2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Bay leaf is an irreplaceable assistant in the preparation of a huge number of delicious dishes. With its addition, delicious soups are cooked, fragrant second courses are prepared and wonderful homemade preparations are made. Does everyone know how to store it correctly? If you want to keep lavrushka as long as possible, you need to learn a few of the most important rules for storing it
How much can you store?
On packages with a fragrant bay leaf, you can often see a wide variety of storage periods - for some manufacturers this period is nine months, while for others it is already four years. Nevertheless, in accordance with GOST, the collection time and packaging time can be separated by a period of nine months, and then the packed bay leaf can be stored for another year. Accordingly, when purchasing a spicy lavrushka, it is important not to be lazy and pay attention to both terms. And the less the run-up between them, the better.
Of course, you can hardly get poisoned with expired bay leaves, but dishes with its addition are unlikely to please with their wonderful taste and aroma - expired bay leaves often give them only strong bitterness.
By the way, expired leaves are very easy to recognize by their color - a light olive matte color with a pleasant silver tint changes in this case to an unsightly and dull brownish one. In addition, such leaves can be painted in rusty tones or brown with a slight copper tint. And they also crumble and break without much difficulty.
How to store?
To prevent your favorite spices from losing their valuable taste and aromatic properties, it is important to know that they are extremely adversely affected by excessive air circulation and heat, as well as daylight and humidity. Among other things, they almost instantly absorb various extraneous odors. It is unacceptable to store several open packages with various spices side by side, and even more so to pour them into one container, otherwise their wonderful aroma may become unrecognizable.
Ideally, bay leaves should be stored in dark, dry corners, where the air humidity is no more than 75%, and the temperature in them is constantly kept in the range from ten to fifteen degrees. It is best to place the lavrushka in a separate pantry.
In the absence of a pantry, you can put the bay leaf in the refrigerator. It is perfectly acceptable to store it in tightly closed drawers or kitchen cabinets. And if you plan to store the lavrushka on an open shelf, then it must be folded into an opaque container.
As for the window sills or shelves located next to or above the stove, they are absolutely not suitable for storing your favorite spice.
Containers intended for storing bay leaves must be sealed. The most suitable will be tin, porcelain or glass jars with very tight-fitting lids. However, simple jars for preservation will also work. Lovers of compact storage will suit vacuum packaging equipped with a reusable zipper, and those who want to use linen bags need to know that they are suitable only for storage in the pantry, since they perfectly let not only heat, but also moisture pass through.
It is only necessary to remove the bay leaf from the packaging with dry hands - otherwise it will not be stored for a long time even in the most ideal conditions.
Keeping fresh bay leaves
It makes sense to store a fresh bay leaf only if it was harvested in winter (more precisely, from November to February) - at this time the concentration of essential oils and all kinds of useful substances reaches its maximum. The leaves collected in winter not only guarantee a wonderful aroma and incredibly pleasant taste, but will also be very beneficial for health.
Before sending fresh leaves for storage, they must be inspected for visible flaws, as well as dirt and dust. Then they are washed with cool water and dried for a while in the shade. And you can tie the leaves into miniature bunches and hang them either under a canopy on the street (of course, in warm and dry weather), or in rooms with excellent air circulation. Another option is to spread them out for a couple of days with a thin layer on a piece of fabric. And after that, all the leaves are packed in airtight bags and sent to the freezer.
Recommended:
Violet From The Cutting: Breeding Rules
The violet can be propagated in many ways. One of the simplest and fastest is the separation and rooting of the leaf cuttings. However, it is this method that causes many complaints, because at the stage of rooting, the stalk often rots and causes disappointment for indoor floriculture lovers. What you need to know to avoid such a result, and reproduction pleased with the rapid development of the bush, as well as the multiple flowering of this exquisite and delicate plant?
Organic Fertilizers: Basic Rules Of Use
Growing a rich crop without the use of organic fertilizers, especially on poor or depleted soils, will be extremely problematic. This natural wealth is extremely unattractive in appearance, but its properties are in many ways superior to those of artificial counterparts. They contain all the nutrients required by plants, improve the quality of the soil and improve its structure, and also raise the level of carbon dioxide required for garden crops in the ground. Moreover, it was noticed that the presence of organic fertilizers
Chanterelles Are Different. Growing Rules
In a huge family of mushrooms, the chanterelle stands out for its ecological purity, is valued for its beneficial properties and is never wormy. We offer you to get to know these mushrooms better, as chanterelles are different - there are more than 60 species. Let's talk about the most common and how to grow them
How To Grow Clematis: 6 Rules
It is not difficult to grow a clematis bush if you know some of the nuances. I will tell you how to choose a seedling, where it is better to plant it, what soil to use. Here are the details about leaving
Basic Rules For Decorating Flower Beds
It is difficult to find a suburban area without flowers, they give individuality, pleasing to the eye. Consider the rules for placing plants, the most spectacular forms for decorating flower beds
