Infused oils & vinegars

[bixaorellana]

Split from: Uses+for+Hot+peppers%3F

Aug 31, 2009 22:39:02 GMT bixaorellana said:

Here are some vinegars I've made. I'm sure others can expand on this theme.

The delicate rose hue is from purple basil. If using a herb-flavored vinegar for your pepper vinegar, be sure to strain the infused vinegar first. Basil or any other soft leaves look unpleasantly colorless later.

Either nuke clean bottles in the microwave or rinse each one with a little plain vinegar heated to boiling.

Put the amount of peppers you wish in each bottle & add a little salt. Slip in sprigs of sturdy herbs -- lemon verbena, rosemary, sage, etc. -- if using, and pour hot vinegar in to fill the bottle. Cap when cool.

Let set at least a week to let flavors develop. Peppers will sink to the bottom of the bottle as they absorb and flavor the vinegar.

[bixaorellana]

I found a delightful and inspired group of recipes for infusing vinegar and wanted to post it here, then was surprised there wasn't already a thread dedicated to that topic.

Now there is & here is the link to some good ideas: seidhr.blogspot.com/2008/06/infused-vinegars.html

Who makes infused vinegars, and what are your methods and recipes, please?

[Deleted]

Oh,great thread idea!! I too,am surprised we didn't already have one. Might we perhaps also incorporate oils into the thread?

For many years,I used to concoct,collect recipes for and make infused vinegars and or oils.
I also collected, and still have stashed, ::)many, many different shaped glass bottles and corks,lids for.
They made/make wonderful seasonal gifts,and people loved getting something homemade. It was also very economical during that wonderful,oh so cheery holiday at the end of the year.

I have a slew I will post when time allows.

[Deleted]

Please don't throw stones at me, but in any supermarket here, we have at least 30 kinds of oil and 30 kinds of vinegar, so I would feel a bit abnormal if I couldn't find one to suit my needs -- especially knowing that the Chinese supermarket would at at least 10 more varieties of each to my list, notably the kinds with chilis in them.

[bixaorellana]

Casimira, I would love to know how to make lovely infused oils that are stable, and have changed the name of the thread accordingly. Thanks!

Kerouac, you be careful in that chili-vinegar supermarket, you hear?
>click<

[Deleted]

[Deleted]

I love playing kitchen alchemist!!!!

I'm glad you mentioned the word,sustainable, when addressing the infused oils Bixa.
Of utmost importance, is not using food matter in the oils than can turn as it were,and,mold,develop anything that could cause food poisoning or the like. I avoid using garlic because of this and stick with using herbs only that I have grown and know the origins of,make sure the herbs are harvested at the proper time of day,when the flavors are at their peak,and,making sure the herbs are dried off properly after giving them a quick bath to remove any dirt,grit etc.
As I do not use any chemicals in my garden at all, that could be harmful,I rest assured that anything I put in the sterilized dry bottles is safe!!!

With that being said,I have through trial and error, produced some wonderful concoctions and always list the ingredients,on a clearly written label,with the date the oil was made.
I always advise the person I give them to to store them properly and use well within a year.


The best herbs for flavoring culinary oils are: basil,bay laurel,lavender,marjoram,oregano, rosemary,and thyme.
Pure,mild-flavored olive oil absorbs the herbs' flavors best,though extra virgin olive oil and vegetable oil can also be used.
Cut the herbs of your choice in the morning hours for optimum peak flavor. Wash,make sure they are thoroughly dry before proceeding.
Bruise the herb sprigs,then fill clean,sterilized,dry,quart jars with them. (It's hardly worth the trouble to do this for only a tiny amount.
The rewards are worth the small amount of effort it takes to make them.)

Completely cover the herbs with oil and seal the jars.
Place the jars in a cool,dark place for two to three weeks.
After two to three weeks,remove the infused herb sprigs from the jars by straining the oil through cheesecloth.
Pour the oil into smaller bottles,also sterilized and dry.
You can add a small fresh sprig or leaf if you like,label,date,and store in a cool place.
A strong, clear herbal flavor is evident for about six months,though the oils can be used for about a year.

I've toyed around with some combinations and have had some success at different intervals but,I usually stay with using at the most,two different herbs.

[Deleted]

I would be intrigued by the outcome of using more unusual items like cinnamon sticks or licorice root instead of the usual herbs. Might be good, might be awful.

[imec]

I've long wanted to know how to make oils like this without the risk of food poisoning. Seeing as I have a few of the herbs you mention growing in pots, I will definitely be giving this a go. Thanks casimira!

[bixaorellana]

Really excellent guidelines, Casimira!

Actually, I said "stable", as we all know stories about bubbling bottles of botulism disguised as pretty peppers in oil, & have perhaps even created such things in our own kitchens.

I'm crushed to hear that you stay away from garlic for that very reason. I was recently given a little bottle of "garlic oil". The ingredients state that it's made up of pure garlic oil and refined oil -- no other info. I'd love to make my own, but ......

I have wondered if simmering slices of garlic very, very slowly in oil, then making sure that every speck was removed before bottling the oil would be safe.

[Deleted]

I buy garlic oil and chive oil at the Chinese supermarket. They have an absolutely fantastic smell. They are refined versions, because the oil is clear with no trace of anything in it, so they might just add garlic or chive juice and not the actual items in the process.

[Deleted]

Thanks good people.

I steer clear of using garlic after having to toss a large amount of an oil I painstakingly labored over with garlic cloves in it. I had followed a recipe I found in a cookbook on lemons. The oil got very cloudy in about a week's time and I investigated further and read somewhere that garlic infused in oil using this particular method was indeed prone to molding. I have avoided it ever since.
I never investigated the other ideas suggested using garlic. I got very discouraged after that aforementioned experiment.
I also think that our super humid climate here in NOLA is not exactly the ideal climate for making some of these oils without being super vigilant.
I did experiment one time with using Cinnamon stick accompanied by some bay laurel. The cinnamon stick has to be crushed to get optimum flavor. It was much too strong and the cinnamon overpowered the bay and the subtle olive oil taste I try to maintain.
Again,much of this I learned from trial and error.
I recall that one of the more successful combinations was using black peppercorns and bay laurel.
The oils are indeed tricky which is why I stay pretty much with the Mediterranean culinary herbs.
I cut loose and experiment much more with the vinegars and there is a much less higher incident rate of foul batches. It's also economically more feasible to experiment and play around with.

[bixaorellana]

I think the commercial garlic oils must have actual garlic oil added to them, whereas when we make stuff at home with garlic or chiles, we probably can't avoid introducing juices, i.e. moisture, to the product. Moisture = mold ...... or worse.

I'm having trouble imagining a use for cinnamon-flavored oil. However, an oil infused with crushed fennel seed and black pepper might be killer on pasta, I'd think.

Since it's chile pepper season, here are a few more thoughts on making pepper vinegar --

You can make a quick version that won't be pretty, but very flavorful and which can be rejuvenated. In a clean bottle -- plastic or glass -- put in fresh peppers which have been slit or slightly crushed. Add crushed or sliced garlic if you're using it, then sprinkle in salt. Shake the bottle & let it rest a few minutes before adding any herbs you want to use & the vinegar. The salt will have pulled out heat & flavor from the peppers, so the vinegar can be used almost immediately. Top it up at will with more peppers & vinegar.

I gave a big bottle of this to a friend once, & he reported that it could be refilled with just plain vinegar at least a couple of times to keep it going.

[Don Cuevas]

I'm sorry, but I have hard time understanding the appeal of these oils and vinegars. Why not just use olive oil and garlic, chile, or black pepper or fennel seed or whatever seasoning, at the time you make the dish? No worries about food safety then.

[Deleted]

You have a point, but (almost) everybody loves playing chemist.

[Deleted]

The OP suggests infused,which in my mind anyway,implies steeping or soaking with out boiling so as to get optimum flavor.
The appeal to me is also being able to share the bounty of my harvest of herbs and such that I grow. Herbs and peppers, citrus, that might otherwise go wasted as I don't always have an immediate use for a plethora of all these when they come in.
The other appeal is the joy of being able to summon up the taste of a summertime sweet basil or dill for instance, on a cold winter's day when the garden is in repose.

And,I do love playing kitchen alchemist as I already mentioned.

[bixaorellana]

I saw this recipe & a couple of others. Since the idea of infused oils (& vinegars) is always quietly steeping in the back of my brain, I was pleased to save these recipes. Let's see what you all think:

Pili Pili, spicy herb oil

Harissa -- To me it would make more sense to simply use more olive oil in the recipe, rather than fooling with topping the mixture each time.

Sweet Peppers Conserved in Oil -- I am mentally agreeing with what I imagine some of you are thinking -- that this sounds like the botulism express. But this recipe & the other two are all from Martha Rose Shulman, who is a respected cookbook & recipe author.

[bixaorellana]

And there's this, which sounds divine. Maybe it should go in the Lemons thread. If anyone tries it & deems it worthy, no reason they couldn't post it there as well:

Lemon Olive Oil

Minced zest of 2 organic lemons

2 cups extra virgin olive oil

1. Place the zest and oil in a medium saucepan and heat slowly over low heat until all of the lemon zest begins to sizzle. If you insert a thermometer, the temperature should not go above 220 degrees Fahrenheit. Turn off the heat and wait for the oil to stop sizzling, then cover and allow to steep for 48 hours.

2. Strain the oil into clean glass bottles. Keep for one month at room temperature or for several months in the refrigerator. Allow to come to room temperature before using.

Yield: 2 cups.     Source

[Deleted]

I'm running out of balsamic vinegar. I don't know how I ever lived without it. In olden times, I only knew white vinegar and wine vinegar, with just a tiny few variations like tarragon vinegar.

[Deleted]

I've made that lemon oil before Bixa,years ago. It was delightful. Thanks for dusting off my memory and reminding me of it.
I've done some lemon vinaigrettes lately but had completely forgotten about the lemon oil.
I've also been adding fresh lemon juice to the lovely French walnut oil I recently splurged on.
Now,that is heavenly!!

[tod2]

I've just come across this and am SO disappointed to find that the White Truffle Oil I so tenderly nursed and protected all the way home from Europe is nothing but.............shite!(I'm cussing in Irish today )

" A true bit of cuinary quackery--'truffle' oil. Since the truffle taste in 'truffle' oil is produced with an artificial flavoring that decomposes into something unpleasantly sweet tasting when exposed to heat."

[bixaorellana]

I dunno, Tod. Have you tried the stuff? I was given some truffle oil and thought it was out of this world. Then I kept reading that it was all fake, but what I had was delicious. It had little bits of truffle in the bottle, so I added olive oil when the bottle was almost empty & the new oil became flavored.

I loved it so much that I sent my mother some of two different kinds. The company that sold it is reputable & honest, so I doubt they'd be selling fake foods.

Perhaps some truffle oil is adulterated, but I think that the "news" that it all is fake is a piece of internet rumor.

Try it & perhaps your disappointment will turn into pleased surprise.

[fumobici]

There is real truffle oil but I'm not sure how one definitively distinguishes the real thing from the fake. The EU seems not to require labeling the laboratory stuff to distinguish it from the real and as the fake is obviously much cheaper to make that's what they sell. I got some real stuff in Italy at a truffle festival a couple of years ago and brought it home.

[tod2]

Feb 9, 2012 15:35:02 GMT tod2 said:

I've just come across this and am SO disappointed to find that the White Truffle Oil I so tenderly nursed and protected all the way home from Europe
" ."

Yes, as I said I brought it in France (Loire Valley) and I will be quite honest and say it tasted like....nothing really, but I had my head in the clouds of truffle this and truffle that, so didn't really score it below par. But after reading the stuff could be fake, was disappointed.
Written by a man who travels the world, eating and reviewing restaurants. He lives in Paris. Like Kerouac....so I would say he knows a thing or two.

[bixaorellana]

Well, it is very subtle. My favorite way to have it was on capellini, which allowed the flavor to come through.

[Deleted]

I am still waiting to understand what is appealing about the taste of truffles. I am becoming relatively sure that I am immune to their delights.

This will probably save me money.

[Don Cuevas]

Since this thread began, I have taken up infusing lemon peels or tangerine peels in vodka. After about three weeks, it's closely strained and filtered, then mixed with simple syrup to the desired degree of sweetness. I also made some anise liqueur. It's not as pretty, but the taste is great and it's ~smooooth!~

[bixaorellana]

Here you go, Don Cuevas ~~
anyportinastorm.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=recipes&thread=5703

[tod2]

My long resisted recipe book revealed something I am going to try and make as soon as my Nasturtiums flower. Should be interesting on a summer salad.

[casimira]

Brilliant Tod!!! I must try this.
Thanks also for pulling up this thread back up. I forgot all about it and this is the time of year when I generally start making these concoctions. (I give them to folks as gifts for the holidays. Economical and enjoyable)