Re: Food Gifts

"Bob (this one)" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Very bad idea. Never put fresh herbs, veggies or anything else
containing moisture in oil. Botulism is a risk.

Bob, I had someone recently suggest to me that a way to
use up the excess of jalapenos I got out of the garden this
year was to put 'em in olive oil - from the above, I take it
this isn't a good idea? Or could I just put them in the oil for
however long it would take to flavor the oil, and then remove
the peppers?

Bob M.

Bob Myers said:

Bob, I had someone recently suggest to me that a way to
use up the excess of jalapenos I got out of the garden this
year was to put 'em in olive oil - from the above, I take it
this isn't a good idea? Or could I just put them in the oil for
however long it would take to flavor the oil, and then remove
the peppers?

One solution is to dry them first. Dried ingredients are
not a botulism risk and the oil will keep better in general.
You would also be able to rehydrate the peppers and use them
for other things.

To dry them, remove the tops, slice them in half and put
them in a warm oven until dry but not quite brittle.

To make a dried chile infusion I use this method with a
canola oil:

Hot Infusion
Combine the oil and the flavor ingredients in a saucepan and
heat over a moderate flame. Monitor the temperature with a
thermometer. In most cases a temperature between 180 and 200°F
is sufficient to release the essential oils of flavoring
ingredients. Higher temperatures tend to give the oil a
"cooked" taste and may caramelize or scorch the flavorings.
Strain if necessary and allow to cool. Refrigerate oil after
it has reached room temperature.

--
Reg email: RegForte (at) (that free MS email service) (dot) com

Bob Myers said:

"Bob (this one)" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Very bad idea. Never put fresh herbs, veggies or anything else
containing moisture in oil. Botulism is a risk.

Bob, I had someone recently suggest to me that a way to
use up the excess of jalapenos I got out of the garden this
year was to put 'em in olive oil - from the above, I take it
this isn't a good idea? Or could I just put them in the oil for
however long it would take to flavor the oil, and then remove
the peppers?

Not fresh ones. They won't flavor the oil unless you throw some heat on
them. Heat the oil to about 225° and drop in minced peppers. Hold at
that heat for maybe half an hour. Take off the heat, strain out the
pieces, bottle, and make sure there's no moisture in the bottom of the oil.

It works even better with dried peppers because there's no hazard of
botulism. Do the above with dried, chopped peppers for something
approximating commercial hot oils.

You can dry your own peppers in a dehydrator or in a very low oven.
Google recipes for that.

You can add some dried garlic, onion, herbs, and ginger for extra
flavors. Dried citrus zest for a lemon oil hint of flavor. Maybe a 1/2
cup pepper flakes per quart. Couple tablespoons of anything else. After
taking them off the heat, you may strain the previously dried
ingredients or not as you choose.

These oils can be stored at room temp but will last longer if
refrigerated. They will also get cloudy or even become solid, depending
on the kinds of oil you use.

Pastorio