Any point in making infused oils?

[seans_potato_business]

Hi. I was wondering whether there was any point in making infused oils for cooking or whether I'd be just as well using regular oil and asking herbs and spices as needed during cooking. I like the look of oil sitting in a bottle with stuff floating in it but not sure it's worth the effort, especially if they go off quickly.

 

[Dawgluver]

They are so pretty, aren't they. There's a chance of botulism and other nasties if the oil is left to sit for too long. Peppers, herbs, and garlic and such preserved in vinegar would probably last a bit longer, I would store your infused oil in the fridge.

 

[silentmeow]

I usually heat a bit of oil in a coffee cup, add the herb/spice I want in the recipe and let it sit on the counter for about an hour before using the oil. Sometimes I remove the solids but other times I just leave everything together and add it to the pan. I get nervous about giving everyone food poisoning so I don't make and store flavored anything. I'd be the one to screw up flavored vinegar! I also like the look of the bottles. I fill bottles with dried flowers and sit them in the windowsills. I have three shelves filled with colored glass bottles on my side porch, absolutely beautiful when the sun shines through them!

 

[jkath]

I go the route of purchasing the flavored oils and vingegars.
Here's one of my favorite companies: Flavored Olive Oil | Garlic Flavored Olive Oil | Olive Oil Flavored

 

[Addie]

When you are going to infuse oils with herbs, adding some vinegar will help stave off the problem of botulism. I use rice vinegar. It is not so strong that it changes the flavor of the oil that you are trying to infuse. Yet there is enough acid to be of benefit.

 

[GLC]

Well, I agree with your feeling that infused oil is kind of pointless in cooking where the herb can just be added during cooking. Infusion is the extraction of essential oils in the base oil, rather than bits of herb floating in oil. The infusion is useful for dressings, since it coats all the salad components with essential oils carried by the base oil. Unless you are going to use it pretty much all your salads, I don't know that its so much better than macerated herbs mixed in oil that it's worth trying to keep around or the two weeks it takes to infuse.

 

[GotGarlic]

When you are going to infuse oils with herbs, adding some vinegar will help stave off the problem of botulism. I use rice vinegar. It is not so strong that it changes the flavor of the oil that you are trying to infuse. Yet there is enough acid to be of benefit.

Curious how that makes a difference since oil and water (or vinegar) don't mix.

 

[jennyema]

I don't know that its so much better than macerated herbs mixed in oil that it's worth trying to keep around or the two weeks it takes to infuse.

If you've used fresh herbs or any other fresh item that is grown in soil, you should be throwing the oil away after 2 weeks.