Making Flavored Oils
Oils absorb other flavors very easily. By heating them, adding herbs and allowing them to infuse, you can create unique flavor combinations great for use in cooking.
If you want a more flavorful oil look for the words unrefined, virgin or cold pressed oils . You can occasionally find a tasty olive oil in your supermarket. A dark green colored oil is an indication of a stronger flavor.
The best quality oils are produced from the first pressing of the seed, nut or fruit and are characterized by a dark color, distinctive flavor, and usually, some sediment.
When using one of the more flavorful unrefined oils, arrange your flavor combinations carefully. For example adding garlic to malt vinegar is an unappealing idea.
These decadant oils and vinegars can be put into wonderful glass bottles that you may find at discount stores or garage sales during the summer and sealed with a cork and dipped in paraffin that has been colored . Do not use metal caps with vinegar products as the vinegar will corrode the cap.
FDA recommends that home-prepared mixtures of garlic-in-oil be made fresh for use and not left at room temperatures. Leftovers should be refrigerated and used within three weeks, or frozen or discarded. Remember, making your flavored oils at home you do not have access to the commercial peservatives and your product will not last as long as theirs does. Use caution and good sense. Refrigerate your oils and use within 3 weeks.
What a great gift to give someone and very inexpensive. Label your fancy bottle and make a label or hang tag to put on your bottle if giving for a gift.
Before You Start
Select and prepare containers first. Use only glass jars or bottles that are free of cracks or nicks and can be sealed with a screw-band lid, cap or cork. Wash containers thoroughly, then sterilize by immersing the jars in a pan of hot water and simmering for 10 minutes. Once jars are sterilized, remove from the simmering water and invert on paper towel to dry.
Thoroughly wash your herbs, fruits, vegetables before putting them into the sterilized jars.
Hot Chili Oil Recipe
Makes 2 cups
2 cups olive oil or vegetable oil
7 fresh red hot chili peppers
15 peppercorns
2 bay leafs
Heat oil gently in a double boiler. High heat discolors the oil and it becomes rancid very quickly. When oil is hot, add your chili peppers, peppercorns and bay leafs.
Pour into the bottle and seal. Allow to stand for 2 weeks before using to allow the flavors to combine with the oil.
Herbal Oils
Makes 2 cups
Infusion time: 4 to 5 Days
2 cups oil
10-12 tablespoons of minced fresh herbs
Use vegetable oils such as safflower, sunflower, corn, sesame, and olive oil for making herbal oil infusions. Heat oil gently in a double boiler. High heat discolors the oil and it becomes rancid very quickly. When oil is hot, add 10 to 12 tablespoons of selected herbs chopped. Allow to stand for 4 or 5 days; strain into the bottle and add a fresh sprig of herb.
You can use almost any herb or combination of herbs in this recipe. Try basil, sage, lemon balm, peppercorns, hot red peppers.
Spicey Oils
Makes 2 cups
Infusion time: Overnight
2 cups vegetable oil
1 cinnamon Stick
8 star anise
10-12 cloves
Heat oil gently and when hot add the spices, pour into bottles and seal. Ready in about 5 days.
Spicey oils can be made with your favorite spices such as cardamom, star anise, juniper, coriander seeds, nutmeg, cinnamon, cumin, cloves in any combination.
