Naturopathy With Laurel And Laurel Oil

Laurel oil is a traditional natural remedy, which is used more frequently in the Mediterranean region than in our country. Try it!

Laurel oil is highly aromatic and has traditionally been used as a natural remedy in the countries of origin of the laurel plant for generations.

Unfortunately, the benefits are being forgotten more and more, so that today we would like to introduce you to laurel as a spice and medicinal plant.

Laurel oil, then and now

Laurel oil does not initially look like an oil, but more like a cream or butter. The oil melts on the surface of the skin at around 30 ° C, which is why it has been used for rubs for generations.

To obtain it, the bay fruits are squeezed out. Laurel oil doesn’t necessarily look appetizing due to its slightly greenish color, but it smells soothing and has the same effect.

Traditionally, the oil is used to relieve ailments such as

• Bruises,
• Sprains,
• Joint pain and
• Bruising

to alleviate. Usually, however, it is not used in its pure form because it irritates the skin and can trigger allergies. In veterinary medicine, it helps against inflammation, for example on the cow’s udder.

The spicy scent of the oil is now also used to flavor liqueurs or other alcoholic beverages, as well as to give perfumes and other cosmetic products a tangy, tangy scent component.

Laurel oil is difficult to obtain in Germany. Try to order it from your local pharmacy.

Laurel: delicious and beneficial

Most of us only know bay leaves as greyish-green, bulky leaves that grandma cooked in soups and stews.

But only a few of us still use the leaf ourselves. But laurel has more to offer than its dried leaves!

In Europe, laurel only grows in the Mediterranean area because it is not really hardy.

Depending on the location, it can grow into a tree up to 10m high, but you will never succeed in this in the flower pot, so you don’t have to worry if you decide to take the evergreen plant with you.

The leaves contain essential oils that release the spicy, characteristic aroma when heated (for example in soup).

The fruits are fatty; they are used to make laurel oil, which can be used in a variety of ways.

Laurel ekes out a somewhat sad existence among the kitchen herbs. Have you used it already? Certainly very rarely! Give the green leaves a try:

Cooking tips for bay leaves

Don’t be afraid to try laurel and try everything you can season with it!

For example, if you cook boiled potatoes as a side dish to fish, you should try seasoning the potatoes’ cooking water with a bay leaf.

Cooking with bay leaves isn’t complicated, just keep the following things in mind:

• Bay leaves need liquid to develop their aroma. In all dishes that are only fried or baked in fat, the aroma of the leaves can develop poorly.
• The longer the cooking time of the dish, the better for the bay leaf ! If the cooking time is only short, you will therefore need more leaves to achieve the same flavorful result.

• The aroma develops optimally if you enlarge the surface of the leaf. So before cooking, tear it from the edge to the midrib so that it appears feathery and is only held together by the midrib.

Bay leaves also go well with other spices used in sweet cooking. Try it together with the following spices: cinnamon, vanilla, lemon, orange, nutmeg, …

Recipe ideas

Admittedly, you will not really think about using bay leaves to pickle cucumbers yourself and game dishes with bay leaves certainly do not belong on your table in everyday life.

But there are many ideas and variations on how you can use the spicy leaf in your everyday kitchen. You can use fresh or dried leaves, but the best flavor comes from fresh leaves.

• Laurel potatoes : cutting the raw potatoes long with a long slot and insert an entire bay leaf in the potato. Now cook the potatoes in the oven or steam and enjoy the spicy aroma with meat and fish!
• Spiced Tea : As mentioned earlier, the aroma of bay leaves goes well with cinnamon and vanilla. Mix your own spiced tea preparation from bay leaves, cinnamon stick and orange peel. Delicious!
• Spice oil : If you have a laurel tree, spice oil is a great gift idea: Fill a decorative glass bottle with a few fresh leaves and pour olive oil over them. The longer the oil pulls, the better!

• Meat dishes : The next time you roast schnitzel or chicken breast, cut up the meat beforehand, put a bay leaf in the resulting pocket and “sew” it up again with a toothpick. The wonderful aroma flows through the entire meat during cooking!