Extra Virgin Olive Oil

[Dollie]

What flavourings can you add yourself? I currently jazz up my bottle of oil by adding rosemary, peppercorns and garlic cloves, and letting it 'marry' together in the bottle for a week or so before I use it - what other things could I use ??? Thanks x

[ramish]

Dear Dollie, in many respects you are limited by your imagination or taste. I use Extra virgin olive oil mostly as my base and have used many different steeping agents from Basil to Prawn. The method is pretty much the same. Place a quantity of oil in a blender, add the steeping agent (say, basil, about 20 leaves coarsly chopped) blend on high speed till the basil chopped finely. Place the mixture in a GLASS jug in a cool dark place for a few days and the basil will rise to the top. Strain through double layer of muslin. This will take a while, maybe 24 hrs as the oil psses through very slowly. Bottle the oil which will be slightly green and very tasty, especially with fresh bread!! It will keep quite well. The thing you have to watch with some of the steeping agents is mould forming on top. For prawn, use the discarded heads and tails from cooked prawns and process the same way. Interesting but not to every ones taste. You may find your recipe will work better using green peppercorns (the soft ones) and using the above method. If you try it, lets know the result??

[emandvee]

Try a couple or so split chillies. I also like to do vinegar, usually with herbs -fresh ones, but it takes ages and all the bottles have to be steralised, then left for a few weeks. Tarragon and rosemary are nice.

[Dollie]

Thank you both very much for your informative replies. Will try - Cheers Dol x

[nickmo]

Recommended that you keep flavoured oils in the fridge. Bacteria will develop rapidly in the oils, especialy if fresh herbs are used as these add water to the oil - this can be drained off before sealing the container - and the oils will soon go rancid if left at room temperature.

Containers need to be sterile as above before filling. Strain the oils as well as noted too, to remove the particles. Olive oil will have a scent that can overpower delicate herbs, so the preferred may be strong flavours rather than the mose delicate depending what you do with the oil after infusing.