I cannot believe that a new year is upon us so quickly. December was just a blur for me as we had a quick trip to Italy to close on the farmhouses, then rushed home to celebrate the holidays with our family. Although Christmas is certainly my favorite holiday of the year it seems that for most of the Christmas week I am in the kitchen cooking up our favorite holiday specialties, and although I love doing it, it does get tiring (especially when one is dealing with jet lag). Once everyone leaves and we have removed all of the holiday decor, I usually take a break from the kitchen for a week or so, as I did this year as well.

 

Once January rolls around though, I am drawn back to the kitchen and instead of preparing the rich, calorie laden treats from the previous month, I crave vegetables, crisp salads, fresh seafood, and hearty soups. I am also drawn back to the basics, and now that I have the time once again, I find myself making cheese from scratch, baking my own loaves of whole grain breads, looking through my recipe files for new and unique recipes to try, and to making my own flavored oils and vinegars.

 

Making flavored oils and vinegars at home, is an extremely fast, simple process that yields excellent results. Flavored oils and vinegars can be easily made using ingredients found in almost any garden or grocery store. Although flavored oils have been used for centuries in Italian, French and Asian countries, they are just now finding their way into American kitchens. I almost always have a bottle of spicy olive oil on hand made with hot dried red chili peppers and olive oil. We drizzle this on our pizzas although my husband would drizzle it on every dish served him if I let him! I also love having a citrus flavored oil or vinegar on hand which I use to marinade shellfish or poultry, or as a condiment to drizzle on any grilled seafood. You can buy small glass vinegar and olive oil bottles with lids at almost any department store that work really well to store your prepared oils and vinegars. 

There are two types of preparation methods used in flavoring oils and vinegars; cold infusion and hot infusion. Cold infusion is used most often for delicate herb or citrus flavored oils and vinegars. All that is involved in this preparation, is mixing the oil or vinegar directly with the chosen flavoring ingredient, and storing it to allow the flavors to meld. Hot infusion, is generally used with ground spices, or tougher-leafed herbs such as rosemary. Hot infusion involves heating up the oil, then adding the flavoring ingredient and storing. Vinegars can keep up to one year, but flavored oils should be made fresh weekly, and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use for safety reasons. I have included links for a few recipes for both flavored oils and vinegars below, but you can use your imagination and create your own personal flavors as long as you follow  the basic recipes.

Tips For Making Flavored Oils And Vinegars: 

Making flavored oil and vinegar is extremely easy and safe if you follow basic instructions. Here are a few quick tips to get you started. Use your creativity, and experiment with some of your favorite flavorings.

• Use good quality oils and vinegars. Remember your final product will only be as good as the ingredients you use. Use a good quality olive oil, such as virgin or extra-virgin olive oil.

• Use attractive bottles with tight fitting lids, that are free of cracks or chips. Sterilize your bottles before using, by boiling in a water bath for 15 minutes.

• Work with thoroughly cleaned herbs and produce for safety.

• If using the hot infused method, heat the oil or vinegar to just below the boiling point.

• Place the desired flavoring in the sterilized bottles with the oil and vinegar, tightly cap and allow the flavors to infuse. Store the vinegar in a cool, dark place for three to four weeks, and store the oil in the refrigerator for a couple of days before using. Strain both the oil and vinegar before using.

• Remember, both flavored oils and vinegars make beautiful gifts. Use decorative bottles, and add a tag or label with a description, and don't forget to add a copy of the recipes.

Uses For Flavored Oils and Vinegars: 

There are an unlimited number of different uses flavored vinegars and oils, and in fact you will probably find news uses every time you cook. 

• Drizzle herbed oils over soups and stews, mashed potatoes, pizzas or grilled vegetables. Roasted garlic oil is wonderful mixed with mashed potatoes!

• Flavored vinegars are wonderful used in dressings for salads or seafood.

• Marinate meats or seafood in herbed oils before grilling.

• Flavored oils can be found in many Italian restaurants as a dip for crusty Italian bread. This is a great healthy alternative to butter.

• Whisk herbed oil into plain yogurt or sour cream and use as a dip.

• Toss flavored oil with cooked pasta for a simple, easy mid-week meal.

• To "complete" a dish, drizzle on a little flavored oil, which adds another layer of flavor. I make a citrus oil, which is wonderful drizzled over grilled seafood.

Buon Appetito!

By Deborah Mele 2008

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