The fourth in my Herbal Bucket series. The others can be found here:
One of the delights of growing herbs is using them, fresh or dried, in the kitchen. Everything tastes better with herbs and there is an herb to go with any type of food. Today, we’ll talk about making your own herbal oils and vinegars, which can be used in so many ways. There are a couple of tricks to remember but these condiments are generally easy to make and the flavors are limited only by your imagination.
Making herbal oils and vinegars is ridiculously easy. Put you herbs and other ingredients in a jar, cover them with oil or vinegar, put a lid on it and wait. Give it a shake whenever you think of it. Check once in a while to see if the flavor is strong/sweet/tasty enough and strain out the ingredients when it is. Ta da! It really is that easy, but let’s look at the details.
Herbal Oils
Let’s start with oils, as there are a few safety issues to be aware of. If you’re like me, you probably want to use the fresh herbs you grew yourself to make various concoctions. A handful of fresh basil, a few sprigs of rosemary, maybe even some lemon balm or nasturtium flowers — all great stuff for flavoring oils. However, by using fresh, juicy ingredients you may be creating an environment where bacteria and microbes can flourish.
It’s not the oil that’s the problem, it’s the water/moisture from the fresh herbs & other ingredients and the possibility that they may harbor botulism spores that causes the worry. The water allows the spores to grow while the oxygen-free oil provides the perfect environment for them to live and multiply.
This is not to say you should never used fresh ingredients to infuse oil but you should take precautions when creating and storing it. The important part is to create the oil quickly, using warmed oil, and store the resulting infused oil in the refrigerator immediately (see The Techniques, below). Any oil made with fresh ingredients should be used as soon as possible and discarded after one month. I wouldn’t keep an oil like this longer than 2 weeks because I’m paranoid, but that’s me. Please see this link for very good information on making and using flavored oils.
If you use dried herbs to flavor your culinary oil, there is almost no risk of botulism, the oil can be infused for much longer and there is no need to refrigerate, though it won’t hurt anything if you prefer to do so.
You can use any culinary-grade oil you choose. Extra-virgin olive oil is probably the most commonly used because it tastes good but is not overpowering, it does not require refrigeration (unless it is infused with fresh ingredients!) and it is relatively inexpensive. Other oils have different flavors to start with and so may effect the final flavor of your oil but you may like them — experiment!
Herbal Vinegars
Herbal vinegars can be made with fresh or dried herbs, by themselves or mixed with spices, fruits or vegetables. They do require some patience, as they taste best when given a month or more to brew.
You don’t have to be as concerned about the ingredients you use as the acidity of the vinegar will kill off any bacteria. Just make sure you use a vinegar with at least 5% acidity (it should say on the bottle when you buy it). Infused vinegars will keep a long time, up to a year, without refrigeration, though I doubt they’ll be around long enough to worry about it!
There are many varieties of vinegar and each has its own flavor. I have only experimented with three or four kinds, myself, but eventually I’d like to try some of the more exotic types, like rice or plum vinegar, or even balsamic vinegar. The most common type, white distilled vinegar, is not one I would recommend, though I have used it in the past. It is rather harsh and can overwhelm the flavors of many ingredients. It is the least expensive, true, but in this case, you really do get what you pay for. Save it for washing windows and cleaning shower heads.
My very favorite so far has been white wine vinegar and my favorite brand is Colavita, though there are many other brands to choose from. You can actually taste this right out of the bottle without feeling like your fillings are going to fall out. It has a much lighter, more delicate taste and takes on the tastes of the ingredients without overwhelming them. Since it is very light colored and clear, it also takes on the colors of the herbs you’re infusing. Purple basil infused in this vinegar is a lovely rose color and tastes quite fruity.
Another type of vinegar I have worked with is apple cider vinegar (ACV) — it is a not clear and has a brown/orange-ish color. The stuff I use is the raw, unfiltered type that contains “the mother”, which are “strands of proteins, enzymes and friendly bacteria” and are believed by some to convey many health benefits. I just like the taste. It also makes a lovely hair rinse, but that’s for another bucket!
I am currently brewing a concoction, called fire cider by herbalists (see The Recipes, below), using this type of vinegar. It is very spicy and can be hot, depending on what ingredients you choose, and it is believed to be very healthful, as it is loaded with garlic, onions and assorted herbs. Whether it has any medicinal effect or not, it is darn tasty on salads and makes a great marinade for chicken and if it happens to improve my immune system on the side, well, I guess I can accept that. :)
The Techniques
For either oil or vinegar, there are some basic techniques to follow.
Most importantly, make sure the jar you are using to make the infusion is thoroughly clean. A very hot, soapy bath is probably sufficient but sterilizing it for 10 minutes in boiling water won’t hurt. This goes for the bottle you store the finished product in as well.
Next, if you can find a jar with a plastic lid, use that in favor of a metal lid. The acid in the vinegar will corrode a metal lid and contaminate your vinegar. If all you have are metal lids, make sure you place a heavy sheet of parchment, wax paper or a double layer of plastic wrap on the top before you put the metal lid on. That will protect the lid and keep your vinegar safe. Amazon sells plastic lids that fit regular Mason jars and they’re not too expensive. This is not a problem with oils.
As an aside, straining the finished product through a metal strainer is fine. The vinegar won’t be in contact with it long enough to do any damage. Just make sure you rinse the strainer very thoroughly!
If you are using fresh ingredients, especially ones you’ve grown yourself or bought from the store or farmer’s market, go over them carefully to make sure there are no critters hiding in them. Remove any dead or damaged matter. If you need to wash anything, make sure you dry it carefully — no sense adding more water than the stuff already contains.
When I’m using fresh herbs for either oil or vinegar, I like to chop them fine and maybe crush them a little bit with the back of a spoon to make sure all the good stuff comes out. You can also crush dried ingredients, especially seeds and pods, in a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder (one dedicated to herbs, unless you enjoy coffee flavored vinegar/oil!). They don’t need to be powdered just broken up a bit.
Put all your ingredients in the jar of your choice, fill with oil or vinegar, cover and shake to make sure the ingredients are thoroughly covered. Then wait — it usually takes 4 to 6 weeks for the infusion to really extract all the flavors and let them blend. Testing the brew after a couple of weeks to see how it’s coming along is a good idea, especially if you are using strong herbs, hot peppers or onion-related materials. You can strain the oil or vinegar as soon as it tastes good to you.
The exception to this procedure is infusing oil with fresh materials, as described above. In that case, heat the oil to no more than 180 degrees and then pour onto the ingredients in the jar. The heat will help extract the flavors quickly and will drive off at least some of the moisture. Don’t over-heat the oil — that may change its flavor. Leave to cool to room temperature. Once the oil is cool, strain it with a fine mesh strainer, bottle the finished oil and stuff it in the fridge immediately.
I enjoy making fresh infused oils over the weekend to use as marinades or salad dressings during the week. Since I don’t make much at one time, I find that I don’t have to worry about them going bad. They’re gone long before they get the chance to turn!
You can also use this method with vinegar, first heating it then pouring it over the herbs. Don’t heat the vinegar to a boil — just to a simmer. This method is recommended if you are using dried herbs but may damage the taste of some delicate herbs, especially fresh ones. I, personally, don’t use this method for vinegar unless I need it right away, perhaps to pair it up with a fresh oil for a special marinade.
The Recipes
OK, this is going to be a short section because I’ve already written a tome and, if you’ve followed me this far, you’ve probably had too much caffeine. Go get a nice cup of decaf, herbal tea and we’ll finish up. :)
Oil Recipe — Rosemary Oil
My very favorite infused oil recipe is also the simplest. Get yourself a few sprigs of fresh rosemary, chop them up and put them in a half-pint or smaller mason jar. It should be filled about a quarter of the way or less — rosemary is very strong. Pour heated oil (I like extra-virgin olive oil), as described above, into the jar enough to fill it and let sit until cool. Strain, bottle (I usually just put it back in the jar it was infused in) and use immediately or put it in the fridge. You can also heat the oil, remove the pot from the heat and just throw the rosemary in the pot. Once it cools, proceed as above.
You can leave the rosemary in the oil if you intend to use it very soon but remember that the herb will continue to infuse as long as you leave it there. You can end up with an overpowering rosemary oil, though, if that happens, diluting it with some unflavored oil will solve the problem.
This oil can be used for all kinds of things — any way you would normally use olive oil that would benefit from a little extra flavor. I use it as the oil I brown chicken or saute vegetables with and as a dip for bread. I’ve read that some people even use this oil to make popcorn! As with all oils infused with fresh ingredients, keep refrigerated and use within a month, or even better, two weeks.
There are, of course, endless combinations of herbs, spices and vegetables you could use for infused oils. Here are a few I’ve tried and enjoyed, with the bonus that they also work for vinegar infusions!
- Lemon peel and ginger (nice with chicken! Also, lemon peel or zest pairs beautifully with many herbs — try thyme, basil or winter savory)
- Garlic and cayenne pepper (using fresh garlic in infused oils has greater than average danger of botulism unless you take precautions — see this link for an easy and safe procedure)
- Dried herb blends — thyme, rosemary, oregano and basil make a fine oil that’s very good on pasta. In this case, you could leave the dried herbs right in the oil for added flavor to the pasta.
- Lemon herbs — lemon zest, lemon balm, lemon verbena, lemongrass, lemon basil and lemon thyme (all or a selection of your choice; fresh or dried). Go easy on the thyme — it’s much stronger than the other herbs.
Vinegar Recipe — Fire Cider
Ingredients:
- 2 inch piece of fresh ginger, chopped
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon (or more if you like)
- ½ cup chopped onion (a nice pungent one is best)
- 1 Tbsp turmeric powder
- 1 Tbsp dried thyme
- ½ cup crushed garlic
- ¼ tsp cayenne powder (use more if you like it hot or chop up a few jalapenos)
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 3 small fresh rosemary sprigs, chopped, or 1 Tbsp dried
- ¼ cup grated horseradish (optional, but really clears the sinuses if you use it!)
Add all the ingredients to a quart canning jar and fill the jar with apple cider vinegar. Cover and leave to infuse for a month or more. I leave it on the counter so I remember to give it a shake every once in a while. This is a very flexible recipe and ingredients can be added or subtracted according to your taste. If you search the internet for fire cider recipes, you’ll find no two alike! Use it as a salad dressing or a marinade for chicken or fish. Add it to soups or salsas. If you’re really brave, drink it straight — have tissues handy for your watering eyes. :)
The number of recipes you can make with herbs, fruits, vegetables and spices is literally only limited by your imagination but, if you’re like me, sometimes your mind goes blank and you need some prompting. In those times, I highly recommend a book called Herbal Vinegar by Maggie Oster. It seems to have just been reissued this past September (my copy is from 1994).
Much of the book is dedicated to recipes using the infused vinegar but the first part of the book has innumerable combinations to try. One that sounds excellent to me is a fruit vinegar made with champagne vinegar, peaches and cinnamon basil. A lot of her recipes might also work well for infused oils, just avoid overly juicy things, like fruit or some vegetables.
Whew! Well, there are the basics. Since there really have been entire books written on the topic, I don’t feel quite so bad limiting this to one over-long essay. Get out there and get you some vinegar and oil and herbs and start experimenting. If you’ve already have experience making these infusions, please share with us in the comments your recipes and tips!
My next herbal essay (per your votes!) will be herbal hilarity in history. Our ancestors certainly had some imaginative uses for and beliefs about herbs in centuries past! While they were only doing the best they could with the knowledge and level of science they had at the time, we can’t help but find some of their methods and beliefs rather funny.
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