripeness.
Interesting from "Pate": just imagine that the bay leaf settled on our planet at the same time as the dinosaurs! It is believed that the tree can live up to 400 years. And the famous spice has mystical properties and protects from the evil eye (well, if you believe, of course), and can give a prophetic dream if you put a few leaves under your pillow.
It seems that we have always used bay leaf in cooking, and what is so difficult about using this spice? I threw it in the pot and everything. But it turns out that everything is not so simple, and even one extra leaf can easily spoil the dish. Want to learn how to bring out the main flavor of the broth? When to add bay leaf to soup? Then read on.
Without this famous spice, the hostess in the kitchen is unlikely to do. It goes well with many foods, so it is part of most dishes. Used dried or ground spice:
- Allows you to favorably emphasize or shade the taste of a number of first courses: including soups, broths, and borscht.
- Indispensable in home preservation.
- The composition of prefabricated seasonings is not complete without a bay leaf.
Features of the use of bay leaf in cooking
In our kitchen, bay leaves are most often present in dried or crushed form, but they are also often used fresh. It is important to put the bay leaf in the soup five minutes before cooking. If you want to avoid bitterness in the aftertaste of soup or broth, then wait until it is cooked and remove the bay leaf. As for main courses, it is added to food approximately in the middle of the culinary process.
Lavrushka during canning is added to the jar when the vegetables are poured with ready-made hot marinade. In this case, there is no need to take it out, you can leave it in a jar to saturate with taste.
Bay leaf and our culinary history
The idea of our Slavic cuisine would be incomplete if we threw away the bay leaf from our kitchen. Most of the dishes that we cook daily cannot do without the use of this spice in the recipe. But do we know how, and most importantly, when to add bay leaf to soup, appetizer, preservation? Probably, the majority cannot give an unambiguous answer to the question.
We are used to adding spices by eye, and this turns out to be very important - to observe the proportions of not only the main ingredients, but also seasonings and spices.
The subtleties of adding lavrushka to the first courses
Many will be surprised that there are also subtleties in this matter. But they are, and it is more than important to know them. These features depend on which dish you will add seasoning to. The table below provides details on when to add bay leaf to soup.
First meal | Time to add spice |
Thick soup | 10 minutes before ready. At the end of the preparation of the soup, the leaves are removed. |
Liquid soup | 5 minutes before cooking. After that, they must be taken out |
Chicken bouillon | Spice is not added, it can spoil the taste of the broth |
vegetable broth | At the end of cooking in a minimum amount. But it is better to do, as in the previous case, without a bay leaf |
fish broth | It all depends on the type of fish. If it is bitter on its own, then it is better to refuse the use of spices. And if not, then add at the end of cooking or after turning off the fire for a couple of minutes. After - be sure to pull out |
meat broth | 15-20 minutes before ready. After cooking the broth, be sure to remove it from the pan. |
Which products are compatible and which are not?
When to add bay leaf to the soup, figured it out. And what products to combine it with?
The spice is best combined with dishes from categories such as meat, vegetable, fish, mushrooms. Lavrushka gives amazing taste to marinades and canned food, and potatoes make it unsurpassed.
Therefore, if you are preparing mushroom, vegetable, fish soups or borscht with meat, feel free to add bay leaf for taste and aroma.
However, if you are preparing a broth or soup with poultry meat, you will have to refuse to use bay leaves as a spice. It doesn't go well with chicken meat.
Please note that it is better not to combine bay leaf with dairy products. Sometimes it causes indigestion. Therefore, it is so important to know when to add bay leaf to the soup and with what products it is better not to combine it at all.
In tandem with such herbs and spices as rosemary, cloves, sage, coriander, pepper, thyme, bay leaf gives an even richer and more interesting taste. Pay attention to this and figure out how to properly add bay leaves to the soup.
We have long been accustomed to the fact that soups, cabbage soup, borscht and a host of other dishes are prepared with the addition of this seasoning. But its use is not always appropriate in a particular recipe. Perhaps you could not make such a delicious broth as your grandmother or mother, precisely because of the addition of a seemingly insignificant ingredient - one or a couple of bay leaves. But it turns out that it is so important to know how to combine bay leaves, and which dishes should be avoided. We hope you got it for yourself important information. And now you know perfectly well when and why to add bay leaf to the soup.
