A couple of drops of spicy oil can transform the dish. With this dressing, even the usual salad will sparkle with new flavors. Cute bottles with interesting filling can be searched in supermarkets or online. But the easiest way is to make them at home yourself. How to flavor vegetable oils at home?
Aromatization of oils is a simple and fascinating process. It gives a lot of room for imagination, because you can add both herbs and spices, vegetables and even fruits. It is enough to remember a couple of subtleties of preparation, and then you are not limited in anything.
Which oil should I choose?
It is important that the natural taste and aroma of the product is not too saturated. Otherwise, it will drown out all additives. Therefore, pay attention to neutral oils. The ideal option is a light olive oil, where there is not too much bitterness. Refined, odorless sunflower oil is also suitable.
For a change, you can try adding flavors to mustard or corn oil. However, it is worth trying them first. Unlike olive or sunflower oils, these oils already have their own bright notes in the taste. Therefore, not every supplement will be harmoniously combined with them. There is no avoiding the trial and error method here.
What can I add? How to flavor vegetable oils at home?
The palette of flavored butter flavors is huge. Spicy with spices, fragrant with herbs, fragrant mushroom or berry-you can combine it as you like. The most suitable components include:
Herbs: rosemary, dill, coriander, basil, oregano, thyme, mint, tarragon, parsley, bay leaf — these are, perhaps, the basic flavors. But you can try to make oil with other plants as well. It is better to choose fresh herbs, as they will start working faster.
Vegetables: garlic, chili pepper, horseradish, onion, celery. They are also better to use fresh.
Spices: cinnamon, ginger, black or allspice, cardamom, paprika and many others.
Citrus fruits: lemon, orange, lime, tangerine. Most often, their zest is used, since the juice from the pulp will make the oil cloudy.
Dried mushrooms.
Dried berries.
Packaging and preparation
Glass dishes with a tightly closed lid are best suited for flavoring oils. You can take classic bottles, but it is unlikely that you will be able to use them again. Because of the narrow neck, the products that got inside will be very difficult to get, and it is important to change the raw materials.
The optimal solution will be ordinary glass jars with a tight lid. Before cooking, they must be sterilized. In any case, the oil must be poured after infusing, then just you can use beautiful bottles. If the glassware was not at hand, then you can insist in a plastic package.
It is very important that no water gets into the oil. Therefore, all herbs, fruits and vegetables must be thoroughly dried. Otherwise, when they are infused, they will become covered with mold. They can also be soaked in vinegar for several hours, but then you will still have to dry well. Then the oil will acquire light spicy notes.
Cold method of flavoring. How to flavor vegetable oils at home?
For it, they take oil at room temperature and simply pour the ingredients with it. It is advisable to use this method with spices and dried additives (mushrooms or berries). Herbs can sometimes capriciously manifest themselves.
If you still decide to add them, then make sure that the liquid has completely covered the plants. Otherwise, the herbs will start to turn black and lose their attractiveness. The oil obtained in this way, especially when using fresh products, is better to eat as soon as possible.
Olive oil with cinnamon and cloves
Moderately spicy, with a slight sharpness, this oil is perfect for baking. For example, it can be added when preparing carrot cake or vegan desserts. Allspice, nutmeg and anise are perfect for cinnamon and cloves. Together with them, the taste of the oil will turn out more piquant.
Ingredients:
Olive oil 2 cups
Carnation 5 pcs.
Cinnamon 3 sticks
Cooking method:
Grind the cloves and cinnamon in a mortar or coffee grinder.
Thoroughly wash the infusion dishes and dry them well.
Add the chopped spices to the container and pour them with oil at room temperature. Insist for 2 weeks in a cool, dark place. After infusing, strain the oil and pour it into a sterile bottle.
Sunflower oil with mushrooms
Truffle oil is often prepared in this way. But we offer a more budget option. Mushroom oil is healthy for baking potatoes. It can also be added to buckwheat or used to make fragrant crackers.
Ingredients:
Refined sunflower oil 2 cups
Dried porcini mushrooms 2 tablespoons
Cooking method:
Chop the dried mushrooms with a mortar, knife or coffee grinder.
Prepare a container for infusing. Rinse it well and dry it.
Put the mushrooms on the bottom of the dishes and fill them with oil at room temperature.
Close the container tightly and insist in a dark, cool room for 15-20 days. Once a day, the container must be shaken well.
After infusing, strain the oil and pour it into clean, sterilized bottles.
Store the oil in the refrigerator or in a dark, cool place.
Hot flavoring method. How to flavor vegetable oils at home?
It is best suited for working with herbs and vegetables. The oil is heated over low heat to 176F, flavorings are added to it, wait until it cools down, and poured into containers. You can pre-arrange the products in cans and pour them with liquid, but be careful, the oil can burn.
Before adding herbs, remember them a little in your hands. This way they will quickly reveal the aroma and begin to transfer it to the oil.
Olive oil with chili, garlic and herbs
This is almost a universal product. Dressing salads, marinating white meat or fish, sprinkling vegetables before baking, adding a couple of drops to the dough or pizza sauce — all this is under the power of fragrant oil with garlic, chili and herbs.
Ingredients:
Olive oil 1 cup
Garlic 1 clove
Chili pepper 1/4 pod
Fresh rosemary 1 sprigs
Fresh thyme 1 sprigs
Cooking method:
Put the oil on a slow fire and heat to 176F. While it is languishing, prepare a container for infusing. Wash it thoroughly and dry it well.
Cut the garlic into large slices, and the chili pepper in half. Transfer them to a container for infusing.
Add herbs to the garlic and pepper, having previously crushed them in your hands.
Fill the products with hot, but not boiling oil and wait for it to cool down.
Close the container tightly and leave it in a dark, cool place for 3 weeks.
Strain the flavored oil and pour it into clean, sterile bottles.
Store in a cool place without access to sunlight.
Sunflower oil with onion and ginger
In this oil, you can fry pork or beef, as well as cook noodles. And it can also become the basis of a spicy salad sauce.
Ingredients:
Refined sunflower oil 2 cups
Onion 2 tablespoons
Fresh ginger 1 tablespoon
Cooking method:
Heat the oil over low heat to 176F. Finely chop the onion and ginger. Transfer the slicing to a container for infusing. Fill the products with hot oil and wait until it cools down.
Close the container tightly and insist in a dark, cool place for 5-7 days.
Strain the fragrant oil and pour it into a sterile storage container.
That’s how it’s easy to make an interesting dish decoration from ordinary oil. Try it and be sure to tell us about your experience. Bon Appetit!