Packaging: 15g (also available in 150g, 300g, and 1kg) which contains the leaves of the organic bay.
(The price includes VAT.)

Other Names: Bay, Laurel, Bay Tree, and Bay Leaf.

Properties:

• Improves digestion.
• Helps with colic and gas in the intestines.
• Ideal for relaxation before sleep.
• Supports regular menstruation in women.
• Relieves rheumatic and arthritic pain (for rinses).
• Aids in injuries, sprains, and bruises.
• Effective for scabies (for rinses).
• Helps with hair loss, strengthens hair, and treats dandruff (for rinses).

Additionally, organic bay leaves are widely used in cooking for sauces, stews (such as beef stew, lentils, and cuttlefish), and pair well with meats (such as pork chops, beef, chicken, etc.) as well as fish (such as sea bream and sardines). For those who enjoy the subtle aroma of bay leaves, they can also make a wonderful liqueur.

If you like our organic bay leaves, check out other products we prepare with bay leaves, such as: Vegeta, fish spice mix, hair base oil, bay leaf oil, organic bay essential oil, muscle recovery and cold salve, and essential oil blend for creativity.

Origin: Greece, Imathia region (cultivated).

Storage: Keep in a dark and cool place (5°C – 15°C).

Preparation:

Add 1 tablespoon of dried organic bay leaves (or 3-4 leaves) to a covered container, pour in 1 cup of boiling water, let steep for 10-15 minutes, and strain before use. For rinses, prepare the above tea in a more concentrated dose of 50-60g in 1 liter of water.

Cooking Recipes with Bay Leaves:

(1). Cuttlefish with Pasta
Ingredients: (for 4 - 6 servings)

• 1 bay leaf
• Cinnamon
• Rosemary
• Cloves
• Salt
• Pepper
• Dried parsley
• Pomegranate seeds
• 1 cup cuttlefish ink, filtered
• 800g fresh cuttlefish, cut into strips
• 1 package No. 6 pasta
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 200g olive oil
• 300g strong vinegar
• 1 coffee cup of grape molasses

Instructions:
Boil salted water in a pot. When it boils, add the pasta and stir continuously for 10 minutes. In another pan, heat the oil, sauté the onion, add the pepper and cuttlefish, and stir until softened. Deglaze with vinegar, add a bit of warm water, and mix in the pasta. Add the cuttlefish ink, spices, and molasses, and simmer on low until thickened. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and dried parsley.

(2). Penne with Mince and Béchamel in the Oven
Ingredients: (for 4 - 6 servings)

• 1 package penne pasta
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 250g grated Emmental cheese

For the Bolognese sauce:

• 400g minced beef
• 7 slices of bacon, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1 glass white wine
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon tomato paste
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and pepper

For the béchamel:

• 3 cups warm milk
• 3 tablespoons margarine
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/3 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil for greasing the baking dish

For garnish:

• Dried parsley and grated Parmesan cheese.

Instructions:
Bolognese sauce: In a pot, heat oil and sauté the mince for 4-5 minutes. Add the onions, celery, and bacon, and sauté for about 5 minutes. Deglaze with wine and let it evaporate. Add diluted tomato paste, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 35-40 minutes.
Béchamel: In a pot, melt margarine, add flour, and stir continuously with a wooden spoon. Gradually add milk, nutmeg, salt, and pepper, stirring until it thickens.
Cook pasta in salted water with olive oil for 4-5 minutes and drain. In a greased baking dish, layer half the pasta, cover with meat sauce, add the remaining pasta, spread béchamel on top, sprinkle with Emmental, and bake at 180°C for about 30 minutes. Serve garnished with parsley and Parmesan.

(3). Mano a Mano (Cuban)
Preparation: 10 minutes, Cooking: 40 minutes
Ingredients: (for 6 servings)

• 1 can red beans, drained
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 10 slices of bacon
• 1 large onion, grated
• 1 tablespoon garlic
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 4 sausages, sliced
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 cups cooked rice
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon rum

Instructions:
Heat oil and sauté bacon. Add onion, garlic, and tomato. After 5 minutes, add cumin, paprika, bay leaves, beans, sausages, and sugar. Pour in broth and simmer on low heat for ½ hour. Stir in rice, drizzle with rum, mix, and serve.

(4). Fillet with Mushrooms and Bay
Preparation: 5 minutes, Cooking: 12 minutes
Ingredients: (for 4 servings)

• 4 beef fillets
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon garlic
• 16 fresh mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• 1 cup wild mushrooms
• ⅓ cup brandy
• ¾ cup bay leaf wine
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt
• Pepper

Instructions:
Soak mushrooms in boiling water for 20 minutes. Heat olive oil in a pan, sear fillets for 1 minute on each side. Add onion and garlic, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Deglaze with brandy, add both types of mushrooms, bay leaf, thyme, and nutmeg. Season and simmer until sauce thickens. Serve with mashed potatoes or vegetables.

(5). Lentil Soup
Ingredients: (for 4 - 6 servings)

• ½ kg lentils
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons garlic
• 1 - 2 bay leaves
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 coffee cup olive oil
• Salt, pepper

Instructions:
Clean lentils, boil in a pot with enough water to cover. After 1-2 boils, drain and rinse. Put back in pot with enough water, adding onions, garlic, tomatoes, bay leaf, and pepper. Simmer for about 45 minutes, adding oil and salt 15 minutes before done. Serve hot with additional olive oil and vinegar if desired.

(6). Chicken Soup with Vegetables and Trahanas for Colds
Ingredients: (for 4-6 servings)

• 1 small whole chicken
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 leek, sliced
• ½ red bell pepper, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, sliced
• 1 onion, sliced
• 4-5 tablespoons sweet trahana
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt, pepper, ginger, allspice

Instructions:
Boil chicken in plenty of water with a bay leaf and allspice. Remove meat, keep broth. In a pot, sauté vegetables in olive oil. Once golden, add broth. When boiling, add trahana and season. Simmer for 20-25 minutes. Add chicken and serve hot.

(7). Koliou Plaki
Ingredients: (for 4 servings)

• 4 koliou fish
• 2 large onions
• 2 large tomatoes
• 1 green bell pepper
• Hot pepper or chili flakes
• 1-2 tablespoons garlic
• 1 cup olive oil
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• Salt

Instructions:
Clean fish, salt, and place in a baking dish. Chop onions and peppers, grate tomatoes. Heat oil, sauté onions, add garlic, tomatoes, salt, and simmer until thickened. Pour over fish and bake at 200°C for about 15 minutes.

(8). Fish Soup with Ray Head
Preparation: 1 hour, Waiting: 1 hour, Cooking: 1 hour + 15 minutes
Ingredients: (for 4 servings) For the broth:

• 2 ray heads, about 3 kg (or 1 large head)
• ● 40ml olive oil
• ● 6 tablespoons garlic
• ● 150g onion, chopped
• ● 100g carrots, grated
• ● 70g celery, grated
• ● 100g canned tomatoes, chopped
• ● 750ml dry white wine
• ● 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  ● 1 bay leaf
  ● 15 grains of white pepper
  ● 2 pieces of star anise
  
  For the soup
  ● 250 gr. carrots, organic, cut into small cubes
  ● 200 gr. fennel, cut into small cubes
  ● 250 gr. potatoes, organic, cut into small cubes, put in cold water until ready to use so they don't turn black
  ● 1/2 bunch of myrtle tied with string (if you can't find it, add dried parsley)
  ● 2 tsp. soup spoon fresh, chopped or dry chives
  ● Salt, freshly ground white pepper
  ● Olive oil and lemon juice, for garnish (optional)
  
  Procedure:
  Broth: In a large pot, saute the onion, carrot, celery and garlic in olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes until the vegetables are soft, but not colored.
  Add the tomato and after 1 minute the heads of the pikeperch and the wine.
  Turn up the heat and wait for the wine to start boiling. Once it boils for 2 minutes, pour enough water to cover the fish well and add the bay leaf, thyme, pepper and star anise.
  As soon as the broth starts to boil, lower the heat and simmer (you should see very few and "gentle" bubbles) for 30 minutes. If we use 1 large fish head, we will need to boil it for about 45 minutes.
  
  Attention: Even before the broth starts to boil, we have to start skimming, which we will continue throughout the boiling of the fish. By the way, the skimming should not be done with a slotted spoon, but with a small serving spoon and we should be careful to remove only the foam.
  As soon as the broth is done, pull the pot off the heat and leave it like that for 1 hour. With a slotted spoon, remove the heads from the pot and keep them covered in a fireproof bowl. With the ladle we also collect the vegetables from the broth and throw them away and then strain the broth with a very fine strainer (it should be very fine like a tea strainer - if we don't have one, line a strainer with a tulip) into another pot.
  
  Soup: Put the pot with the broth on the fire and add the potatoes. After boiling for 15 minutes, add the carrots and boil for another 5 minutes, then add the fennel and the bunch of myrtle and boil for another 3 minutes. While the vegetables are boiling, we continue peeling.
  We remove the pot from the heat, season our soup with salt and pepper and if we like it, add a little lemon juice and a little raw olive oil. Remove and discard the myron and add the chives.
  At this point, we can remove the heads and add their meat to the soup. It is better, however, to heat the head for a while in the oven, season it with salt and pepper and enjoy it separately. He is a great midget.
  Serve the soup and accompany it with warm toasted bread.
  
  (9). Mushrooms with sweet potato puree
  
  Materials (for 4-6 people):
  For the mushrooms
  ● 1/2 kilo of onions
  ● 2 lemons, their juice
  ● 2 bay leaves
  ● A little dried parsley and dill
  ● Salt
  ● Pepper
  ● 3/4 kg of mushrooms
  ● 1/2 teaspoon oil
  ● 1/2 cup of white wine
  
  For the mash
  ● 8 sweet potatoes
  ● 100 grams of butter
  ● 1 to 2 cups of warm milk (as needed)
  ● Salt
  ● Pepper
  
  Procedure:
  For the mushrooms: Clean and wash the onions.
  Pour the oil into a pot and saute the onions
  Add the lemon juice, wine and a cup of hot water.
  Add our spices and pepper and let it boil for about 20 minutes.
  Add the mushrooms and cook for another 15 minutes or so.
  Season with salt and pepper.
  
  For the puree: Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into 3 cm cubes. Place them in a saucepan with plenty of salted water and boil them, cleaning the foam from the surface. We take them out until they are tender, around 25 minutes and drain them.
  Place the sweet potatoes in a bowl and slowly add the butter, milk, salt and pepper. Puree with the puree press or with a fork and serve the puree hot.