Laurel

[jackb]

A few years ago my wife brought two 6" pots of Laurel (bay leaf) home from the Farmer's Market and said she has always wanted a Laurel plant. I treat them like a house plant and place them outdoors for the summer and bring them in for the winter. At the end of the summer I prune the plants back, and we save and dry the leaves for cooking. Today at the market I priced a small packet of bay leave at just under three dollars, but, the unit price was listed at $9.96 per OUNCE! They are attractive, easy to care for and sure worth growing.

 

[lesa]

Very interesting! I will keep my eyes out for a plant!

 

[thistlebloom]

Jack, do you know what kind of Laurel, or do all laurels make bay leaves?
That sounds like a dumb question on re reading it but I don't know how else to phrase it. I have access to Schipka and Otto Luken which are prunus laurocerasus ( or more commonly English Laurel ). Would they work?

 

[jackb]

Jack, do you know what kind of Laurel, or do all laurels make bay leaves?
That sounds like a dumb question on re reading it but I don't know how else to phrase it. I have access to Schipka and Otto Luken which are prunus laurocerasus ( or more commonly English Laurel ). Would they work?

I am not sure if they are edible. You probably should do some research before you cook with them. Here are the edible ones I found:

Wikipedia:

"
"Bay leaf (plural bay leaves) refers to the aromatic leaf of the bay laurel (Laurus nobilis, Lauraceae). Fresh or dried bay leaves are used in cooking for their distinctive flavor and fragrance. The leaves are often used to flavor soups, stews, braises and pts in Mediterranean cuisine. The fresh leaves are very mild and do not develop their full flavor until several weeks after picking and drying."

California bay leaf - the leaf of the California bay tree (Umbellularia californica), also known as California laurel, Oregon myrtle, and pepperwood, is similar to the Mediterranean bay, but has a stronger flavor.
Indian bay leaf (also tej pat, tejpat, tejpata तेजपत्ता or Tamalpatra तमालपत्र or Biryani aaku or Bagaara aaku or Palav aaku in Telugu or Punnai ilai in Tamil or Daalchini ದಾಲ್ಚೀನಿ in Kannada)
Indonesian bay leaf or Indonesian laurel (salam leaf) - the leaf of Syzygium polyanthum is not commonly found outside of Indonesia; this herb is applied to meat and, less often vegetables. Like Indian bay leaf, it is also inaccurately named because the plant is actually a member of the Myrtaceae family.[2]
In appearance, the leaf of the Cinnamomum tejpata (malabathrum) tree is similar to the other bay leaves, but is culinarily quite different, having a fragrance and taste similar to cinnamon (cassia) bark, but milder. In culinary terms, it is misleading to call it bay leaf because it is of a genus other than that of the bay laurel tree, it does not taste the same as the bay laurel leaf, and cannot be used in cooking as a substitute for the bay laurel leaf.

 

[Southern Gardener]

jackb, your bays are beautiful! Laurus nobilis is on my list of herbs that I plan to get in the spring. Here is what my Southern Herb Growing books says; Do not confuse it with the so-called California bay, or California laurel (Umbellularia californica) which is a much larger tree with some similar characteristics but which is not a true laurel. Maturre laurus nobilis plants are hardy to about 15 degrees. I plan on potting a couple to put around my herb beds.

 

[jackb]

jackb, your bays are beautiful! Laurus nobilis is on my list of herbs that I plan to get in the spring. Here is what my Southern Herb Growing books says; Do not confuse it with the so-called California bay, or California laurel (Umbellularia californica) which is a much larger tree with some similar characteristics but which is not a true laurel. Maturre laurus nobilis plants are hardy to about 15 degrees. I plan on potting a couple to put around my herb beds.

At $9.96 an ounce it is almost like a 401k......

 

[thistlebloom]

Well thanks guys. I did a quick google and English Laurel is poisonous (leaves) but the little cherries are edible.
I guess I wont harvest any of those!

 

[Southern Gardener]

jackb, your bays are beautiful! Laurus nobilis is on my list of herbs that I plan to get in the spring. Here is what my Southern Herb Growing books says; Do not confuse it with the so-called California bay, or California laurel (Umbellularia californica) which is a much larger tree with some similar characteristics but which is not a true laurel. Maturre laurus nobilis plants are hardy to about 15 degrees. I plan on potting a couple to put around my herb beds.

At $9.96 an ounce it is almost like a 401k......

no kidding!

thistle, Mountain Valley Growers has 3" pots for $6.25 each.

 

[thistlebloom]

Thanks Southern'

 

[ninnymary]

wow Jackb, those are alot of laurel leaves you harvested. You said your plants are a couple years old, do you know how many exactly? Do they grow slow or fast? I wonder if they would do well here in the bay area.

Mary