Herb infused oil - what went wrong
I tried to make herb infused oil, but not matter how long I blend it it's still bitty.
I used 250ml of grapeseed oil, 15g of basil, 15g of chives, 15g of parsley, 15g of dill. I blanched the herbs, then squeezed excess oils out.
I then poured all the oil into my first blender, waring pro. Fail I then transferred into my magimix and blended again. Still bitty. I then anded up using a powerful hand blender for about 10mins and I still had bits.
Any ideas?
thanks
Best Answer
Hmmm, funny you should ask that. Just now I am experimenting with using oil and other edible stuff to extract various chemical compounds from herbs without waste of those compounds. Grit or any identifiable vegetable matter is definitely a negative. It is very much the same thing you are talking about because flavor compounds vary in particle size and solubility.
So far, this product has shown great promise in my experimentation:
They work like cheesecloth, but the filter has holes measured in microns (25 - 220) instead of millimeters. You can wring the heck out of them, wash and reuse. They are constructed kind of like paper grocery bags, each about 1 gallon or 4 liters capacity. The bottom panel is a mesh filter.
It may be an odd off-label use because these things are actually for making hashish, but I saw their culinary potential when I first saw them at a fair. I'm using them now and they really work well to keep infused oils made with ground dried herbs grit-free. You can't wring them too hard, they can handle it.
If a clear, grit-free infused vinaigrette with finely ground dried herbs or food-processed/blended fresh herbs was my goal, I'd definitely give these a shot. Think of them like adjustable, reusable coffee filters.
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Quick Answer about "Herb infused oil - what went wrong"
Herbal oils can turn rancid or grow mold, especially if the carrier oil used is not very shelf stable (such as rosehip seed oil) or if fresh herbs are used. Infused oils that exhibit any change in color, scent, clarity, or taste should be discarded for safety.Why has my infused oil gone cloudy?
The most significant cause of turbidity, at least in our case is water. If your plant parts or your bottles and vessels are not quite dry those small amounts of water (probably not visible or detectable by your eyes) cause turbidity and cloudiness.How do I know if my infused oil is rancid?
If it has an \u201coff\u201d odor\u2014perhaps like crayons, metal, or something sour\u2014it's past its prime. To see if olive oil is past its prime, pour some into a spoon and sniff it. Sour odors mean that it's rancid. It'll have an off smell if it's gone bad.Can you get botulism from herbs in oil?
Oils that are flavored with fresh herbs or garlic can be a source of food-borne illness\u2014specifically botulism. Because of this, this method of preservation has not been recommended for the home food preserver.Can you get botulism from infused oil?
But, like many other low-acid homemade foods, infused oils can pose food safety risks. The primary concern with infused oils is the extremely dangerous and sometimes deadly microorganism, Clostridium botulinum (C. bot), which can cause botulism.Thanksgiving Flavor in a Bottle: How to Make Herb-Infused Oil
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