How to store bay leaves to keep them fresh

Bay leaves add quite a flavor to soups and sauces, but most of us tend to leave bay leaves sitting in our spice cupboard for months, if not years. Unfortunately, bay leaves lose dramatic potency the longer they are stored in your cupboard, even in a closed spice jar. So how should you store your bay leaves?

Surprisingly, in the freezer. Simply put them into Ziploc bag, and put them on your freezer shelf or in the shelves on the door. They will stay nearly as fresh as if you had just bought them new. Replace every six months to a year optimum flavour.