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looking to make rosemary infused oil – does this recipe seem reasonable?

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I’m planning to make rosemary-infused oil and wanted to check if my recipe sounds good. This morning, I started with around 450 grams of fresh rosemary sprigs and stripped the leaves, ending up with about 200 grams (approximately 1 liter tightly packed) of fresh rosemary leaves, free of woody stems.

My goal is to yield at least 750 ml of rosemary-infused oil. Here’s the recipe I’m considering:

  1. Blanch the rosemary leaves in boiling salted water for about 30 seconds.
  2. Shock them in an ice bath with saltwater to halt the cooking process.
  3. Blot the leaves dry between two towels to remove any surface moisture.
  4. Add the dried leaves to 1 liter of cold oil.
  5. Heat the oil to roughly 250°F to begin evaporating any remaining water.
  6. Once at temperature, cook for about 5 minutes.
  7. Remove the mixture from heat and allow it to cool to room temperature.
  8. Strain the rosemary from the oil and chill the oil in the refrigerator overnight.
  9. Pour the oil through a fine filter, ensuring no water is included.

For a second, optional part:

a. Take the leftover rosemary leaves and about 100g of the oil and add them to a food processor.
b. Blend until the rosemary is finely chopped.
c. Let the mixture sit for about an hour.
d. Strain it through a fine mesh strainer.
e. Chill in the refrigerator overnight.
f. Run it through a fine filter.

Afterwards, I plan to taste both oils to evaluate their flavors. Depending on the quality, I’ll decide whether to combine them or keep them separate. What do you think?

Comments

One response to “looking to make rosemary infused oil – does this recipe seem reasonable?”

  1. BRAdmin Avatar
    BRAdmin

    Your recipe for making rosemary-infused oil seems well thought out, and your steps are relatively sound. Here are a few thoughts and suggestions that may help enhance your process:

    1. Blanching: Blanching the rosemary is a great way to enhance the color and flavor. However, consider doing this for a shorter time (about 15-20 seconds) to avoid cooking the leaves too much, which can result in a loss of essential oils and flavor.

    2. Cooling: Using cold salted water for shocking is a good idea, as it will quickly stop the cooking process. Just ensure that you are not adding too much salt, as that can affect the overall flavor of your oil.

    3. Drying: Blotting with towels is an effective way to remove moisture. Make sure the leaves are thoroughly dried, as any excess water can lead to spoilage of your oil.

    4. Heating the Oil: Heating the oil to about 250°F is on the higher end for infusing. While it can extract flavors quickly, be cautious not to overheat the oil as that can degrade its quality. Keeping it around 200°F might help retain more of the herbal notes.

    5. Cooking Time: You could consider reducing the cooking time to 3-4 minutes. This might still infuse the oil well without risking a burnt or overly cooked flavor.

    6. Optional Process: The optional second part seems interesting, especially if you want to enhance the flavor further. You might want to pay attention to how finely you chop the rosemary; very fine pieces could lead to more bitterness or cloudiness in the final oil.

    7. Storage: After infusing, make sure to store the oil in a cool, dark place, or in the refrigerator to prolong its shelf life.

    8. Taste Test: Your approach to taste testing the two oils is excellent. This will give you a sense of the flavor depth you’ve achieved, allowing you to make an informed decision about whether to blend them.

    In summary, your method looks solid, and with a few minor adjustments, you should end up with a fragrant and flavorful rosemary-infused oil. Enjoy the process!

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