Why are bay leaves used whole and then removed rather than crushed up like other spices?
Recently when making a 5-bean-stew "kit" my son finely crushed up the bay leaves and added them to the other spices, rather than adding them whole to be removed after cooking.
When I pointed out his error, he asked me why bay leaves were different than the other spices.
NOTE: I have read the answers to this question and they all address the risk of not removing a whole bay leaf but not why you couldn't just grind it up.)
Best Answer
Dried bay is sometimes left in, for example this herb mix from Schwartz includes bay leaves (at less than 3%).
Dried they can easily be crushed and added as a powder, but you don't often want a lot of dried bay as the flavour can be quite overpowering.
I only use fresh bay as I have a plant outside the kitchen door and it's evergreen. Fresh, I have been known to get them fine enough to leave them in, but it's much less effort to just use them whole, perhaps slightly folded or torn (without tearing them into pieces). To leave them in you really need to make a paste or of them, using a blender/food processor (except you generally wouldn't be using enough for them to blend well). Pieces of fresh bay leaf are rather tough and prone to getting stuck in teeth, but fresh bay has a better flavour than dried.
Unlike many herbs, you don't have to put in any extra effort to prepare them for removal - they're tough and obvious, so no tying sprigs or little bags.
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Quick Answer about "Why are bay leaves used whole and then removed rather than crushed up like other spices?"
So, because swallowing a bay leaf is liable to cause esophageal discomfort and/or injury, most recipes call for them to be used whole and then discarded.Why are bay leaves removed?
Main reason to remove them Technically, they can be eaten. However, their very rigid and leathery leaves don't soften with cooking, and their edges can even be sharp. Thus, they can present a choking hazard if you swallow them.Do you put bay leaves in whole?
Cooking With Bay LeavesSimply add the whole dried leaf to the recipe and take out once the dish is finished cooking. If using the fresh, California bay leaves, add half of the amount called for (which may mean tearing a leaf in half).Why are bay leaves crushed?
Crushed bay leaves impart more fragrance than whole leaves, but are more difficult to remove and thus they are often used in a muslin bag or tea infuser. Ground bay laurel may be substituted for whole leaves and does not need to be removed, but it is much stronger.Why do chefs use bay leaves?
When the herb is infused into water, broth, or another cooking liquid, an almost minty flavor (somewhere between spearmint and menthol) develops, with subtle hints of black pepper and Christmas tree pine. They add a subtle bitterness that keeps heavy soups and stews from being so, well, heavy.Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Porapak Apichodilok, Nikolett Emmert, Pixabay, Tom Fisk