Trying to be healthy about food but I find the low fat foods taste just a little bit better with a splash of olive oil added right before serving. I think seasoned olive oil would enhance the food even more.
My question is this... Do any of you have any experience with seasoning olive oil ( or any cooking oil ) with fresh herbs. How long would the oil need to stand to absorb the flavor. Would it need to be strained?
I think I've read that warming the oil will help the flavor of the herbs permeate it.
But here's the big thing about putting fresh herbs and/or garlic, peppers, etc in oil.... BOTULISM. Even if you strain the herbs out, my understanding is that the anaerobic enviroment in the bottle of oil is such a prime breeding ground that you can end up with oil permeated with both herb flavor and botulism.
Please double-check me on this, but I beleive the risk is reduced or eliminated if you refrigerate the oil. Even if you, or somebody you know, has made a practice of leaving herb-seasoned oils on the countertop for years without a problem, well, that doesn't mean it's a safe practice, that just means you didn't get unlucky. Botulism is serious enough not to take the risk. Olive oil will get semi-solid in the fridge, but it turns back to a liquid state a few mintues after you take it out of the cold.
That said... instead of seasoning my olive oil, I make herbal vinegars! If you make them good and strong, just a dash will impart the flavor of the herbs without adding a vinegary flavor to your recipe... and of course if they are less strong (or diluted with some unseasoned vinegar) they are wonderful in salad dressings.
Stuff a bottle with your chosen combination of herbs, add peeled garlic cloves, peppercorns, hot peppers, lemon zest, etc. if you like, and let it steep for a week or two until you like the flavor. Then strain out the herbs and put the vinegar into a clean bottle.
Botulism can occur with herb oils. Just saw Alton Brown's show (Food Network) last night and he showed how to make it. Botoulism was mentioned.
Herb Oil Recipe courtesy Alton Brown
Show: Good Eats
Episode: Artichokes
1/2 bunch parsley
1/2 cup packed fresh basil
1/2 bunch fresh thyme
1/2 cup packed fresh oregano
1/2 orange, zested
1 whole dried arbol chile
1 teaspoon whole black pepper corns
2 cups canola oil
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
In a 1-quart mason jar, place all of the herbs, zest, chile and peppercorns. Pour both oils into a saucepan and heat to 200 degrees F. Pour the hot oils into the jar and cover with a kitchen towel. Let stand overnight.
Place cheesecloth over the top of the jar and replace the outer rim of the lid. Invert and strain oil into desired container.
Unfortunately, that recipe (no extra details when I looked it up on the Food Network site either) doesn't give any tips on avoiding botulism or whether refrigerating the oil will keep it safe. Hmm.
Critterologist ~ thanks for the info.
One book that has info warns of preventing mold. They indicate that the herbs be totally dried as excess moisture can promote the growth of mold. This reference only recommends freezing the herbal oils and take out only small amounts which should then be refrigerated. Botulism would explain why.
The herbal vinegars I have used but adding a dash of oil to a leanly cooked dish really makes it feel a little more decadent than it is... LOL
Pioneerwoman ~ thanks for the recipe. The quantity of oil is the recommend amount to mix and the blend of herbs sounds wonderful. BTW, that was a great dutch oven link you posted in recipes. Thanks much! pod
I have a great publication that describes how to make herb flavored oils and vinegars. The process does include heat and straining the herbs for the final product. I've made marvellous fresh rosemary and garlic and basil oils and also sage vinegar. I have not received any negative feedback from the friends that have them. I'll post more details from the book this weekend from home.
Please do! I look forward to it, thx. pod
I have a book that advises that you soak garlic (or chilis or any vegetable) in vinegar for 8-24 hours before adding to the oil to retard botulism growth. They recommend that you strain the garlic, add it to the oil, and then add other spices. Put it in a sterilized container and cover, refrigerate, and use within 3 weeks.
Alternatively, they recommend mixing up a batch of flavored oil and freezing small portions in an ice cube tray. Pop out the cubes, and put them in a ziploc in the freezer. Take out and use as needed.
Hope that helps.
Carolyn
Carolyn ~ Yes that's a help and I think the ice cubes would be the ideal way to keep this for long term storage. Thanks, pod
I mince fresh herbs in the food processor (similar to doing basil when making pesto, and it's fine to add garlic, ground pepper, hot peppers, etc.), add just enough oil to make a rough paste, and freeze in ice cube trays.... more herbs than oil, unlike the infused oils we've been discussing, but a similar idea. I think the oil (olive oil or canola, depending on what I'll use the herbs for) helps stabilize the flavors of the herbs in the freezer. I pop the cubes into freezer bags, and I try to label them according to what the fresh amounts of herbs were... if I start with 2 cups of fresh basil leaves and end up with 8 cubes, the label says "1 cube = 1/4 cup fresh."
Great tips Thanks Critterologist! Have you found different herbs prefer different oils? I primarily use Olive Oil.
I don't think it makes any difference what sort of cooking oil you add to the herbs as far as preserving their flavor... but when I'm freezing Thai basil with Thai hot peppers (plus ginger and garlic) for stir fry, I use canola oil rather than olive oil, just because I wouldn't use olive oil in the stir fry....
Good thought ~ that sounds like a good blend. Just ate and it makes me hungry. : ))
The book I have is Growing and Using Herbs Successfully by Betty E.M. Jacobs, published by Storey Publishing, 1976 and 1981.
I used coffee filters for the filter paper.
Flavored vinegars
Use 2 cups of leaves for every 4 cups of vinegar.
1. Blend or macerate herbs.
2. Put leaves in glass jars or crocks and pour vinegar over them.
3. Stir daily. Stand for 10 days in a warm place.
4. Strain out leaves through cheesecloth. Taste & smell. If it is not strong enough, repeat steps 1-4.
5. Run through filter paper
6. Pour into sterile bottles & secure.
Flavored oils
The book recommends safflower oil, so the flavor of the oil does not interfere with the herb flavor. I also agree with Critterologist - use the type of oil that matches your usage. Olive oil could be used for great french bread dips.
Use 1/2 cup of leaves for every 2 cups of oil.
1. Put herbs & oil into glass container, leaving inch of space at top.
2. Add 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar. [My guess is that this helps prevent mold, etc.]
3. Cover securely
4. Stand in the sun for 2-3 weeks, and shake daily, or process as you would fruit juice in a hot water bath canner, every day for a week. This imitates the effect of the sun warming it & the night cooling it repeatedly day after day.
5. Strain off the oil, taste & smell. If it is not strong enough, repeat steps 1-4.
For garlic vinegar:
User 6-8 cloves of garlic for every 4 cups of vinegar.
1. Squash cloves, but do not macerate.
2. Pour room temp vinegar over the cloves and leave for 24 HOURS ONLY.
3. Strain through filter paper.
4. Pour into sterile bottles & cork securely.
For garlic oil:
Follow instructions for garlic vinegar, using oil instead of vinegar and half the amount of garlic cloves.
The basil-garlic oil I made received rave reviews. Enjoy!
Bsulli42 ~ Thank you I have C&P'd your info and saved. Any particular basil you used with the garlic?
Edited to add, I also hope to track down that book recommendation ~ appreciate a good book Thx pod
This message was edited May 6, 2007 5:31 PM
