Learn How To Infuse Olive Oil For Multiple Uses
Herb Infused Olive Oil is a light, tasty way to add flavor to a variety of tasty meals.
Both cold-infused and heat Infused Olive Oils are fairly easy to make at home, but the process often requires careful consideration of your components to prevent the growth of bacteria in the jar.
Choose A High-Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil
In the supermarket or a specialty grocery store, our Infused Olive Oil experts recommend that you seek out a darker green bottle of Olive Oil, which is coloring to protect the flavor of the oil. In addition, our Infused Olive Oil experts recommend that you also read the label to make sure the Olive Oil is labeled as "Extra Virgin" Olive Oil, which is the highest quality of Olive Oil available.
If you find it difficult to get quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil, you can also purchase "virgin" olive oil, which is a little lower in quality, but still has an unbelievable flavor and can be used for infusions as well.
Infuse, A Single Ingredient Into The Olive Oil For A Strong, Bold Flavor
A majority of individuals prefer to add only 1 ingredient to their Olive Oil to give it a unique and savory taste. For a enjoyable and strong infusion, our Infused Olive Oil experts recommend that you try making Rosemary Infused Olive Oil, thyme olive oil, Garlic Olive Oil, Truffle Olive Oil, Lemon Olive Oil, or Basil Olive Oil.
If you make Italian food often, you can create a Garlic Infused Olive Oil to use while cooking.
If you prefer to use olive oil on salads, consider infusing a lemon or ginger Infused Olive Oil.
Create Flavor Blends With two Ingredients
Our Infused Olive Oil experts recommend that you try flavors and herbs that you use together in recipes rather often, as those generally tend to work together nicely. More in demand multi-ingredient Infused Olive Oils include garlic-chili Olive Oil, Italian herbs in olive oil, and rosemary-garlic olive oil.
As a general rule of thumb, try to stay with creating infusions that have no more than two ingredients. The majority of the time can sometimes lead to muddled flavors and conflicting tastes.
Do A Cold-Infusion For Fresh Herbs and Organic Ingredients
If your ingredients are tender herbs such as basil, oregano, cilantro and parsley, or small ingredients such as peppercorn, they'll often times release their flavor effortlessly when chopped or cut and can be cold-infused.
This technique is also the most appropriate for ingredients such as lemons, which should be kept cold to prevent stale and old.
Heat Infuse Hardy Herbs and Preserved Ingredients
If you are using woody herbs, such as rosemary and sage, a heat-infusion is best for releasing all of the bold flavors. Furthermore, this method is also great for preserved ingredients such as dried mushrooms and chili.
For woody herbs, such as rosemary, sage, and thyme, you'll need just a few sprigs of the herb for your infusion, since they'll typically tend to be stronger and the warm oil will draw out the flavor in.