Flavor infused oils are a great way to add colorful contrasts and interesting tastes to a dish, especially as a last minute garnish. When making your own oils infused with the essence of a fresh green herb, you'll be walking a fine line between extracting the most flavor and color, and completely breaking down the chlorophyll molecules which will give an off taste and appearance.
In this video I demonstrate a great method for extracting both color and flavor using basil, yet this technique will work for any green herb including parsley, cilantro, tarragon, oregano, mint and marjoram, just to name a few.
The standard ratio used in this video is:
- 3 parts neutral flavored oil (canola) to...
- 1 part blanched basil leafs and stems
It is always preferable to use a neutrally flavored oil that will not overpower the fresh flavor of the herb being used.
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There are 10 Comments
Shelf life
Hi Chef Jacob,
Nice video.
May I ask what is the shelf life of the herb extracted oil in general? thanks
Hi Nesty, This oil will last
Hi Nesty,
This oil will last a few weeks at least if you keep it refrigerated. After that, it won't be dangerous to use but it will start to slowly loose its flavor.
Basil oil would be a nice
Basil oil would be a nice addition to basil mayonnaise. If using a blender, I would still add some blanched basil with the eggs and blend them together for a few seconds before adding the basil oil.
Yes, you can freeze this oil
Yes, you can freeze this oil if you don't plan on using it within a week or two.
Glad to hear it came out
Glad to hear it came out well.
@ Sue, Use this oil as a
@ Sue,
Use this oil as a garnish for any dish that would benefit from a basil flavor; roasted chicken, pizza, pasta, etc.