Flavoured oils

spalding · 21 June 2005 at 1:06PM

Due to my good crop of herbs I'm interested in making some herb oils for cooking, thinking mainly garlic chilli, basil has anyone got any tips? Recipes? for these?

Also any ideas best place to pick up oil for these?

Thanks

Galtizz · 21 June 2005 at 1:27PM

I've made basil and chilli oil before.

For the chilli one I chopped up 1 or 2 chillis and added 1 or 2 whole chillis
For the basil I just added one 'branch' of fresh basil from a basil plant I have.

I guess you could chop or leave whole any fresh herbs and spices. The fresh ones took a couple of months to infuse (make sure the container you use is sterilised and the top is tight), the longer it is left the stronger the flavour. I think dried ingredients will infuse almost immediatly.

For the oil, I just used olive oil. If you are going to use it for salad dressings Lidl sell a big bottle of extra virgin olive oil for about £1.50, can't remember the exact price but I know from discussions on here that is the cheapest place to get extra virgin olive oil.

HTH.

Allexie · 21 June 2005 at 4:06PM

Flavoured vinegars can be nice too....

from herbs2000.com

Herb vinegars The addition of a herb vinegar will give an instant lift to an ordinary vinaigrette, but try using it in other ways, too. Stews, soups and sauces all benefit from a splash of herb vinegar towards the end of the cooking time, and it can also replace some or all of the wine called for in a recipe. The delicate herbal flavour will be ruined if you use one of the brash malt vinegars, though; opt instead for a good-quality white wine or cider vinegar.

600ml/1 pint white wine or cider vinegar
A good quantity of herbs such as basil, tarragon, bay leaves, thyme or mint

There is no need to chop or pound the herbs -just pack the fresh leaves straight into a jar, pour over the vinegar, cover, and leave to steep on a sunny windowsill for two weeks, shaking once or twice a day. Strain into a clean bottle, add a fresh herb sprig if you wish, seal, and store in a cool, dark place. Experiment with combinations of different herbs, too.

Caz2_2 · 21 June 2005 at 4:15PM

last time i added herbs to oil little insects could be seen floating on the top. Wash them but dry them really well then add them. I infuse marigolds, lavender and rose petals in oil by putting them in the oven for a while, then use this oil to make up face masks and stuff, but best way is on a hot sunny day put your herbs in the oil and leave outside in the sun, the heat causes the oils/essences from herbs or flowers to burst out into the oil and so flavours them. Rosemary is good because it releases its essential oil, not sure about basil, but give it a go.

Pink. · 21 June 2005 at 4:24PM

Have you tried Chilli Sherry?

Put half a bottle of sherry into a sterilized decanter, add about 12 -16 chillies. Leave for at least two weeks to infuse. It keeps for ages and gives a real kick when added to soups, stews or casseroles.

Pink

apprentice_tycoon · 21 June 2005 at 5:44PM

I read the piece that Squeaky linked to about the botulism problems with flavoured oils, I had read something similar about 6 years ago, both are from the USA, does anyone know of any UK info on this?
I used to make a favoured oil with garlic, chillies and rosemary but the health scares put me off a bit, i have seen recipes in english magazines and books but there was never a word about it being dangerous so I'm not sure what to think now

spalding · 22 June 2005 at 3:03PM

Thanks for all the replys

Found this for chilli oil thank you Ken Hom

HEAT A WOK OR SKILLET over high heat and add the oil.
Continue to heat until the oil begins to smoke. Remove
the wok from the heat and add the chiles and
peppercorns. Allow the mixture to cool undisturbed,
then pour it into a jar. Let the mixture sit for 2
days, covered, and then strain the oil. It will keep
indefinitely.

Also worried about the botulism, anyone shead anymore light on this

Jazzycat · 22 June 2005 at 3:15PM

Always blanche (drop into boiling water for 30 seconds, then immerse in very cold water, drain and dry) the herbs/chillis first.

This will get rid of most bacteria and prevent moulds growing on them. Its allt they do with posh oils at 5 quid a go.

Gingham_Ribbon · 19 September 2005 at 7:01PM

:eek: I got a lovely oil drizzler for my birthday but it's opaque. I wanted to make chilli oil but I guess it's a no no as I won't see if it goes cloudy or anything.

Glad I read this. Was just going to shove a couple of chillis in it and fill it up with the lovely posh olive oil I got with it!

Curry_Queen · 19 September 2005 at 7:15PM

This is a discussion I had with some people a while back as they wanted to make flavoured oils to give as xmas gifts etc, but obviously there's a risk involved in keeping these oils long term.

Anyway I found some info from the Food Standards Agency which might help anyone wondering whether to risk making the oils or not ...

Q Is it safe to make my own flavoured oils at home using herbs?

A Lots of different types of flavoured oil are available in the shops, containing garlic, peppercorns, chilli and various herbs including rosemary, oregano and bay leaves, and these often have a long shelf life. But it’s not a good idea to make flavoured oils at home unless you are going to use them immediately.

This is because plants, including herbs and spices, can carry spores produced by bacteria. Occasionally, they could carry spores of a type of bacteria called Clostridium botulinum, which can cause botulism. This is a very unpleasant disease, which is rare in the UK, but can be fatal.

Clostridium botulinum multiplies in places without any oxygen, so if there are spores on plants such as herbs and garlic, putting them in oil can create the right conditions for the bacteria to multiply, particularly if the herbs are fresh or wet.

Companies that produce flavoured oils and foods preserved in oil are expected to take Clostridium botulinum into account and formulate their products to make sure that this type of bacteria doesn't multiply.

Even though recipes for flavoured oils can be found in cookery books, magazines and websites, these might not have considered the risk of botulism. So if you would like to make your own flavoured oil, the safest option is to make a small quantity and use it on the day you have made it. If you have some oil left over, put it in the fridge straight away and use it within a week. Some oils can go cloudy or become solid in the fridge, but if this happens don’t be tempted to leave it at room temperature, because this might not be safe.

Liney_2 · 9 October 2005 at 8:29PM

Oh God scary stuff - I have made chilli oil before but thankfully had no problems but currently have a garlic and herb oil infusing (for dipping my french stick into) now I am worried about it...

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Flavoured oils

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