Kitchen Wisdom: Grinding Bay Leaves

Kitchen Wisdom: Grinding Bay Leaves

Ever get a bay leaf stuck in your throat?  It can create a very suspenseful few minutes! In fact, it just happened to my brother a few days ago, when we attended a dinner party, and the hostess served soup (which was delicious, but she forgot to take out the offending leaf!) Boy, were we relieved when he finally coughed up the leaf –  just in the nick of time!

Lesson learned: Grind your bay leaves! I always urge my students and everyone around me to PLEASE grind their bay leaves, unless you can find them already ground (try a Latin or Indian grocery store.) A spice grinder or food processor will do a great job in seconds: Go ahead and grind lots of it, and store in a bone-dry glass jar.  Not only does the spice disperse much better in your dish, but you don’t have the pesky task of fishing out the leaves: It’s a little bit of kitchen wisdom!

6 replies
  1. Anonymous
    Anonymous says:

    There’s a simpler solution: put the bay leaves, along with the onion, bones, dill, etc. etc., in a mesh cooking bag.

  2. Pessy
    Pessy says:

    I Dont know where it is but im alive and breathing….
    I never thought of ground bay leaf. Great idea! Should i use the rule “a little bit goes a long way?”

  3. Pessy
    Pessy says:

    Hey levana! Oh my god! Theres a bayleaf stuck in my throat! I
    Googled bay leaf stuck throat and found this :)

    Im kinda nervous. It was a broken piece and it wont go down but nor will it come up. Yikes!!

    • Lévana
      Lévana says:

      Pessy Oh no! this is why I ALWAYS grind bay leaf! Please tell me asap if you were able to get rid of it. It’s a most unpleasant feeling! xoxoxoxo

  4. Tsofis Mom
    Tsofis Mom says:

    I cannot believe someone would forget to take out the leaves!! Thank god your brother is okay =)

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