What soups do they add bay leaf to? Bay leaves in cooking. What do you know about bay leaves
One of the most essential and widespread seasonings today is bay leaf, which has a faint pleasant smell and gives dishes a delicate and special aroma. Not a single kitchen today is complete without bay leaves, so this spice is loved by the whole world. Bay leaves are combined with almost all products. It is used to prepare first and second courses, appetizers, salads, casseroles, pickles and marinades.
Laurel is an evergreen tree. 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.
Why is bay leaf useful?
Aromatic properties and contained in it essential oils allow bay leaves to take a strong place in cooking. 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 leaves are used in the form:
- dried leaves;
- powder;
- compressed briquettes of crushed processed sheet.
Fresh from the leaves of 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 of the internal organs. Until a certain moment, bay leaf was even considered an exclusively medicinal plant due to its bitterness and a large number of calories, until from ancient Greece it spread to other parts of the world, where it became a favorite seasoning of many culinary experts. We are used to putting the leaf in salty dishes, however, Italian, French, English pastry chefs do not disdain the 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 curls to prevent the development of harmful bacteria.
Another useful property of bay leaf is to easily remove odors present in dishes. So, bay leaves can be added to offal and fish dishes.
Rules for adding bay leaves
There are, however, a few rules to follow when adding bay leaves to dishes. Cooking for a 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 leaves in the form of dry leaves 5-10 minutes before cooking in broths, soups, borscht;
- after cooking, be sure to remove the bay leaf from the dish;
- it is better to add it to sauces as a dry powder;
- 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 recipes.
Since bay leaf is still a spice in cooking, the rate of its bookmark can be increased by adding one or two branches to taste. This spice practically does not cause allergies, so it does not bring harm, and everyone feels the aroma of dishes differently, which is most often due to the addition of spices.
In the article, we discuss the bay leaf, talk about its beneficial 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 coughs, diabetes, allergies, cystitis, hemorrhoids, and joint diseases. We will tell you about the magical properties of the plant, how to use it to fulfill your 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, muscle pain. The plant is used in medicine to treat colds, diabetes, cystitis and hemorrhoids.
Appearance (photo) of the Laurus plant.
Decoction of shoots relieves alcoholism. With regular use, the product develops a persistent aversion to alcohol.
Spice is used to make cosmetic products or to prepare nourishing and strengthening masks based on it. The tool is used externally to eliminate acne, pigmentation.
Cooking applications
Fresh, dry, ground laurel leaves are used as a spice. This seasoning gives flavor to soups, meat, fish, vegetable dishes, sauces. Laurel is added to marinades and used for conservation. Ground raw materials, present in mustard, stewed meat, pâté, industrial sausages, improve the quality of dishes.
The essential oils of the plant quickly evaporate, so the spice is put into the dish 5-10 minutes before cooking. The leaves should be removed from the finished dish so that they do not impart a bitter taste.
How to apply in cosmetology
The decoction of raw materials is widely used in home cosmetology. It has tonic, cleansing, rejuvenating effects. The sprout remedy is useful for skin and hair.
Brightens the skin, eliminating pigmentation, normalizes the sebaceous glands, tightens pores. Masks, spice-based creams tighten the skin, smooth out wrinkles.
A decoction of laurel soothes the scalp, relieves itching and treats dandruff. The product strengthens hair, accelerates its growth, and adds shine.
Face tonic
On the basis of the broth, a tonic is prepared, which is used daily. The remedy is suitable for problem 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, cover with water, put on minimum heat and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the stove, cover, leave for at least 5 hours.
How to use: Wipe your face with tonic morning and evening. The product can be frozen and used as ice cubes.
Result: The tonic tightens pores, eliminates skin inflammation, and has a rejuvenating effect.
Strengthening hair mask
For strengthening, hair growth, decoctions, tinctures, oil, masks based on laurel are used. All these funds can be prepared independently at home using the leaves of the culture. Consider a recipe for a firming 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 and put on low heat. Cook for 7 minutes, remove from the stove, cool and filter the broth into a separate container.
How to use: Massage the remaining gruel into the scalp. Cover 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 hair, prevents hair loss, baldness. After the procedure, the hair becomes more manageable and shiny.
For another mask recipe, see the following video:
Slimming decoction
The broth removes excess fluid, slags, toxins from the body. This ability is highly regarded in dietetics. The drink is used as a weight loss aid.
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 heat, let cool, strain.
How to use: Drink 1 tablespoon of the broth before each meal.
Result: The drink cleanses the body, removes stagnant fluid, which contributes to weight loss.
How to use in traditional medicine
The culture is used in folk medicine for the treatment of diseases of the respiratory, urinary tract, digestive system, joint diseases. On the basis of spices, infusions, decoctions, oil are made, which are used internally and externally. Consider some common recipes that use plants.
Cough inhalation
Inhalations with a decoction quickly eliminate cough and clear the bronchi. The tool stimulates the excretion of phlegm, 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, cook for 5 minutes. Cover, let cool slightly.
How to use: Before inhalation, add laurel essential oil to the broth, 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. Do them for 10-15 minutes, then wear warm socks.
Ointment for sinusitis
For the treatment of sinusitis, laurel-based ointment is used. The tool warms up the sinuses, looses 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 refrigerate.
How to use: Apply the ointment to the area of \u200b\u200bthe maxillary sinuses and leave for 20-30 minutes. This recipe can be used to warm up the chest when coughing hard.
Result: The ointment effectively treats the symptoms of rhinitis and sinusitis, making nasal breathing easier.
Allergy infusion
The infusion is used externally for allergies. The product eliminates itching, burning, redness, rashes and swelling of the skin. The drink is taken orally to normalize the bowel function.
Ingredients:
- Leaves - 5 pcs.
- Water - 250 ml.
How to cook: Cover the leaves with water, place on the stove, simmer 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 the 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
Compress with bay leaf oil extract eliminates joint pain. After the procedure, their physical activity improves.
Ingredients:
- Bay leaves - 3 pcs.
- Water - 300 ml.
- Castor oil - 1 tablespoon
How to cook: Grind the plant materials, pour boiling water over, cover with a lid, leave for an hour. Add oil, mix until smooth.
How to use: Apply the product to a sore spot, cover with cling film, warm with a towel. Keep the compress for at least 2 hours.
Result: The remedy quickly removes pain in joints and tendons.
For another recipe for joints, see the following video:
Broth to remove salts
Cleaning the joints from salts plays an important role in the treatment of diseases of the musculoskeletal system. The broth copes with this task.
Ingredients:
- Bay leaves - 4 pcs.
- Water - 1.5 cups.
How to cook: Grind dry leaves, cover with water, boil for 3-4 minutes. Leave the drink to infuse overnight, strain in the morning.
How to use: Take 50 ml of the product every 12 hours before meals.
Result: The drink stimulates the blood supply to the small joints, which promotes the excretion of salts. The broth improves the mobility of the limbs, eliminates puffiness.
Infusion for osteochondrosis
The infusion is used for osteochondrosis, rheumatism, arthritis. The tool normalizes blood supply to the intervertebral joints, relieves pain, and increases physical activity.
Ingredients:
- Bay leaves - 5 pcs.
- Water - 300 ml.
How to cook: Pour the crushed raw materials with water, put on low heat, cook for no more than 10 minutes. Pour the liquid into a thermos, leave for 2 hours.
How to use: Take 1 tablespoon throughout the day. The resulting volume of fluid is calculated for the daily rate. The course of treatment is 3 days. If you need to re-use, you need to take a week break.
Result: The infusion restores cartilage tissue in the joints, eliminates pain syndrome, 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 broth in small sips throughout the day. The course of treatment is 3 days. If you need to re-use, you 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 broth for cystitis
Bay leaf has a diuretic, analgesic effect. Huge baths are effective in relieving symptoms of cystitis.
Ingredients:
- Bay leaves - 40 gr.
- Water - 5 liters.
How to cook: Prepare the broth by boiling the raw materials for half an hour.
How to use: Take a third of the bath, add the broth to the water. The liquid temperature should be no higher than 38 degrees. Sit in the bathroom for 15 minutes.
Result: The bath warms up the organs of the genitourinary system, eliminates pain syndrome, causative agents of the disease 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 the raw materials, cover, leave for a couple of hours. Strain the cooled liquid.
How to use: Soak a soft tissue 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.
Broth for menstruation
With a delay in menstruation, a decoction helps. It provokes uterine contraction, causes bleeding. This method is suitable for minor delays 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 twice in half an hour. You cannot repeat the procedure, it can be hazardous to health.
Result: Menstruation begins 2-3 hours after taking the drug.
Tincture for 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, mixing it into alcohol.
Ingredients:
- Bay leaves - 3 pcs.
- Vodka - 250 ml.
- Pumpkin seeds - 50 gr.
How to cook: Grind pumpkin seeds, fill with vodka, add laurel, leave the product for at least 2 weeks in a cool place.
How to use: Add the tincture to an alcoholic's food or drink.
Result: The drink causes indigestion, an attack of nausea, vomiting. The systematic use of the infusion develops a persistent aversion to alcohol.
Decoction
The drink strengthens the immune system, restores strength after illness. For the preparation of the broth, fresh or dried shoots are used. The agent is used for oral administration and externally.
Dry leaves of bay leaves.
Ingredients:
- Fresh bay leaves - 30 gr.
- Water - 300 ml.
How to cook: Cut the raw material with a knife, cover 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 product 3 times a day.
Result: The broth has a general strengthening effect, calms the nervous system, eliminates joint pain.
Infusion
Infusion is used to treat vitamin deficiency, diabetes, diseases of the female reproductive system. The tool eliminates allergy symptoms, 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, leave 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 is 3 days.
Result: Infusion cleanses the body, promotes weight loss, has a tonic effect.
Butter
At home, you can make butter on the basis of lavrushka. The product is used internally and externally. It treats respiratory diseases, 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, cover with warm oil, mix. Transfer the mixture to a glass jar, close the lid and set aside in a dark place for 2 weeks. Strain the finished oil, store in the refrigerator.
How to use: Take 1-2 drops of oil, diluted with water, up to 3 times a day. Use topically to treat damaged skin.
Result: The oil has a general strengthening effect, reduces the acidity of gastric juice, accelerates the healing process of the epidermis.
How to use for children
The broth is used as an additional agent for the treatment of staphylococcus in children. The tool eliminates various skin rashes, eliminates allergy symptoms.
The scent soothes the nervous system. If you put a couple of leaves of lavrushka at the head of the bed, then the child sleeps better, more calmly.
The broth is useful for newborns as an effective remedy for diathesis. With its help, inflamed areas of the skin are treated or added to baths for bathing.
Can I use during pregnancy
Doctors do not recommend using lavrushka and products based on it during pregnancy. This prohibition is related to the ability of laurel to contract the uterus. The result of increased muscle tone is the pathology of the baby's development or miscarriage.
During lactation, decoctions and infusions can provoke the baby's refusal to breastfeed. This is due to the bitter taste of the spice that is passed on to breast 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, and commitment. Modern magic uses this spice to attract happiness, fulfill desires, and cleanse negativity.
With her help, they make conspiracies for money, luck and love. It is believed that keeping a little lavrushka greased with orange oil in your wallet will improve your well-being. And if on the new moon you place saucers with spicy leaves in the corners of the apartment and burn them in the morning, then you can cleanse the house of negative energy, 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. The spice is used with caution in case of hypertension, as it increases blood pressure.
Contraindications for use:
- during pregnancy and breastfeeding;
- acute diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
- individual intolerance.
Where could I buy
Raw materials can be purchased at any store or market. Most often, the spice is sold already packaged in sachets, but can be found in the form of a bunch of twigs. Quality leaves should be dark green with a uniform color, without dark spots and an unpleasant bitter odor.
The price of a 25 gram pack of laurel is 40-50 rubles. The cost may vary depending on the manufacturer.
How to prepare
You can stock up on lavrushka by drying it yourself. The fresh product is often sold in the markets and can be harvested from the tree yourself. Stock up on raw materials from November to February. Healthy leaves are dark green in color, without 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 internal use are made.
- Laurel treats diseases of the respiratory and digestive systems, eliminates joint and muscle pain.
Ruchkina N.
("KhiZh", 2012, No. 3)
What does the bay leaf grow on? Laurel nobilis (Laurus nobilis) is an evergreen shrub or tree that gave its name to the numerous laurel family, and is the only European representative of this family, which also includes such famous species as camphor tree, avocado and Ceylon cinnamon, whose bark we peel off 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 a passion for the nymph Daphne, but she chose to turn into a tree rather than respond to his harassment. The result is a laurel. Apollo broke off this tree, weaved a wreath and put it on his head. Therefore, in ancient Greece, laurel was considered a tree dedicated to Apollo, and its leaves were cut off for wreaths, and not into soup. By the way, in Russia, where the bay leaf came, apparently from Byzantium, until the 18th century it was called in the Greek manner "Daphnia".
How is lavrushka useful? Bay leaf tastes bitter, especially fresh, but this spice is appreciated 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 - monoterpene with a camphor-etheric smell. It has an expectorant and antiseptic effect. Another essential oil component, eugenol, a phenol derivative with a strong clove odor, has an antibacterial effect. In addition, bay leaves contain appetite-stimulating bitterness, acetic, valerian and caproic acids, aromatic terpenes pinene, fellandrene and geraniol, potassium, which is essential for the proper functioning of the cardiovascular system, and tannins.
Decoctions and extracts of bay leaves improve digestion, lower blood sugar, they are used externally for many skin diseases. To cure stomatitis, sometimes it is enough just to chew a laurel leaf. 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 disinfecting and warming properties, promotes digestion, inhibits the development of tubercle bacillus. It is also used in the form of compresses for skin diseases. Oil infusion of leaves is rubbed on painful areas with arthritis, neuralgia and muscle pain. And it is very convenient for the user that the bay leaf completely retains its qualities in a dried form - this is not typical of all plants.
What foods are bay leaves combined with? For a long time, bay leaves have been used to flavor water for washing hands before eating. 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 leaves are added to all first courses, except for dairy and fruit soups, to meat and fish dishes, boiled vegetables - cabbage, potatoes, carrots, legumes. It is an irreplaceable spice for straightening the taste and smell of jelly and other offal dishes. The dried and shredded leaf is added to pates, sausages and sauces. Since laurel essential oil has antiseptic properties, it is indispensable for canning. Bay leaf softens the taste of pickles and adds piquancy to marinades, and protects salted fish from "rusting". Fish fat contains many unsaturated fatty acids, which, when oxidized by air oxygen, spoil the taste of the product and give it a "rusty" color, and bay leaves have an antioxidant effect. This spice is flavored with liqueurs and mead, and in some places in the East, tea is brewed with it. An ubiquitous spice!
When to put and when to take out? We have already found out that a rare dish does without bay leaves, but like any spice, you need to handle it skillfully. Current bookmarking rates range from leaf per serving to leaf per liter of water. At the same time, it is important that the lavrushka gives the dish aroma, but leaves the 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 courses 5 minutes before cooking, and to the second - 7-10 minutes. William Pokhlebkin advised putting twice as much bay leaf as indicated in the recipe, but take it out earlier. This technique allows you to get the first, most delicate fractions of essential oil in sufficient quantities, instead of boiling a few leaves to the end.
What if you need a lot of servings? The advice to double the bay leaf is not always feasible. If dinner is prepared for several people, then you can put not three or four leaves in a large saucepan, but a dozen. But if you have to feed an entire factory shift (school, film crew, company staff), you will need a bag of leaves that will take up the entire boiler, displacing the main contents from there. And the bay leaf, by the way, is not strong during cooking, but it swells. In this case, instead of leaves, a concentrated extract of laurel essential oils obtained by industrial means is used. If there is no extract, and there are many potential eaters, the required amount of leaves is boiled separately, and decanted 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. Leaves should be picked 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 so valued by people. Harvesting takes place in autumn, one hectare of laurel plantations gives up to four tons of leaves. The spice is cut off not by leaf, like tea, but by twigs, which 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 need to be sorted, selecting only conditioned leaves. Quality leaves are matte, olive green, dried and green - fresh. Leaves should be intact, free from spots and approximately 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 also 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 shelf life of the product. It is not a fact that all the leaves in the bag will be green, GOST allows the presence of up to 3% yellow leaves and up to 6% of twigs. But pale or yellow leaves will only spoil the dish, imparting a bitter taste to it, since the essential oils have already evaporated from them. Therefore, the purchased package must be immediately opened, the contents must be sorted out and whole high-quality leaves must be placed in a tightly sealed dish so that the aroma does not evaporate. It is not recommended to store the spice for more than a year.
There are amateurs 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, laurel bloom with small white or cream flowers, which are zealously 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 blue, alas, inedible. They smell nice, but there is much less essential oil in them than in the leaves, no more than 0.8%, but about 25% of the fatty oil that is obtained by squeezing the fresh fruits of laurel. This oil consists mainly of the triglyceride of lavric acid trilaurin, or simply laurine, and also contains a small amount of triglycerides of oleic, stearic, palmitic and myristic acids and essential oil. This fragrant, fatty-essential product is green, 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. Antiseptic soap, medical candles are also made from laurel oil, it is used in veterinary medicine.
The recipe as a gift. The simplest bay leaf dish 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 must be filtered and taken in small portions throughout the day. The same should be done for two more days, then take a break for two weeks and repeat the course. Experts claim that the broth strengthens the body, gives it strength and makes breathing easier, but warn that the recipe is not suitable for people prone to constipation.
Lleaf of aurora is a symbol of winners. In ancient Greece, it was awarded to athletes, it was worn by emperors in the form of a crown ... However, we are most worried about the banal question of when to add bay leaf to soup correctly.
- Perfectly sets off the taste of the first courses: soups, broths from meat, fish and vegetables.
- It is simply irreplaceable when preparing home preservation.
- It is included in most of the combined seasonings.
It would seem that what difficulties - threw together and ready. But it's not that simple. A couple of harmless leaves may well either interrupt the main taste of the dish, or make it bitter.
How to use bay leaves correctly?
1. Add spice to dishes in moderation so that the aroma does not turn out to be harsh, at the rate of 1-2 sheets per liter of water or 3-4 servings of the dish.
2. Put bay leaf in broths at the end of cooking, usually in 5-7 minutes, when stewing - in 10 minutes.
3. It is possible to add spices to the second courses at the beginning of cooking.
4. In vegetable broths, the amount of leaf can be minimal, since vegetables provide the main flavor.
5. The aroma and taste of chicken broth will be "lost" against the background of bay leaves, so in this case it is not used. Likewise, it is not added to dairy foods and sugary drinks.
7. In addition, many culinary experts advise adding lavrushka at the very last moment, when the dish is almost ready. So the seasoning will retain its beneficial 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 leaves, not chopped 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 overripe.
Interesting from "Pate": just imagine that a bay leaf settled on our planet at the same time as 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 the pillow.
It seems that we have always used bay leaves in cooking, and what is so difficult about using this spice? Threw it into the pot and that's it. But it turns out that everything is not so simple, and even one extra piece of paper can easily ruin the dish. Would you like to know how to highlight the main flavor of the broth? When to add bay leaf to soup? Then read on.
The hostess in the kitchen is unlikely to do without this famous spice. It goes well with many products, therefore it is included in most dishes. Spice used in dried or ground form:
- It allows you to favorably emphasize or set off the taste of a number of first courses: including soups, and broths, and borscht.
- Indispensable in home preservation.
- Composition of prefabricated spices is not complete without bay leaves.
Features of the use of bay leaves in cooking
In our kitchen, bay leaf is most often present in dried or chopped form, but fresh it is also often used. It is important to put the bay leaf in the soup five minutes before cooking. If you want to avoid the bitterness in the aftertaste of your soup or broth, then wait until it's cooked and remove the bay leaf. As for the second courses, it is added to food around the middle of the culinary process.
When canning, lavrushka is added to the jar when vegetables are poured with ready-made hot marinade. In this case, there is no need to take it out, you can leave it in the jar to saturate it with taste.
Bay leaves and our culinary history
The idea of \u200b\u200bour Slavic cooking would be incomplete if we threw the bay leaf out of our kitchen. Most of the dishes that we prepare every day are not complete without the use of this spice in the recipe. But do we know how to do it correctly, and most importantly, when to add bay leaves to soup, appetizer, canning? 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 not only of the main ingredients, but also of 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 leaves to soup.
First meal | Time to add spice |
Thick soup | 10 minutes before cooking. At the end of the preparation of the soup, the leaves are removed |
Liquid soup | 5 minutes before cooking. After they must be taken out |
Chicken bouillon | No spice is 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 bay leaves. |
Fish broth | It all depends on the type of fish. If it tastes bitter by itself, then it is better to refuse to use the spice. If not, add at the end of cooking or after turning off the heat for a couple of minutes. After - be sure to pull out |
Meat broth | 15-20 minutes before cooking. After cooking the broth, be sure to remove from the pan |
What products are we compatible with and what we are not
When to add bay leaf to soup, figured out. And with what products to combine it?
The spice goes best with dishes from categories such as meat, vegetables, fish, mushrooms. Lavrushka gives marinades and canned food an amazing taste, and potatoes make them unsurpassed.
Therefore, if you are cooking mushroom, vegetable, fish soups or borscht with meat, feel free to add bay leaves for taste and aroma.
However, if you are preparing broth or soup with poultry meat, you will have to refuse to use bay leaves as a spice. It is not combined with chicken meat at all.
Note that bay leaves are best not combined with dairy products. This sometimes causes stomach upset. Therefore, it is so important to know when to add bay leaf to soup and with which products it is better not to combine it at all.
In tandem with herbs and spices such as rosemary, cloves, sage, coriander, pepper, thyme, bay leaves give an even richer and more interesting taste. Pay attention to this and figure out how to properly add bay leaf to 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 were unable to prepare 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 it is better to refuse adding to which dishes. We hope you have gathered some important information for yourself. And now you know perfectly well when and why to add bay leaf to soup.
