Properties of Bay Leaves

Description

• Bay leaves are about 1 to 3 inches long and are oval with pointed ends. The leaves are shiny with dark green tops and are a lighter green underneath.

Household Uses

• Bay leaf tea applied to the hair can eliminate dandruff. To make a rinse, boil a quart of water, the remove the pot from the stove and add about 3 teaspoons of crushed bay leaves. Cover the pot and steep until cool. Pour some in the hair after shampooing and rinsing, and massage into the head for a few minutes. For best results, leave it in for an hour before rewashing hair.

Cooking Properties

• Bay leaves add flavor to stews, soups and sauces. They are part of a favorite herbal combination called bouquet garni, along with parsley, thyme, sage and tarragon. Add just one leaf is to a pot of stew, but remove the leaf before eating. Bay leaves have a leathery disagreeable texture and strong bitter flavor and should not be consumed alone.

Medicinal Properties

• Bay relieves problems with digestion by causing the secretion of digestive juices. Add it to the bath to relieve soreness of muscle aches or arthritis; bay has a warming affect and loosens the muscles. The leaves can be boiled and made into a poultice to ease congestion and the cough of bronchitis.