infused oil and vinegar

Infused oil and vinegar

I kill plants. I tried to grow petunias once.

Once.

I’ve also tried to grow my own herbs. You know, be an economical cook. Clip only what I need, and leave the rest to grow forever. I was going to have an everlasting supply of rosemary, basil, cilantro, and thyme.

But I killed them too…even the rosemary.

So, I’m stuck buying my herbs from the grocery store.

There’s so much in a bunch, I always wind up throwing a third of it away. That’s not all. It’s like 2 days in the refrigerator turns fresh herbs into wilted piles of sadness. I can’t afford to throw out $0.32 worth of herbs because I didn’t use them fast enough.

You can use the leftovers to make flavored oil or vinegar. They don’t last forever, so making a small amount with the herbs that weren’t good enough to make it into that fancy meal you made last night is good.

Infused vinegar and oil are nice ways to add flavor to dishes. Knowing how to make them yourself will also save you from buying them at the grocery store. They’re not worth $5 for a 10 fl. oz bottle.

There are two ways to infuse oil: Hot infusion and cold infusion

Cold infusion requires more time than hot infusion, but hot infusion is not good for the more delicate herbs.

Cold Infusion:

Bruise your herbs a little bit so the flavor will release easier

Put herbs/spices/what-have-you in a non-reactive container and pour warmed oil over them.

Cover

Wait two weeks or until your oil is flavored as much as you want

Hot Infusion:

Heat the oil and herbs over medium heat until there’s some bubbling and popping.

Cook for about 5 minutes and then strain our herbs.

If you’re using garlic, keep the oil in the fridge to prevent botulism.

Also, be sure to use an oil that doesn’t have a strong flavor on its own. However, extra-virgin olive oil does do well even though it has a more intense flavor

I made a cold infusion of grape seed oil and cilantro. I’ll let you know how it turns out

Yeah, I bought that cilantro yesterday…

To infuse vinegar, heat it in a sauce pan and pour it over fruit/herb/whatever in a non-reactive container

Let it stand over night (in the fridge or not, use good judgement)

I used what I had, limes and white vinegar. It pretty much just taste like limes. White balsamic vinegar would have been nice, but oh well.

No fancy glass bottle to put it in