In contrast to the majority of leave spices, bay leaves can be cooked for several time without much aroma loss. After manual plucking and sorting, the leaves are quickly dried without exposure to sunlight. High-quality bay leaves are easily recognized not only by their strong aroma, but also by their bright green colour. The greener the colour, the better the quality. Bay leaves cannot, however, be stored as long as their tough texture might suggest, but should not be kept more than one year after plucking.
Overaged leaves have lost their fragrance, show a brownish hue and taste mostly bitter.
The laurel fruits are less known, although they appear as part of commercial spice mixtures.