Q&A for How to Dry Bay Leaves

Yes, you can, but you need to dry them on a low temperature, or use the drying mode on your oven if your model has one.

That's not a good method for drying them.

Yes, in a way. You should blanch them in boiling water to remove the slippery film off the leaf before drying.

Depending on your oven and the level of humidity where you live, it could take anywhere from 1 to 4 hours. That's why it's important to check on the leaves after the 1 hour mark and each 30 minutes to 1 hour after that.

While slight curling is natural during the drying process, you might try lowering the heat so they don't dry as quickly. Also, make sure that you're harvesting healthy bay leaves because if they're dry, weakened, or thinned from the get-go, they'll be more likely to curl up when exposed to heat.

When you're harvesting herbs, it's best to leave most of the plant alone so it can survive. That means, don't pick more than 1/3rd of the leaves off of a plant. You can pick leaves from the top or bottom (but the bottom is known to have more flavorful leaves due to lots of natural oils). As for black spots, you're right—aphids and mites could be causing sooty mold to grow on the leaf. It's best to harvest leaves that don't have any black spots.

If the bay leaves are dried, you can store them in an airtight container for up to 3 years. However, their flavor and scent will start to fade over time. Fresh bay leaves can be stored in a plastic bag in your refrigerator for up to a week.

Yes, you can store fresh bay leaves in your freezer. Place them in a sealed plastic bag or a closed container and place them in the deepest section of your freezer. They can be stored for up to 3 months and can be added directly to a dish to flavor it.

Use a large baking sheet and cover it with a single layer of paper towels. Spread the bay leaves out onto the paper towels so they aren't layered or touching each other. Then, place the sheet in a warm, dry location out of direct sunlight. After a week, flip the leaves over and let them dry for another week. If they still aren't fully dried, wait another week.