Should You Wash Bay Leaves Before Adding Them to Soup: Here's What a Chef Should Do
Bay leaf is a very popular spice. It helps make the soup taste brighter and more interesting.
Bay leaves can be added not only to first courses. A couple of leaves can be put in a saucepan with dumplings.
The main thing is to extract the spice in time. The bay leaf should not remain in the dish for a long time, otherwise it will become too bitter.
In addition, many cooks have a question: “Do I need to wash bay leaves before adding them to a particular dish?”
And some gourmets don’t even think about it and simply throw the “unprocessed” leaves into the pan.
What experienced cooks do
Before cooking, experienced housewives and cooks at least pour water over the bay leaves.
More often, they wash the spice well or even pour boiling water over it.
The necessity of this action is not explained by any “taste” reasons: preliminary washing is unlikely to help add a new aroma or remove bitterness.
However, the procedure helps to rid the bay leaf of dirt.
Small solid particles and dangerous microorganisms are removed from the surface of the spice.
The bay leaf becomes clean. In this form, it can be safely added to the broth.
As a result, the dish will be delicious. And you don't have to worry about any dirt getting into the food.
