Can You Grind Bay Leaves? -

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Bay leaves are one of the essentials in making homemade spices. It is mostly used whole to add aroma to special meals. Perhaps you are wondering if you can use Bay leaf in a powdery form other than the whole form widely used by chefs.

So, Can you grind bay leaves?” Yes, you can grind bay leaves. This is advisable, to prevent anyone from choking on them.

Grinding it will still give you the same aroma and taste you want in your meal. You can either get the already ground bay leaf at the mart, or you can make it for yourself at home.

However, grinding Bay leaves at home can be a bit hard as the leaves are dried. Having known that you can grind your Bay leaves, let’s discuss how you can grind these leaves at your convenience.

How to grind bay leaves

As aforementioned, you can grind your bay leaves at your convenience, you also have to heed a few steps as the entire process can be a bit tricky. Below are the materials and steps you’d need to grind your bay leaves;

Materials

Spice grinder or food processor or coffee grinder.
Whole bay leaves.
Glass jar.
Spoon.

Step 1

Bring out your grinder. Nb- do not use water to rinse the grinder, but you can use a dry towel to clean the dust in it.

Step 2

Cut off the stem from the bay leaves, so that they will fill your grinder adequately.

Step 3

Add your grinder’s lid and start grinding the bay leaves. Do not leave the grinder working continuously. Turn on and off while grinding, then grind until the leaves are in powdery form.

Step 4

Use a spoon to scoop the ground bay leaves into an empty glass jar, then, store the jar in a cool and dry place (at room temperature).

NB– you can use the ground bay leaves within six months.

How do I use ground bay leaves

You can use ground bay leaves as much as you use the whole bay leaf. The ground bay leaves are much better when you use them in your meal, so you won’t have to fish out the leaves when you are done cooking. Also, it would prevent you from choking up on the leaves while eating as stated earlier.

Ground bay leaves give you the aroma and taste the whole bay leaves would provide. In my opinion, the ground bay leaves mix up with other spices and herbs in your dish and provide a better aroma than the whole bay leaf.

You can use the ground bay leaves in sauces, soups, purée, roast chicken, juice, and fish recipes. So, make your ground bay leaves to make cooking easier and fun.

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What are the benefits of using bay leaves in cooking?

Bay leaves are not ordinary leaves, they are cellulose providing a beneficial amount of oil needed in your meal.

They have a lot of benefits when you add them to your meal either ground or whole. It also has health benefits. Let’s take a look at those benefits.

Protein

When you add one tablespoon of bay leaf to your meal, it will provide you with 0.1g.

Fats

The amount of fat bay leaf provides is 0.2g per spoon which isn’t inundated.

Carbohydrates

When you use the whole bay leaf, the carbohydrate would not be consumed, but when you use the ground bay leaf, the carbohydrate will be absorbed as it has mixed with other spices.

However, the carb in bay leaves is sophisticated – high fiber and very low sugar. You get 1.4g of carbohydrate per spoon or leaf.

Calories

The calories in the bay leaf are about 6 which are not ingested when removed from the meal.

Vitamins and minerals

Bay leaf has essential minerals such as iron, magnesium, and also vitamin C and A. You get 0.8g of iron when you ingest the bay leaves which is very important to the body.

The name of the type of iron is non-heme. If your dish has vitamin C, it will be easier to absorb the kind of iron in bay leaves.

You’d get 2.2g of magnesium in bay leaves when you absorb them. Magnesium helps the bones, muscles, strengths, and other things in the body. The vitamin A in the bay leaf helps your vision, reproduction, and immune system.

Offer antioxidants to the body

Bay leaf contains antioxidants that help your body. These antioxidants safeguard from stress as a result of free revolutionaries. Bay leaf also has two different types of phytonutrients such as proanthocyanidins and flavonoids.

Protects against bacteria and other microbial

Another health benefit of bay leaves includes protection against microbial and bacteria. Also, protection from other foodborne diseases.

It harmonies cholesterol levels

Bay level can also decrease the chance of the bad cholesterol level and increase better cholesterol.

What can I use to grind my bay leaves?

There are a few types of kitchen appliances you can use to grind your bay leaves. Below are those kitchen appliances.

Mortar and pestle

Mortar and pestle are old methods of grinding spice and herbs. Though these tools are old, they are still effective. The only reason why some people don’t like using these tools is that they’d have to use their strength to grind.

Spice grinder

Just like its name, it can be used to grind any kind of Spice in a powdery form including herbs. You can use this kitchen tool to grind your whole bay leaves.

Food processor

A food processor is similar to a blender but stronger and more efficient. The attachments added to a food processor are strong and can be used in the making of different recipes, so, just the way a spice grinder will grind your spice, you can use your food processor to do the same task.

Coffee grinder

The coffee grinder can be used for more than one task. It’s worth your purchase. You can use a coffee grinder to grind both herbs and spice, including bay leaves.

FAQs

Can you eat bay leaves?

Of course, you can eat bay leaves. However, they can be quite tough and in the form of leather that can’t melt even if you boil it.

The rims of the leaf are pointed and can get you choked up if you swallow them. This is one reason why people choose to grind the bay leaves to prevent any form of choking.

Also, there won’t be the need to fish out the whole leaf after grinding. Ground bay leaves also provide the same aroma and taste when you use the whole bay leaf to cook.

Can bay leaves be used for tea?

Yes, bay leaves can be used for tea. Bay leaves are not just used for cooking, but also tea. It adds a huge benefit to your health when used for tea. Bay leaf has a wide range of uses which includes using it as tea. You can also add your favorite extract to it.

A glass of bay leaf tea is very soothing. Also, the aroma of a bay leaf tea releases a calm feeling in the nerves. Bay leaf tea usually has a very delicious feel when used as a recipe ingredient for tea.

Do bay leaves help in weight loss?

Yes, bay leaves help in weight loss. If you are desperate to lose some weight, there’s a need for you to have a good metabolism you can absorb daily to help you scorch calories, so, drinking bay leaf extract is one way to boost your system’s metabolism and scorch the calories easier. Below is how you can use the bay leaf to lose weight.

Scoop the bay leaves with your hands.
Put them in a pot of water on the gas and let it boil, then, add the bay leaves into the boiling water.
Use a spoon to mix the leaves and water for at least 10 seconds. Proceed to turn off the gas.
Use your sieve to separate the water and leaves. Then, let the water sit for some minutes till it’s warm.
Use a tablespoon to scoop the honey into the bay leaf water.
You should drink every day if you need to lose weight fast.