I want to infuse olive oil with rosemary but every time I have tried a gross white mold-like substance forms on the rosemary within about three days. I pick the rosemary from the garden, wash it and then cover it with olive oil but it never takes. I have tried heating the olive oil with the rosemary in it but again within a couple of days I have the funk covering the rosemary stem.
So - how can I do this so that it doesn’t get “funky”?
Z
I believe your problem is this (bolding mine):
If there is any water on the surface of the rosemary (or garlic, or peppers, or whatever) that you are covering with oil, you can get the mold or discoloration that you are noticing. After you’ve picked and washed the rosemary, pat it dry as much as possible, and then give it a while to air dry before adding the oil. If it was really wet, I’d try a slow oven for a couple hours. Also, be sure the rosemary stays completely covered by oil as you begin to use it (just add more oil), or you can get the same problem.
Epicurious.com has a “recipe” for infusing olive oil with rosemary and mushrooms.
This is the link, but unfortunately, it seems their database is down right now. Check the link later on.
(BTW, epicurious has been a pretty good site for recipes and techniques, IMO, YMMV, dealer costs not included)
-j
Thanks. I followed Epicurious’s instructions before but failed to note the “Refrigerate up to 3 weeks”. Um, have I been concocting something more along the lines of botulism by not refrigerating oils?
I never refrigerate olive oils, infused or otherwise. They start to solidify at refrigerator temperatures, which makes them a pain to use. I keep mine in a cupboard in the kitchen, and they last for months, with no noticeable outbreaks of botulism, e. coli, or other food-borne illnesses.
Are you drying the Rosemary, or at least crushing it thoroughly so that the oil can get into the leaves ? If not, there’ll be places with enough water present to support mold growth. Crushing, or cutting as with Pesto, will also speed up the infusion process for you.
. . . Now I have the unfortunate mental image of Popeye having a three-way . . .
LOL. Well, I didn’t, but I do now… thanks a lot!
Sure enough, improproper infusion is a food safety concern:
Infused Oils- More Than Herbs in Those Bottles
This: Oil Infusions and the Risk of Botulism says pretty much the same.
This: Safely making chile oil emphasizes the same problem when making chili oil. Dry ingredients are important.
Can’t find a recipe that says how much citric acid is needed to solve the problem. It’s probably a lawyer-thing :mad: