Bay leaves give tomato sauce a special flavor profile, allowing all the other spices to develop with synergy and complexity, providing a subtle depth of flavor.
I LOVE bay leaves in soups too, and can immediately tell the difference when I neglect to add them to the pot.
A while back I planted my very own Bay Laurel tree so that I’d never run out.
I learned that bay leaves offer benefits as herbal remedies, too, as well as value in smudging like we do with sage.
Bay leaf tea is used to treat stomachaches, colds, and a sore throat.
A poultice of bay leaves is used for the treatment of rheumatism and neuralgia (Goodrich et al., 1980).https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
Bay leaf tea is alleged to lower blood sugar, can eliminate bad cholesterol, and relieves the body of triglycerides..
Bay leaf protects the heart as it contains cardiovascular protective compounds. It’s rich in acids such as caffeic acid, quercetin, eigonol, and bartolinide, substances that are thought to prevent the formation of cancer cells in the body.
It eliminates insomnia and anxiety, and if taken before bed, helps you relax and sleep peacefully.
I’ve started drinking a cup of bay leaf tea twice a day, along with my everpresent ginger tea.
A simple soothing Bay Leaf Tea to boost immune function:
- 4-5 dried bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick (or 1 tsp ground cinnamon)
- About 32 ounces of water
- Add leaves and cinnamon to the water and simmer for about 20 minutes. Drink hot or chilled.
Enchanted Seashells by Princess Rosebud 
I’m so glad I read this today. I love to make soup and never thought to add a bay leaf. Growing up there was a recipe or two that called for bay leaves, but I never appreciated what they brought to what I made (and of course I can’t remember what it would have been). This past year I began buying locally made soap (I used to make my own but haven’t had enough energy for a while), and I’ve discovered that one of my favorites is bay. I absolutely love showering up with a bar of soap scented with bay essential oil.
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I should have added that it’s cleansing as a smudge, like sage. How cool you make soap!
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Thanks. I love scents and learned to make soap when my son was little. A major creative outlet for a decade.
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I’ve added bay to my favorite smells, along with palo santo, neroli, and sage. Lavender doesn’t really do it for me.
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I picked up some new bay leaves today in the bulk spice area of my grocery store. They were so light in the little baggie that the scale wouldn’t register any weight – even when I threw them on it. It was a self check out, so I called for help. The cashier ended up putting them in my bag, wishing me a merry Christmas, and not charging for them!
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That’s amazing, what a gift! If you make soap, let me know!(I’m gonna try that too haha)
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