Infused Olive Oil....?

I scanned this from my book Techniques of Healthy Cooking, The Culinary Institute of America:

Flavored Oils

Oils suffused with garlic, fresh herbs, dried herbs, or hot peppers are called "flavored oils" or "infused oils." These oils are simple to prepare and they make the most of the flavor carrying capability of fat. Flavored oils have a multitude of uses in the kitchen. In the dining room, they make a healthier alternative to butter as a spread for breads.

Flavored oils can, however, become a breeding ground for harmful bacteria, so it is important to exercise caution. Avoid using low-acid, fresh ingredients with a high moisture content, such as raw garlic and blanched fresh herbs, to infuse oil meant to last for some time. When these ingredients are combined with oil. the anaerobic (oxygen-free) environment can encourage the growth of pathogens, such as the organism that causes botulism.

Infused oils made with dried ingredients, like spices and chiles, are much safer and just as potent as those made with fresh products. If you still want to use fresh ingredients for your own infused oil, either for cooking or as a dip, make it in small quantities that can be used quickly. Oil infused with fresh ingredients may be refrigerated for up to one week before being discarded.

The oil you choose to flavor should be either olive oil or a neutral vegetable oil, such as canola or grapeseed. The following are basic procedures for making spice oil, fresh root oil, and fresh herb oil.

Ground Spice Oils

For a more complex flavor, toast whole spices before grinding.

1. Mix 3 tablespoons of the desired ground spice with 1 tablespoon water to make a smooth paste. If paste is dry, add a little more water.

2. Place in clear jar, add 2 cups of oil, cover tightly, and let sit for 2 days. You can shake the jar several times at intervals to increase the strength of the oil.

3. When the spice has settled down to the bottom, remove the oil from the top with a ladle.

4. Store the oil, tightly covered, for 2 to 6 months.

Fresh Root Oils

The intense and fresh flavor of roots and bulbs, such as shallot, garlic, horseradish, and fresh ginger, mix well with oils.

1. Peel and mince the root.

2. For every 3 tablespoons of minced root, use 2 cups of the appropriate oil.

3. Place in a jar and store in the refrigerator for 1 day before using. Store under refrigeration for up to 1 week.

Fresh Herb Oils

Any fresh herb, such as basil, chives, cilantro, mint, or parsley, will work well. The finished oil will have a brilliant green color.

1. Blanch the herbs, including their stems, for 5 seconds in simmering water. Refresh them under cold running water and pat dry.

2. Measure the herbs and place in a blender with an equal amount of the desired oil. Blend to a smooth paste, place in a clean jar, and add 3 times the amount of oil.

3. Store in the refrigerator for 1 day.

4. When the herbs have settled, strain the oil through a coffee filter and use immediately or store under refrigeration for up to 1 week.

I HOPE THIS HELPS!

Infused oil is oil that has the addition of herbs, spices or fragrant leaves. It can either be used for cooking or for massage depending upon the ingredients used for the infused oil. In most cases, infused oil is used in cooking, and is especially good in final products where one can taste the oil, such as salad dressings.

There are several methods for making infused oil, but the first step is to sterilize the container one will be using. Consider a wine bottle, or one can sometimes purchase decorative oil bottles. It is very important to take this first step to avoid the oil harboring bacteria.

The easiest method is to simply add an herb to the sterilized bottle and allow the oil to infuse for several weeks. The oil will have a light taste of the herb or spice used. Other methods will yield a stronger tasting infused oil.

Most other methods call for gently heating the oil. One can do this on a stovetop, in a microwave oven, or in a crock-pot. As well, slightly crushing herbs like tarragon, basil, or rosemary will have the herbs give off more flavor. This step is unnecessary for cinnamon sticks or allspice.

Once the oil is slightly warmed, one stuffs the bottle with chosen ingredients and pours the oil over the top. The oil should then be kept in a cool, dry place for at least two weeks. One can perform a taste test of the infused oil after a week to see if it is getting sufficiently strong. If there is no taste of the herbs used, add more.

One can use a variety of oils to make infused oil. It is best to understand the oil’s storage capabilities. For example, peanut oil and olive oil must be refrigerated before and after they become infused oil or they will become rancid.

In general, choose oil that does not have a strong flavor. Light olive oil, peanut oil, and safflower oil, are all better choices than walnut oil, for example. One can also purchase infused oil in multiple varieties at gourmet food stores. With these, observe instructions for storage as well.

Want an infused oil to use tonight? Well, the other answers probably tell you to put whatever herbs, spices, pepper, chillis, etc into the oil and let it sit for a week or more. That's fine, and it works, and you'll get a lot of use out of those oils. BUT, if you want to try it tonight OR (like me) you thought you still had some of your favorite chili-infused olive oil for that spicy salad dressing you want to serve with dinner tonight (but you're out) then try this:

Put the oil and the other ingredients into your blender or food processor. Whiz it for a few seconds until you've broken down the ingredients. Let it sit as long as you can, but not less than 15 minutes, then (if you want to) strain through a cheesecloth-lined sieve.

Use the oil right away or store what's left over for future use.

Bon Appetit.

Sterilize a jar by pouring boiling water into it. Bruise some herbs (anything you like; a good handful for a pint jar) by crushing them in your hand. Put them in the jar and pour warmed oil over them. (Olive oil has a nice flavor, but walnut oil or other light nut oils also have an interesting flavor.) You can puree it if you like to get more flavor out. Let it sit for a week in the refrigerator, then strain them.

It’s advisable to use it within a month or so. The herbs may have botulism on them, which grows very happily in the airless environment of an infused oil. It spoils and can be very dangerous. Commercial processors will kill the botulism by heating the oil, which also damages the flavor. They have ways of putting the flavors back in chemically that you just don’t have access to.

I work at Carinos Italian Grill. We serve herb-infused oil with bread service. Any dried or fresh herbs you would add to an Italian red sauce would be perfectly appropriate. In the bottles we use, there is a medley of: rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage, basil, salt and pepper. You can even get creative and add garlic and/or crushed red pepper. For best flavor, you should allow 2 weeks for the flavors to infuse. It will keep for about a year. The oil preserves and protects the herbs from spoiling.

I have a small, pretty blue bottle (about a pint) with a pourer top on it like you see on liquor bottles. In it I put 8-12 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced lengthwise into slivers, 2-3 or more per clove, depending on the size of the clove. Then I fill the bottle about 3/4 with one of the stronger olive oils (not the extra extra virgin). Let it sit for a day or so to steep.

I use this to dip bread and rolls with dinner. I pour a circle of it on my bread plate, then I grate in some fresh pepper and add some salt. Sometimes I’ll grate in some fresh parmesan or add a splash of balsamic vinegar. I also use it for stir fries and to make omelets. The garlic in the oil adds a nice flavor.

When the oil is gone, I leave the same garlic cloves in the bottle and make a second batch of oil. After the second batch is gone, I freeze the "used" garlic cloves and use them in omelets, stir fries, or other recipes.

I have also made oils infused with fresh basil and rosemary, but IMO they got too bitter. Sometimes I’ll add fresh snipped herbs to the oil after I pour it on my plate.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Italian-Herb-Infused-...

And about a hundred other sites.

Just google"recipe/infused olive oil" and all kinds of recipes will pop up.