To keep leaves from curling when drying, place them on boards with books on top. The leaves should be dry in about two weeks. Store in tightly sealed containers. Herbal uses Cosmetic, culinary, decorative, and medicinal. The fragrant oil is added to bath water to sooth the skin.
Culinary use is mainly in soups, stews, and tomato sauces.
Bay leaf also flavors shellfish boils, pickling brines, game meats, and herbal teas. Remember to remove bay leaf before serving. The tree itself is decorative when pruned into formal shapes. The branches can be used in fresh or dry herbal wreaths and to add fragrance to potpourris. Bay leaf is said to have some medicinal qualities.