Bay leaves

[bupster]

A thread on the recipes section reminded me that I go through these at a ridiculous rate and really should grow my own. A quick google search suggests that now is the time to buy a plant or sow seeds, but a plant is much easier; however only one link to somewhere that sells them. Does anyone know of anywhere else or should I go with crocus.co.uk at £6.95 for a 20cm plant?

[bupster]

[aquilegia]

how about begging, borrowing or stealing a cutting from someone? Granted, it'll take a while to establish. I'll admit I'm a cheapskate!

[Truffle]

Yeah I would go with a cutting :)

Just out of interest, whats the recipe?

[bupster]

The thread that made me hungry was on the relative merits of dried versus fresh bay leaves. However, I use them a lot, as I'm going through a 'slow food' patch and am experimenting with slow cooking of cheaper cuts of meat, which means lots of stews etc. My favourite at the moment is a lasagne in which the meat (minced beef, pork and chicken livers) is simmered with milk for around four hours - makes it sort of a two-day dish if you work for a living or spend any time outside the kitchen, but it's gorgeous, and costs around a fiver for six huge portions. At least two bay leaves, and I make this quite often, hence curiosity.

[tim]

I'll send you the leaves & you can freeze them??

[bupster]

That would be great, Tim, and dead generous. Should I send you a PM with my address?

I probably should try to be self-sufficient at some point, though. I'll ask around at my local (lots of foodie types) and see if anyone has a tree I could try to take a cutting from..

[Maddy]

We were bought a bay tree (I believe it came from B & Q and cost around £15) it was around about 20cm to begin with and there is enough leaves to keep us very happily satisfied, plus it's a lovely looking plant.  Also, isn't bay good as a companion plant?  I read that if I kept my bay next to my tomatoes it would keep the green fly at bay (do you see what I did there  :)) and so far this year (should i tempt fate?) not a single insect on my toms.  The price from Crocus seems like a good one, but how much is their delivery?

M.

[tim]

Do that, bupster!!

[Svea]

we have a couple of people on our allotment site with bay trees that are trying to take over the plots! :o
everyone is welcome to tkae as many leaves as they want, not plant their own as well. generous peeps, our lottie friends ;D

[Tulipa]

This is just the thread I needed!  I have been given a bay tree and was wondering what I needed to do with the leaves.  I gather I can just pick them fresh, do I use the same amount? 

And how do you freeze them Tim, do they need any treatment or just popped in the freezer?

And how would I dry them?

Grateful for any help.  Thanks.

[Looby Loo]

We're very lucky living here, our local park is full to the brim with bay trees and rosemary bushes, so we've always got a ready supply of both. (It's not really stealing is it? Anyway you should see our council tax bill, got to get something out of the blighters ;) ) If you do need to buy bay leaves, I suggest popping along to a chinese supermarket, Wing Yip for example sells big catering sized bags for a pound or so, Much cheaper than what you would pay in a regular supermarket.

[tim]

Freeze? Like curry or lime leaves - as they are. Suck out all the air as for anything else.

Dry? Low - or bottom in our AGA - oven. Or microwave in kitchen paper?

And drying quickly is great too for sage - crumbled with chopped walnuts over grilled goat's cheese with a walnut oil dressing.

Sorry - got carried away!!

[Tulipa]

Thanks Tim.  You can get carried away any time you like, I love reading your food postings.

[tim]

Forgot - the cheese is on a thick round of fried bread. Lots of salad. Masterchef 1992 recipe.

bupster - in the post!!

[BAGGY]

That sounds yummy Tim.
I got a bay tree from Wilkos.  It was 2.99 and about 20cm.  Now about 2 foot in old money.  (just realised went from metric to imperial - how strange is that ?)