I would love to share with you a quick and easy method to infusing in your own kitchen. You can make flavored oils on your stovetop.
Infusing your favorite herbs into healthy oils is a great way to top your baked potato, fresh salads and dressings, pizza, roasted veggies, sauces, pasta and more. Dipping fresh bread into your infused oils is also a great way to enjoy the amazing flavors. One of our team members, Chef Charles, created a basil/leek infused oil and drizzles that over Bruschetta. The rich color and fresh herbal flavor are amazing!
Preparing your own infused oils is inexpensive, whereas you do not need to spend a lot of money at a gourmet store for tasty oils.
My favorite oils to use are olive oil and avocado oil. I have recently started experimenting with coconut oil also. Olive oil is full of antioxidants necessary for fighting free radicals in the body. It’s thought that olive oil consumption reduces the risks of heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and strokes. The infused oil in recipes has many beneficial compounds that act as antifungal, anti-stress and anti-pain agents.
My husband, Richard, has recently purchased a LEVO Oil Infuser. It is a great countertop model for infusing (www.levooil.com). Of course you do not need to go out and purchase the infuser, it simply makes great use of time and is so very easy with clean up also.
I would love to share with you a quick and easy method to infusing in your own kitchen. You can make flavored oils on your stovetop. To make the infused oil, you should heat your oil in a saucepan to about 140 degrees. Don’t let it get too hot or the flavor of the oil itself will change from cooking. Remove the oil from the heat and add your herbs and/or spices. This method is good for pulling flavor from spices like peppercorns, rosemary, garlic, basil or chili peppers. You can flavor a cup of oil with two to four tablespoons of herbs and spices. If you are using fresh herbs, which is my recommendation, rinse the herb and allow to dry before submerging into the oil.
The longer you let the ingredients sit in the oil, the stronger the flavor will be. You can taste the oil to see if it has reached a flavor you enjoy. You can strain out the solid ingredients if you don’t want it to get any stronger. Once completed, store your oils in a glass jar for up to 30 days in the refrigerator.
Whatever method of infusion that you use, enjoy the flavor and health benefits of the oils that you create. Cheers to good health! QCBN
By Debbie Maranville
Debbie Maranville is the co-owner of Goods from the Garden, Catering & Events.
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