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wrote:
> Katra wrote:
> > Ok, I know this is really going to make me sound ignorant, but my
mom
> > almost never used bay leaves and I did learn to cook mostly from
> her....
> > <snip>
> >
> > I understand you use them whole because you need to remove
> > them when you are done as they are toxic if eaten???
>
> This is just a footnote to the discussion of bay leaves. I happened
to
> be reading one of my cookbooks, and in an index where various herbs
and
> spices were discussed, the author wrote that for "Stuffings: Crush a
> bay leaf and add to stuffings for fish, pork or poultry". So if
you're
> still worried about bay leaves (the ones used for cooking) being
> toxic....
>
> Mac

Bay leaf is NOT toxic. But they do *not* soften during cooking and
have very sharp edges which can and will slice flesh like a razor blade
and can and do become lodged in the throat and/or aspirated causing
asphixiation. Do NOT ever "crush" bay leaves directly into a recipe...
use whole or powdered only... and when used whole count how many you
put in (write it down) and be certain to retrieve same prior to
serving. Whenever possible contain bay leaves securely by tieing in a
cloth or place in a metal infuser... when placing bay leaves directly
into a pot choose only those fully intact, not damaged... save the
broken ones for the infuser.

I use a lot of bay leaves. I buy my bay leaves from Penzeys by the
pound (there're a lot of leaves in a pound). The last batch they sent
contained what I thought were an excessive number of broken ones, which
I did ask they replace, indeed they were.

Sheldon