Buying Dried Ingredients Online: Legumes, Fruit, Grains, Herbs, Spices, etc.

[weinoo]

WIKI:

Bay laurel (Laurus nobilis, Lauraceae). Fresh or dried bay leaves are used in cooking for their distinctive flavor and fragrance. The leaves are often used to flavor soups, stews, braises andpâtés in Mediterranean cuisine. The fresh leaves are very mild and do not develop their full flavor until several weeks after picking and drying...

If you find fresh bay laurel leaves, please let us know.

[qrn]

WIKI:

Bay laurel (Laurus nobilis, Lauraceae). Fresh or dried bay leaves are used in cooking for their distinctive flavor and fragrance. The leaves are often used to flavor soups, stews, braises andpâtés in Mediterranean cuisine. The fresh leaves are very mild and do not develop their full flavor until several weeks after picking and drying...

If you find fresh bay laurel leaves, please let us know.

they are easy to grow in a pot in the window,I just took a cutting off the one I have had for many years and am in the process of rooting it so i will have 2 plants...they are much better fresh,by the way,,,,Bud

[HungryC]

Fresh mediterranean bay laurel is a common enough plant....I have one in a pot and one in the ground. Fresh leaves are sold at the farmers market too. But bay laurel is the common name of two different plants. California bay (umbellularia something or other) that is a different species from the Mediterranean bay laurel (laurus nobilis), right? I and many others in the SE US grow it as a culinary ornamental.

Edited February 23, 2013 by HungryC (log)

[weinoo]

Fresh bay laurel is a common enough plant....I have one in a pot and one in the ground. Fresh leaves are sold at the farmers market too. But you can buy them online fairly cheaply here: http://www.localharvest.org/fresh-picked-bay-leaf-still-on-branch-100-C13624

That's great, but they're not bay laurel, or Turkish bay leaves. As it says on that web page:

This variety is twice as potent as the Mediterranean type, so use accordingly.

[HungryC]

Ha! You caught it before I could submit the edit!

[andiesenji]

I have two stands of sweet bay, bay laurel, Laurus nobilis etc.

The leaves labeled "Turkish bay" are exactly the same.

It is easy to dry the leaves, cut a branch, break the leaves off the stem and put them in a wire colander and leave them on the counter till dry enough to break easily.

Then store them in a tightly sealed jar.

I simply pick a few every week and always have enough in various degrees from fresh to dry - I simmer the fresh in milk for custards, etc., use the dry in meat dishes, pot roasts, stews, etc.

Do not use California bay in cooking, it is a totally different plant and is not suitable for culinary use. It is often sold in Mexican markets because it is much cheaper than sweet bay and is often contaminated because it is gathered in places where the soil is contaminated.

I just took these photos and picked these leaves. As they dry the flavor will become more concentrated and stronger. When fresh use three or four where you would use one when dried.

This was supposed to be a "dwarf" variety - it is 15 feet tall.

[andiesenji]

By the way. The bay leaves grown in Turkey are usually stored for many months before being shipped to other countries.

McCormick sources all its bay leaves from Turkey and has a huge facility there.

After shipping to the U.S. the leaves may be stored for months or years prior to bottling and then stored many more months before being shipped to retailers.

I have been growing my own for forty + years. I brought one bush with me when I moved up here from the San Fernando Valley, although I was told it would not survive outside during the winters when we have very hard freezes.

Obviously mine have thrived and acclimated to the altitude and climate. Occasionally some leaves will have brown edges from freezing but otherwise the plants have done fine and this winter we had single-digit temps.

[MollyB]

Can anyone recommend a good online source (in the U.S.) for freekeh? I'm looking for whole grain freekeh, not cracked. Someone gave me a bag of it a while ago, and I loved it when I finally cooked it, but now I'm having trouble finding more. I'd appreciate any suggestions for reputable sources. 

[Anna N]

 It seems to be readily available on Amazon.com from various sources. 

[MollyB]

I guess I was so focused on finding small producers or farmers that it never occurred to me to try Amazon! I'm not familiar with many of the brands selling the (not cracked) freekeh on Amazon. Are there any you'd recommend? I was really disappointed in the cracked freekeh I got at a local grocery store (but I don't know if that was because it was cracked or the brand).

 

 

[Anna N]

23 minutes ago, MollyB said:

I guess I was so focused on finding small producers or farmers that it never occurred to me to try Amazon! I'm not familiar with many of the brands selling the (not cracked) freekeh on Amazon. Are there any you'd recommend? I was really disappointed in the cracked freekeh I got at a local grocery store (but I don't know if that was because it was cracked or the brand).

 

 

 No. I'm sorry I'm not familiar with the brands but I do know that Amazon has got the best customer service going so if you were not satisfied you could return it with no problem.  But someone else might be able to recommend one of the brands I see there so I would sit tight for now and give people a chance to see that you're looking for an answer. @andiesenji  will almost certainly know where to obtain it!

[Okanagancook]

I have this brand: Ecoideas Whole Grain Greenwheat Freekeh

They have whole and cracked fresh.  Imported from Australia to Canada by Ecoideas at ecoideas.ca from Richmond, British Columbia.

I did not see this brand on amazon.com.

Bob's Red Mill might be a reliable source.

Good luck.

[andiesenji]

I buy it from Nuts.com.  Some is "cracked" but much is whole grain.  I have tried several brands and this is by far the best I have tried.  I recommend it without  reservations.

 

I buy several whole grains from this vendor and often combine them.  

The freekeh combined with the rye berries is absolutely delicious.

 

I am also very partial to Argan oil as a finishing oil on cooked grains.  

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I also recommend nuts.com, though no experience with freekeh.

 

[MollyB]

Thanks for the recommendations! I think I'll give Nuts.com a try. And maybe the "Freekehlicious" product on Amazon, too, because the name is entertaining.

[andiesenji]

I have in my freezer (best place to store whole grains)  Organic pearled farro, organic Einkorn, organic toasted buckwheat,  organic kaniwa, organic red quinoa and organic black quinoa, amaranth, organic cracked rye berries and the freekeh.  

 

I also have their rye pumpernickel meal,  buckwheat flour, teff flour, spelt flour and sorghum flour - I use the latter in some breads to add sweetness without using sugar or a sugar substitute.  

It is especially good in Swedish limpia rye.  

 

You can be sure the products are fresh because the turnover is very rapid.  

[Thomie]

I tried the wholegrain freekeh from Freekehlicious. Bought it on Amazon. Delish!  I use it as a breakfast cereal. Cook it on Sunday and I have it for the week. I have it with yogurt, fruit and a bit of cinnamon! 

[Forsal]

I am looking out for a 100% natural saffron and dry fruits online. I would love to make a recipe for upcoming fest. Can any one help me with the website where I can order pure healthy food products? Can anyone share the best receipt with saffron and dry fruits?

Edited June 28, 2022 by Forsal
Asking for recipe (log)