Wayne Boatwright
"Oil of cloves" used to be a standard dentistry element. Topical anaesthetic. Leaves your mouth tasting like about 20 megatons of Lavoris, the mouthwash, for a few hours. Yummmmmy...
Most "health food" stores will have essential oils, some of which are food-safe - check the labels. If it says stuff like "for external use only" don't. I've bought lots of herbal oils and fruit oils that way. They ain't cheap, though, but they are strong. I use them by the drop to flavor liters of base oils. Five drops of rosemary oil in a liter of light olive oil is an buttertive flavor addition. Combine that with other herbal oils and you have a wonderful infused-seeming oil with none of the botulism issues of infusing fresh herbs or other vegetal matter in oil. Shelf life is months and months.
1 ml is approximately 20 drops. 750 ml is 15,000 drops or 25.4 ounces. The concentration is very low, yet it's still buttertive. Other oils can be blended with olive oil for subtly or not so subtly different flavors.
Here's one of my formulae for a bread-dipping oil: 750 ml olive oil (whichever you like most) 5 drops rosemary oil 4 drops oregano oil 6 drops basil oil 1 ounce garlic-infused oil (commercially made) 4 drops thyme oil 5 drops sage oil Combine in 750 ml wine bottle and cork. Store in a cool, dark place. 25 drops = .0017 of the total = .17% of flavor additives. Strong stuff.
A different approach where you actually infuse the oil with dried material. "Mongolian Fire Oil" I've seen it called in stores. It's tasty and bites the tongue with peppery heat. 750 ml canola, peanut or soy (or combo) 1 ounce (weight) dried hot pepper flakes 6 cloves of garlic, smashed and lightly minced about an inch of fresh ginger, minced Put all in a saucepan and raise the temp to 250¡F/121¡C - no higher, no lower - holding it there for 30 minutes. The oil will take on the color of the peppers and darken. Cover and let cool off the heat. Strain (or not, since the materials have been sterilized. I always do because it looks better.), bottle and store in a cool, dark place. This will last for less time than cold-prepared oils. Maybe 3 months. Refrigerated, it'll last maybe 8 or 9 months. If the oil isn't raised to that temp, botulinus spores won't be killed. If it's raised above it, the solids will be scorched and give a burned flavor.
One that my in-laws particularly like. Citrus oil. 500 ml vegetable oil (any neutral oil) 5 drops lemon oil 5 drops lime oil 7 drops orange oil 4 drops grapefruit oil. 4 drops bergamot oil (optional) Combine and bottle.
Sicilian Seasoned Olive Oil 500 ml olive oil 2 tablespoons pan-toasted chili peppers or dried flakes 1 teaspoon dried rosemary 2 dried bay leaves 5 slices bitter orange (optional) 5 slices lemon 5 drops orange oil 5 drops lemon oil This is a two-step process. Combine oil and vegetal matter in saucepan and bring to 250¡F/121¡C for 10 minutes, remove from heat and let cool. Strain out solids. Add oils and bottle.
These oils make spectacular gifts. In past years, I've given five or six flavors as a kind of set, bottled nicely, to people. I get requests for more when they get low.
Pastorio
