Infused olive oil adds flavor to dishes and is made by adding herbs, spices, or roots to olive oil using three methods: cold, hot, or in a clear bottle. The infused oil should be refrigerated for freshness. Popular herbs and spices include rosemary, thyme, and chillies. The recipe can be customized to suit individual tastes.
Infused olive oil is cooking oil that has been enhanced in flavor with natural seasonings. Infused oils can add a savory twist to dishes that are sauteed or fried. The flavoring oil is also great for dipping bread or drizzling over a salad. Olive oil is known to be one of the healthiest forms of cooking oil, and the infusion of added flavorings makes it even more popular.
Infused olive oil can be made in three ways. The simplest is to put olive oil and the desired spices in a clear bottle. The bottle is sealed and left at room temperature for a few hours or up to a month or more. It is extremely important to ensure that the bottle and cap are completely sterile, as adding flavorful ingredients can cause the oil to go rancid. After the infused oils have reached the desired flavor level, they need to be refrigerated to ensure freshness.
Another process for cooking infused olive oil is hot infusion. The olive oil is combined with herbs and spices in a saucepan and gently heated on a stove. To fully release the flavor in the cooking oil, the mixture is heated to between 180 and 200 degrees Fahrenheit (82 to 93 degrees Celsius). The flavored cooking oil is then strained into a bottle, sealed and refrigerated.
The cold method for making infused olive oil involves a food processor or blender. This method works especially well for dry spices and woody fibers. The olive oil and added ingredients are placed in the food processor and liquefy until well blended. The mixture may or may not be strained, depending on the chef’s taste. The infused oils are then poured into bottles and immediately refrigerated to preserve optimum flavor.
There is a large list of herbs, roots and spices that can be added to olive oil to make flavored cooking oil. Infused oils made with fresh rosemary, thyme, tarragon, basil, chives or oregano are popular. The hotter flavors of the oil may contain fresh or dried chillies, curry, cumin, or cardamom. Root additions include shallots, ginger, or horseradish.
The condiments used in the preparation of the infused oils are the responsibility of the individual cook. Some people like to add a clove or two of fresh garlic for an all-purpose aromatic oil. Others will concoct exotic creations with mint or citrus zest infused with special cooking oils. The best recipe for infused olive oil is one that suits the chef’s taste and cooking needs.
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