How do i make infused olive oil?

Answer 1

The answer above regarding botulism should be taken seriously by anyone considering making infused olive oils. You can die from food tainted with botulism toxin. Botulism is an anaerobic bacteria and thrives in an environment that lacks oxygen. It dies in the presence of oxygen. Olive oil is very good at sealing out oxygen and keeping it away from the food that is immersed in the oil. Food stored in olive oil is an excellent breeding ground for botulism bacteria. It is very important to sterilize all the food that is put into the oil. The suggestion in the above answer of heating the oil to 200F should be taken seriously. (The principal is similar to home canning. Canning is a great way of keeping food fresh, because it removes the oxygen. But heat sterilization is essential when canning. Even commercial canning operations have produced tainted products.) Another important thing to understand is that once food becomes tainted with botulism toxin, it's too late to make it safe. Heating tainted food will kill the bacteria, but won't destroy the toxin, so it will still kill you.
I used to occasionally make flavored olive oil using raw garlic. Then I found out that this practice can be susceptable to botulism. I no longer make garlic-infused oil by storing garlic in oil for long periods.
If you want to flavor olive oil with herbs or garlic for using in recipes, I would recommend simply making it on the spot when you need it by sauteing the herbs or garlic in the oil for a few minutes over medium heat.
If you are a novice, I would highly recommend, as an alternative to infused oil, that you try making infused vinegars by adding various herbs to ordinary distilled white vinegar. This is safe because of the vinegar's acidity. And infused vinegars make just as nice presents.

Answer 2

The infusing involves mixing herbs, peppercorn, fresh fruit zest and olives with olive oil. I love all the different combinations one can put together. I like to cook with infused olive oil. It's a really quick, easy salad dressing. It's also wonderful as a dip for bread, and a great gift. It's olive oil -- so it's healthy!

To begin infusing olive oil -- you will need a bottle with a cork, a skewer or some long, slender implement, a potato peeler, a funnel, fresh lemon, oregano, rosemary and peppercorns . The zest
gives the oil a beautiful but subtle flavor. The olive oil is not cooked so you need to allow the ingredients to sit inside the oil for about two weeks for the flavor to come through. You can use it right away or wait. It may be cloudy because of the ingredients, but even though it might not 'look' good - it is good. Pound the mixtures (lemon peel, etc. ) and pour it all into the funnel into the oil. It can last about 6 months or up to a year.

Answer 3

Making infused oilive oil is relatively straightforward. Glorious Angel has provided an excellent description. The secret is to release as much of the natural oil contained in the herb (s).

I would use a pestel and mortar to crush the herbs, garlic etc. prior to placing them in the oil. Be certain to pour the oil through a sieve or muslin cloth prior to storing in DARK bottles; sunlight and heat deteriorate olive oil!! Contrary to what others have said; NEVER heat the oil before adding the herbs or garlic....

I wish to add that to make lemon or orange scented olive oil, is not as straightforward as making herb infusions. When it comes to citrus fruit, the only method I know which yields a useable oil is to literally throw in lemons, limes or oranges at the time the olives are being pressed (mulched). This allows the fruit to be added to the olive paste prior to it being thoroughly mixed in order to release the oil contained in the skin.

I have experimented with various weight ratios of fruit to olives and have discovered that 15% of fruit to olives produces an excellent scented oil which does not overpower the flavour of fish or salad.

Answer 4

It depends what you want to infuse it with, usually you can take whatever it is, herbs, garlic, etc. and just put it in the bottle with the olive oil. The flavors will infuse in about a week or so.

Answer 5

take the thing that you want to infuse in the olive oil make sure it is clean and dry and put in to the oil and leave for a few weeks then try it

Answer 6

I put olive oil in a glass bottle, like the ones that come with dry salad dsg. to mix together, add garlic minced or sliced and let it marinate for a day. If you like herbs instead add basil or oregano or even tyme, I use dried and let it mariate for several hrs. Often I pour olive oil in a saucer and add cracked pepper or roasted garlic and its great on thick crusty bread. I cook with infused oil for meats and chicken etc. It makes everything taste so good!

Answer 7

Herb or Spice Infused Oil

Instructions
It's easy to make herb and/or spice infused olive oils at home. They make wonderful gifts for all occasions.

Wash and dry your choice of herb branches and lightly bruise them to release flavor. Place them in a clean decorative glass container, cover with warmed oil, and seal tightly. Leave in a cool, dark place to infuse about two weeks. Taste. If not strong enough, add more fresh herbs and let stand another week. You can either strain the oil or leave the herbs in. If you do not strain the herbs out, the flavor will become stronger as it stands, so keep that in mind. Less strongly-flavored oils like sunflower oil and safflower oil work best to give a more prominent herb flavor. However, extra-virgin olive oil is also a good choice. If you begin with a monounsatured oil such as olive oil or peanut oil, the infused oils should be refrigerated. These are highly perishable and can turn rancid quickly. You can also add garlic, but remove the garlic cloves after a couple of days so as to not overpower the flavor of the herbs. If you choose to leave the garlic cloves in the oil, be sure to refrigerate the oil to avoid the threat of botulism. Use your favorite combinations. Use the oils within two months. Use infused oils in salad dressings and marinades to enjoy full flavor.

Herb suggestions: rosemary, thyme, basil, tarragon, summer savory, basil, oregano, cilantro, marjoram, chervil, chives, dill, mint, parsley, bay leaf.

Spice suggestions: cardamom, star anise, juniper, coriander seeds, nutmeg, cinnamon, cumin, cloves.

Answer 8

It's pretty easy. Just put some spices of your choice in a small bottle of olive oil, and let it sit for at least a few days. Use it on a crusty baguette to make bruschetta. Try using basil or rosemary. This will taste great!

Answer 9

combine olive oil and herbs or chopped up garlic and heat over low heat for a few minutes or up too 20 minutes. let cool and take the garlic or herbs out of pan and bottle up. i make red chili flakes oil and i do it all the time. the garlic oil if u decide to make it while infusing the oil make sure u dont burn the garlic as it will make the oil bitter. i hope this helps...

Answer 10

for a 16 oz. or so bottle of olive oil i just peel a large clove of garlic, cut the ends off and drop it in the bottle. it takes a day or two to infuse. but once it's done in makes super yummy garlic flavored olive oil!