"I have a love affair with olive oil," says Annette Joseph, "so I get creative with it." The infusion consists of mixing herbs, peppercorns, fresh fruit peel and olives with olive oil. "I love all the different combinations you can put together. I like to cook with infused olive oil. It's a really quick and easy salad dressing. It's also wonderful as a topping for bread and a great gift. It's olive oil, for what is healthy."
To start infusing olive oil, like Annette, you'll need a corked bottle, a skewer or some long, thin implement, a potato peeler, a funnel, fresh lemon, oregano, rosemary, and peppercorns. Start with a lemon zest.
"The rind gives the oil a beautiful yet subtle flavor," says Annette. "A lot of people think that olive oil has a very distinctive flavor, but you can definitely enhance that flavor by infusing it."
Annette uses a wooden skewer to push the shell through the neck of the bottle. Pushing the shell down into the bottle will coat the inside and add additional lemon flavor as you pour the oil.
In a mortar, place a generous handful of peppercorns, some fresh oregano, and a sprig of rosemary. Using your hand, gently pat down the mixture, giving it a nice bruise. Oregano and rosemary add flavor and aroma, as well as creating visual texture within the bottle. Place the bruised rosemary in the bottle, followed by the oregano. Using a funnel, pour in the peppercorns and then the olive oil.
"The olive oil isn't cooked," recalls Annette, "so it needs to be left with the mixture so it can be infused properly. It's fine if you use it right away, but it will taste much better if you give it two weeks to infuse properly."
As for the shelf life of the infused oil, Annette says it depends on what kinds of ingredients you put in the bottle.
"It's good for about six months, although I've had some infused oils for over a year. If you use fresh fruit in the bottle, like kumquats or olives, after a while the mix can get a bit cloudy. It's still fine." Use it because olive oil preserves the elements you've put in the bottle. It just won't look as pretty."
Annette is always on the hunt for unusual bottles of her olive oil. As an added touch, she will seal the cork of herself in her freshly infused oil by dripping wax from a scented candle to seal the bottle.
Infusing olive oil is a simple process that anyone can do, and it's fun.
